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Photo by Mark Zuckerman / NATS INSIDER Chien-Ming Wang faces Roy Halladay today at Nationals Park. |
Despite last night's ugliness, the Nats do have an opportunity to take this series and earn their fifth win in their last seven games against Philadelphia ... if they can somehow beat Roy Halladay. For that to happen, they're going to need a quality performance from Chien-Ming Wang, who wasn't as good last time out as he was the time before that in Chicago, but has overall made significant progress since coming off the DL.
Both of today's pitchers would be wise to work at a brisk pace. The forecast calls for only a 10 percent chance of rain until 4 p.m., at which point it goes up to 30 percent, then 60 percent by 5 p.m. A nice, 2 1/2-hour affair would be much appreciated.
Check back for updates...
PHILLIES at NATIONALS
Where: Nationals Park
Gametime: 1:35 p.m.
TV: MASN, Ch. 50
Radio: WJFK (106.7 FM), WFED (1500 AM), XM 185
Weather: Late-afternoon storms, 88 degrees, Wind 11 mph out to CF
STARTING LINEUPS1:37 p.m. -- We are underway with a ball from Chien-Ming Wang to Jimmy Rollins. But we may not be playing for long. The skies have grayed and there is a big system heading this way from the west. It's up to the umpires now when or if to stop play.
NATIONALS (60-64)
SS Ian Desmond
CF Rick Ankiel
3B Ryan Zimmerman
1B Michael Morse
RF Jayson Werth
2B Danny Espinosa
LF Jonny Gomes
C Jesus Flores
P Chien-Ming Wang
PHILLIES (81-43)
SS Jimmy Rollins
CF Shane Victorino
2B Chase Utley
1B Ryan Howard
RF Hunter Pence
LF Raul Ibanez
C Carlos Ruiz
3B Michael Martinez
P Roy Halladay
1:47 p.m. -- A scoreless top of the first for Wang, who had to come up big to get Hunter Pence on a comebacker with runners on the corners and two out. This was after Ryan Howard hit what I suppose still qualifies as an "infield" single, even though Danny Espinosa was positioned about 175 feet from the plate. Skies getting darker, by the way, as Roy Halladay takes the mound for the bottom of the first.
2:03 p.m. -- Wow, that was quite an interesting inning. Start with Ian Desmond, who fell behind 0-2 and then laced a double to right. He's really begun cutting down on his swing with two strikes, an important development. Rick Ankiel then also fell behind 0-2 and beat out a swinging bunt. A sac fly from Ryan Zimmerman brought home the day's first run, then Michael Morse singled to right for the Nats' fourth consecutive productive at-bat of the inning. The streak, however, ended with Jayson Werth, who fouled off a 3-2 pitch from Halladay that was well out of the zone, only to watch a called third strike on the black. Werth slammed his bat to the ground and had some words with plate umpire Jerry Meals, but the pitch was a strike. No worries, though, because Danny Espinosa -- yes, Espinosa -- immediately singled to left to record his first RBI since ... wait for it ... July 17! Nats lead 2-0 after one, though at the end of the day, they might regret not having taken advantage of the situation and scored more.
2:09 p.m. -- Or they might regret it immediately since Carlos Ruiz just clubbed a two-run homer off Wang in the top of the second. It's 2-2.
2:20 p.m. -- Forget what I said about Desmond cutting down his swing with two strikes. I could feel the breeze from him flailing at a 2-2 slider in the dirt just now all the way up in the press box. A 1-2-3 top of the second from Halladay, leaving the game tied 2-2 heading to the bottom of the inning.
2:32 p.m. -- Another home run allowed by Wang on a sinker that was up in the zone. This time, Utley hammers it into the right-field bleachers, putting the Phillies up 3-2 in the third. On the bright side, Wang did strike out both Victorino and Howard. In his previous 23 1/3 innings this season, he had only three strikeouts.
2:47 p.m. -- Wow, another K for Wang in the fourth, his third of the day. Meanwhile, just as Halladay is settling into a groove, a major line of storms is fast approaching from the west. The grounds crew is at their post, ready to spring into action. The folks who close the press box windows, however, are nowhere to be found.
2:57 p.m. -- Jimmy Rollins, by the way, left this game with a right groin strain. Replaced at shortstop by Wilson Valdez.
3:03 p.m. -- Give credit to Wang, who has aside from those two home runs has pitched quite well. We're in the middle of the fifth now, the Nats still trailing 3-2. Lightning bolts are striking all around the ballpark, but the game continues. And the press box remains open.
3:05 p.m. -- Oh my goodness gracious! They're actually closing the press box windows! Before the rain has begun falling! Upset of the century!
3:11 p.m. -- Another squandered opportunity for the Nats in the bottom of the fifth. Two on, one out, but Morse flied out to right and Werth struck out on three pitches, looking at an 0-2 2-seamer from Halladay that was probably off the plate but the kind of pitch you just can't take in that situation against a pitcher like that. Still 3-2 Phillies, and this game is now official.
3:18 p.m. -- And here comes the tarp. We are in a rain delay with two outs in the top of the sixth. Moments earlier, Wang recorded his fourth strikeout in four innings. Pretty amazing. He's getting a lot of movement on his pitches today. Stay tuned for weather updates...
3:47 p.m. -- The skies are starting to clear up, and the grounds crew has re-emerged on the field. This line of storms has just about passed through, and it appears clear behind it. So this game will resume at some point. Once it does, I can't imagine either Halladay or Wang will return to pitch, though.
4:11 p.m. -- This game will resume at approximately 4:30 p.m. Looks like Tom Gorzelanny will come in to face Raul Ibanez with two outs in the sixth. He's currently warming in the pen. Oh, what I would give to see Livan Hernandez out there right now...
4:25 p.m. -- And it looks like it'll be right-hander Michael Schwimer, a Fairfax native, coming in to replace Halladay in the bottom of the sixth to make his MLB debut.
4:28 p.m. -- And we're back after a delay of 1 hour and 11 minutes, with Gorzelanny facing Ibanez. Wang's final line is: 5.2 ip, 5 h, 3 er, 1 bb, 4 k, 2 hr, 89 pitches, 55 strikes.
4:33 p.m. -- Welcome to the big leagues, local kid. Espinosa crushes Schwimer's second career pitch to center field for a solo homer, his first since July 17. Espinosa's got two RBI today, and the Nats have tied this game 3-3 in the sixth.
4:38 p.m. -- We go to the seventh, and it'll be Todd Coffey to face the bottom of the Phillies' lineup.
4:48 p.m. -- A 1-2-3 inning of relief from Coffey, who was helped by the fact Charlie Manuel let Schwimer hit for himself. In a 3-3 game in the seventh inning? When he'd never had an at-bat as a professional, not even in the minors? Strange.
4:55 p.m. -- Maybe not so strange after all. Schwimer strikes out the side in the bottom of the seventh, getting Desmond, Ankiel and Zimmerman in succession. We go to the eighth, Tyler Clippard entering for the Nats.
4:58 p.m. -- Today's paid attendance: 41,727. Third-largest crowd in Nationals Park history, behind only last night's game and the finale of the 2009 interleague series against the Red Sox.
5:07 p.m. -- Ryan Howard juuuusssst missed connecting on a fastball from Clippard, but he got under it enough for the final out of the top of the eighth. Still 3-3, and Schwimer is back on the mound for his third inning of relief, with Morse, Werth and Espinosa due up.
5:15 p.m. -- And Schwimer completes another scoreless inning, striking out Werth on an 0-2 pitch. (By the way, Werth has now faced an 0-2 count 100 times this season.) We go to the ninth of a scoreless game, with Drew Storen in to face Pence, Ibanez and Ruiz.
5:26 p.m. -- The bottom of the Phillies lineup gets to Storen in the ninth. Ibanez draws a one-out walk, Ruiz singles to right and Michael Martinez (taken by the Phillies in the Rule 5 draft away from the Nationals) singles up the middle to put them ahead 4-3.
5:32 p.m. -- We go to the bottom of the ninth of a 4-3 game. No Ryan Madson today, so it'll be left-hander Antonio Bastardo to close for the Phillies, facing Flores, a pinch-hitter (probably Brian Bixler or Wilson Ramos) and Desmond.
5:41 p.m. -- Wow. Down to the final strike of the game, Desmond crushes a 1-2 breaking ball from Bastardo into the left-field bleachers. This game is tied 4-4, and we are going extra innings.
5:51 p.m. -- Burnett retires the side in the top of the 10th, so now Ryan Zimmerman will lead off against Brad Lidge. These two have met before, you may remember, with Zim crushing a walk-off against him July 31, 2010.
6:02 p.m. -- No walk-off for Zimmerman, but a leadoff double will suffice. Morse draws an intentional walk. Werth then laces a single to left, loading the bases with nobody out for Espinosa. No heroics for Danny, though, because he struck out on an 0-2 slider in the dirt. So it was up to Gomes, who didn't even need to swing the bat. Took a fastball off the left elbow for the walk-off hit-by-pitch. Nats win 5-4 and win the series!
303 comments:
«Oldest ‹Older 1 – 200 of 303 Newer› Newest»GYFNG!
Go, Wang! Go, NATS! (Go home, Phans. Oh, did I type that out loud?)
The Lerners should consult Ted Leonsis on how to keep opposing team's fans the hell out of our ball park. It can be done if the Lerners "REALLY" want to do it.
why keep opposing fans out, we need $ to pay Werth.
OK then, I will continue to tell Philly fans in the stands to STF UP when they cheer.
At least in DC, there is never a safety issue for those goons like kt is when a Skins or Caps fan goes to Philly. So, I want too make a Phillies fan's experience as uncomfortable as possible when they come here. n fact, last season, i got one of those goons tossed from the ball park, it felt GREAT!!!
I promise to refrain from making any mentions of all the Phillies fans invading D.C. today ... provided it doesn't once again overtake the game itself in newsworthiness.
I think it does overtake the game in newsworthiness and I like hearing different takes on it. If the story line of the season is a team that is traveling from joke status to respectibility, then the implications of having Nats Park sold out to 90% phillies fans is more newsworthy than the fact we lost a game. People here are all too familiar with the Camden Yards Welcoming Committee for Yanks and Sox fans and it has hurt their team considerably.
In last night's thread, I found out I'm not the only one who hasn't returned to a phillies series since OD 2010, and there's many more who don't post on this blog. It is a systemic problem within the organization and they should feel pressure on it from the hometown fans and that pressure comes from journalists writing about what a joke it is.
Don't stifle the discussion because of a preconceived notion that to talk about how the marketing team caters to Philadelphia-area fans is somehow a less relevant thing to discuss than another shutout loss to a team that has had our number over the years.
That being said, glad to see Werth back in the 5 hole and Nix out of the lineup. He's due for a big game. Also, Rick Ankiel is 0-12 in the last 3 games with 7(!) strikeouts. Why in the world is he batting second? Danny's got a 4 game hitting "streak" going and at least doesn't K as much.
Hey, where did my comment on the last thread go? Did the Phans deep six it? The Lerners? NatsJack? Oh well, 1a can vouch for it.
Let's actually finish the job against Halladay today. With Stairs finally not available to strike out with the tying run in scoring position, it could happen. Go Wang.
Hey... I finally got in the Philly Fan Phenonema!
Thanks, 222
Mick said...
"The Lerners should consult Ted Leonsis on how to keep opposing team's fans the hell out of our ball park. It can be done if the Lerners "REALLY" want to do it."
Also replied to in previous topic:
Different environments. The Caps have cut off season ticket sales at a level leaving only about a 1000-2000 tickets available for single game sales. They open up single game sales to STH and people on the STH wait list before tickets go on sale to the public. By the time this sale is over, there's usually very few tickets left for the opposing fans that used to come to Verizon Center in any significant numbers (Pens, Flyers, Red Wings, Sabres and Rangers). The Nats have way too many available seats for that to work here.
ADDENDUM: Ted's cutoff affected Internet sales has been based upon zip code/IP address, and was primarily done during the playoffs.
"The Lerners should consult Ted Leonsis on how to keep opposing team's fans the hell out of our ball park. It can be done if the Lerners "REALLY" want to do it."
The Lerners need to find a way to cut off MASN and its blatant wOe's bias. First and foremost the Nats need their own network for its fans. Not a shared resource that is biased toward the Angel'O's.
Mark Lerner said they were not going to take any money out ot the team for at least 10 years, so all that Phan money is going right back into our team. GYFNG!!!!
On another note, if anyone got to the park early today - which players were out for Signature Sunday?
Yes, I can vouch for 222's earlier comment. As far as I can recollect, it was a good one, too. :-)
The Lerners, like Stan Kasten, will continue to encourage and welcome the Phillies fans until such time as the Nats fans start supporting the team. Let's face it, the Nats fan base is very narrow.
Henry coffey mattheus and LaRoche
Let's go rain! Wash away Roy Halladay and the visiting fans!
N. Cognito made some excellent points on STH sales and available tickets and it still is hard to compare. Verizon has approx 20,000 seats and Nats park approx 42,000. The Caps have about 17,000 STH and the Nats about 10,000. The Nats seem to have with partial plans another 3,000 to 5,000 that show up and another 7,000 to 12,000 that make each game.
On Philly's games, the Nats fans stay away as who wants to subject their families to obnoxious fans?
I am a Caps fan and they have their own set of problems and Ted Leonsis isn't the all-knowing. I don't buy into much Ted says as reality. I like my owners behind the scenes as they have a vested interest like Ted and Snyder to push their product.
It was in Philadelphia that a Hungarian family therapist, wondering at the common root of all these Pennsylvania families that he was seeing rip each other apart, choosing to be mean rather nice, coined the phrase "destructive entitlement" to explain it all. It has since been written about by business analysts as if they discovered it, new-mined from the earth. None of them attribute it to the man who invented it: Ivan Böszörményi-Nagy (pr. BosJOINyee Nehj (May 19, 1920, Budapest, Hungary – January 28, 2007, Glenside, Pennsylvania) an Hungarian-American psychiatrist and one of the founders of the field of family therapy. He emigrated from Hungary to the United States in 1950, and what ferftile fields of disfunction did he find in Philadelphia and its suburbs. Many of these fans epitomize destructive entitlement. They feel entitled to act rudely, entitled to vent their engorged spleens at you and me, my brothers and sisters in baseball. The Lerners come from a proud tradition of D.C. baseball ownership. "Who invented swimming?", Clark Griffith's players would ask a rookie after his first contract negotiation. "Clark Griffith, the first time he came to a toll bridge!", would be the reply. But we need not feel entitled to a stadium filled with our own. It's best to let 'em knock themselves out and relish that team of underdogs on the field who will on occasion, dulcify the Philly fans nicely. We need not see ourselves as victims. Our victories are rarer and more exultant. Let us meet them with civility and wait for them to catch on or pass out.
Pat Corrales, when asked if he was going to stick with the team next year, said, "I want to be involved in baseball... if Davey asks me to come back and be his bench coach, I probably will."
Sure sounds like Davey's coming back next season.
Sounds like Pat thinks Davey is coming back, at least.
Flynnie, one of your best posts! Thanks!
Heavy thunder for the past half hour here in DC (about a block and a half from the old Griffith Stadium site), and getting dark. The radar shows a big ol' mess of storms about an hour and a half to two hours out.
and the password is
lusheduc
Let's hope the Philly lushes get an educ. today. Scool 'em yfnse.
Just took another look; it's moving pretty fast, might be here much sooner.
Sometimes these lines split up and go around us, but I wouldn't count on it this time.
We will have this Phillies debate every series until the local fanbase decides to support their local team.
It can be done as we saw for Opening Day this year and Strasmas. I think the Nats marketing department should consider a different approach rather than the easy way out which appears to be just letting Philthies buy the tickets. I don't have simple answers as I don't think there is an easy way to keep them away.
Thanks, Sec. 3! Pat looks a lot healthier than Davey, who just looks exhausted, and not in a good way, after each game. WIth all the air-travel in recyled-air cabins (ever notice how someone on a professional MLB or NBA team always has the flu?) and the daily grind, Pat looks better than Davey. Davey is smarter than most, and he chose to retire for a reason. May he be healthy and vital, but I've been worried ever since the month after he took over.
Anonymous said...
"The Lerners, like Stan Kasten, will continue to encourage and welcome the Phillies fans until such time as the Nats fans start supporting the team."
How are they encouraging it, other than the standard e-mails that go to most people that purchse tickets? Something I agree should end for people in the Philly area.
I live due West of the stadium and it's overcast with a few dark clouds, but nothing too menacing. Should be ok.
Two down, one to go!!!
Yeah!!! CMW, survived 1st inning without giving up any run!!!
Wang got out of that jam. I wish that LannEn and JZim both learned to settle down after a mishap.
FP made about a 1/2 dozen excuses for Espinosa not handling Ryan Howards ball to short-RF. No excuse needed. Get to the park early and take dozens of ground balls. It is just like FPs reason yesterday why Jimmy Rollins does so well on the balls up the middle behind 2nd base because he practices all the time on it. Yes, practice makes perfect.
So Desi doubles down the line to leadoff. Do you play for 1 run at a time and have Ankiel sacrifice him to 3rd or wait for a swinging bunt and get lucky?
This is sounding like a game I'd like to be at. Runners on second and third with no outs against the mighty Halladay.
Good, Halladay didn't get the "Maddux" treatment on pitch #5 to Ryan Zimmerman on that inside fastball and it results in a Sac Fly instead of a strikeout.
Danny Espinosa continues his hitting streak in a BIG way. Go Danny!!!
Way to go Espinosa. 1st RBI in a month in 3 days
It's not all Philly fans at the Park! That lusty full-throated roar at run #2 sounded local!
The rain is coming down up here in Loudoun County.
@flynnie, I like your analysis of the Philadelphia mind-set.
Driving to the ballpark yesterday, my wife and I were chatting about why there seems to be such a deep-seated resentment among Philadelphia sports fans.
Maybe it's a stretch, but here's the scenario I came up with: 225 years ago, Philadelphia was the most important city in the U.S. It was not only a government center, but an important trading city. Over the next couple centuries, however, New York became the center for trade, while the completely invented Federal City of Washington became the center of government. Philly was left being that biggish city in the mid-Atlantic, without any particularly important role.
Or maybe they're just all naturally mad. Who knows?
Disappointing Wang. As long as the bottom of the 1st took for the Nats to produce 2 runs, the Phillies got it in 2 quick ABs.
Rizzo to CMW: You're supposed to throw SINKERballs!
CMW to Rizzo: Oh, I thought you wanted STINKERballs!
Espinosa was 1st pitch swining and Gomes 1st pitch swinging to end the 1st let Halladay off the hook quickly. That was his 25th pitch of the inning and not a professional at-bat by Gomes with RISP.
flynnie, that is funny and unfortunately that was a stinker.
Thunder rolling in now about a mile west of the stadium.
A strikeout from CMW???
Espinosa did single in a run--I don't see how taking a pitch on Halladay there is better. It's not like he was wild and walking people. I don't think taking a strike is much use against this particular guy.
Just went back to look at Ruiz's home run--a fastball on the inside black, about [below-the-belt]-high. Trouble there, IMO, was that the first pitch was the same pitch, but inside for ball one. You just showed a good hitter that pitch, and Wang seems to me to like to double up early in a count--anybody with a book able to confirm that?
wang sucks. cant beat phillies with him
In fact, somebody text Flores--quit calling for that 2-seamer. It ain't working.
Dave - I heard on NPR that Constaninople was almost destroyed by warring fans of different chariot racing teams - the Greens and the Blues. The Nika riots took place over the course of a week in Constantinople in AD 532. It was the most violent riot that Constantinople had ever seen to that point, with nearly half the city being burned or destroyed and tens of thousands of people killed.
There is a glorification of the rude, tough and mean among Philly fans that I think is the way most sports fans used to be at the turn of the century. Vin Scully talks about the physical violence between Dodger and Giant fans that, has, unfortunately, followed the teams out west. In Boston I was friends with a lawyer who graduated Harvard in the early 30's. He said that the idea of a great weekend was to get drunk and fight. It perplexed him. From Whitey Bulger's South Boston, to the Gangs of New York to the immigrant population who established themselves in Philadelphia, might made right. Unfortunately, kinder manners and gentler laws have never seized the popular imagination in Philly.
If Wang sucks so much, don't sign him next year
Another fastball in the middle of the zone to Utley on the inside. Threw him that pitch twice.
As they say, there goes the tie game after we already said there goes the lead.
definitely don't sign him. Anybody just see him head for the dugout with only 2 outs. OH BOY
Maybe he just needs more of those titanium necklaces.
Honestly, that is the silliest-looking thing. They look like pearls.
Which would be funny.
Anybody just see him head for the dugout with only 2 outs. OH BOY
Wang is not the only ballplayer to ever do that.
Ankiel 1st pitch swinging. What is up with these guys?
The weather out here at the Legion Bridge is as if somebody angered God. We need to at least tie before a rain-out.
Thunder getting louder here, and almost a constant rumble.
Hey, if the game stops for a while and Wang can't come back out, isn't today Livan's bullpen session day anyway?
And Halladay hits Morse, our best shot at a quick tie. C'mon Jayson! Make 'em pay for that cheap strike in your last at bat! It's 0-2 - that's your count! Never mind. 3-2, bottom of the third.
Espinosa and Morse are #1 and #3 in the league in HBP. Who's #2? Justin Upton. Oh hey, Arizona's coming to town! Should be fun seeing what happens in that series. Methinks all those numbers will be on the rise.
@MarkZuckerman on Twitter: "Wang threw that sinker at a height roughly the equivalent of the body part his name is a euphemism for."
Zuckerman is king of the baseball writers.
I give it another ten to fifteen minutes, then get the tarp guys out.
magic word is
spomisms
There has to be a good use for that.
THat's true, sec. 3! The rain may stop Wang pitching before he gets his 6 run quota. I'd love to see Livo when this weather stops!
Aww, c'mon, Dave. Is "[below-the-belt]-high" too subtle?
OK, two quick runs and three quick outs, right now.
With the exception of the two mistakes, Wang actually looks pretty good so far. Strong velocity (I saw 95 on the TV gun once), and even the mistakes were moving laterally, they just didn't also sink. And if Espy doesn't slip, those are both solo shots. What is with the strikeouts?
A great comeback story so far. That being said, I also agree that he shouldn't be resigned. he doesn't seem to confidently project to be materially better than a host of Nats like Detwiler, Livo, Gorzy, Peacock, Milone, and probably more expensive. Still think that the Nats could use another above average starter next year.
I think the big thing that's not getting enough attention in the discussion about the Phillies fans is that they wouldn't be able to take over the stadium if more Nats fans were showing up. I was at the game on Friday (as I'm at a lot of games) and it was frustrating that the Phillies fans dominated the crowd, but I don't think DC folks are in a place to complain if they're not making it out to games.
Just my two cents.
Anybody catch FP's 'Oompa Loompa' comment earlier? He referred to the high socks look as something only a tall guy like Pence can pull off. Short guys like FP look like Oompa Loompas.
Dave says that ever since Espinosa "moved to Mariachi" for his theme music, he's on a 5 game hitting streak. It will have to wait til his next AB, but I wonder if Charlie, Dave and the Jack of All Things are dancing in the booth the way they did to Wil Nieves' theme song - a YouTube favorite!
@Bryan S, your logic is irrefutable.
The Nats will be winners soon. The place will be rocking, and Nats fans will fill the place. Then I will be vindicated for keeping a season ticket going during all these losing years.
Thinking of sending an email to the WB Mason folks, telling them I will gladly take my kids there for back to school shopping if they promise to STOP MAKING THOSE STUPID *-%$#%%*@# COMMERCIALS!
Dave said...
@MarkZuckerman on Twitter: "Wang threw that sinker at a height roughly the equivalent of the body part his name is a euphemism for."
Zuckerman is king of the baseball writers.
August 21, 2011 2:43 PM
______________________________
Funny and true.
I think the Nats show do the rain dance to get Halladay out of the game.
Rain, rain, come and stay, get Halladay out so we can win today.
I'm waiting for October, but if Wang continues the direction he's been going, I think he could win around 15 games next year, here.
Anybody catch FP's 'Oompa Loompa' comment earlier? He referred to the high socks look as something only a tall guy like Pence can pull off. Short guys like FP look like Oompa Loompas.
The funniest thing about that exchange was that Carp had no idea what he was talking about. Who doesn't know who oompa loompas are?
rain starting here
Tim, I'm thinking of adopting, just so I can tell them the same!
I've got the weather.com radar going on my laptop. Believe it or not, it looks like the nasty stuff might indeed split and leave SE DC relatively untouched.
There's a big ugly patch coming up from the southwest, though.
Bryan, O's fans have the same experience whenever they play the Yankees or Sawx at Camden Yards. NatsPark is over-run by Mets fans and Cubs fans when they play here. It's just that they aren't as rude or physically violent as the Philly fans, and anyone is right to complain about incivility and barbarism at a place they pay to attend. NatsFans should not reward ownership with sellouts when ownership has put successive 100+ loss teams on the field. Phillies fans should reward their ownership for going all out as they have to bring the World Championship home - it's just such a pity that they include so many louts who need to be put in an evolution machine and press fast forward.
@Sec 3, My Sofa said...
I'm waiting for October, but if Wang continues the direction he's been going, I think he could win around 15 games next year, here.
August 21, 2011 2:54 PM
Sec, what is in your coffey? 15 wins next year based on what? If anyone really believes that, he will be a Red Sox or Angel next year because they have pro scouts not some ridiculous hunch you have.
W.B. Mason : MASN 2011 :: 1-800-DENTIST : MASN 2006.
Heavier thunder and lightning now, I don't see much of a chance of this not going into a delay and soon.
Just in case somebody doesn't:
Oompah loompah song
Grandstander - yeah, Bob is like my Uncle Charlie. He has reached that point in life where he doesn't feel the need to talk about anything that he doesn't want to talk about. I give FP credit for rolling along with it.
Well, I guess this is ultimate compliment - i just never feel comfortable with Utley up. Looking forward to his retirement.
More on Bob as Uncle Charlie - his fascination with weather. If he starts with directions or gas prices, I am going for the mute button.
Wait a minnit--Halladay is not the only pitcher with a perfect game and a no-hitter--Koufax had both, at least. Did they mean "in the same season"?
Don't see too many RH batters trying to push a bunt past a RH batter to the right side like Desmond attempted.
How great would it be if Werth went yard here?
Don't see too many RH batters trying to push a bunt past a RH pitcher to the right side like Desmond attempted.
Ian Desmond irritates me, man I hope Rendon can play next season and then move Espinosa back to SS. That bunt was so effortless and Desmond has a demeanor about him that he could care less. He is part of the culture of losing here.
After WerthLESS AB in this inning I bet every Philly fan is laughing their ass off at Nats. Werth simply SUCKS!
Well, whatever
@Wally said...
How great would it be if Werth went yard here?
August 21, 2011 3:10 PM
Have to take the bat off of your shoulders would be a start.
Wally, I'd take a ball in the gap.
Well, I would have. Instead, we get House.
As in, "by the side of the road."
Well, that was a letdown, Jayson.
Through five innings. It's an official game. There was a huge opportunity squandered.
Typical Werth AB there. What happened to the guy from Friday night?
1st and 2nd with 1 out and Morse up at the plate. That was opportunity missed.
Hey Wally. you have to swing to go yard. jason Werth is terrible and has been terible for 125 games. WOW what a waste.
Werth deal would only be worse than the 1971 McCalin deal if Nats were stupid enough too give any players for him, fortunately, its only cash. WerthLESS is simply a bust. I hope Nats get rid of him like Skins did McNabb
How does a pro not swing, that was a horrible take with 2 strikes and I think WerthLESS is simply milking the Nats, like Haynesworth milked the Skins..
OK, I guess the plan now is to sit for a few hours and come back, tie it, and win sometime much later tonight.
Wow, that one was close! Talk about Bang Zoom!
Bob Carp is sounding tired: "Hunce can't reach that pitch. Pence, rather."
Wang is pitching well, I have no problem with his work today, he deserves better. I ahave no idea what some of you are upset with Wang about. If the stiffs on this team would hit
we have a chance to stick it up Phillies A-----s and we lay down like a bunch of dogs. Including the fans. Just another crappy
gutless Washington team.
Hit? Heck, if they would catch the [dang] ball...
Love the props they're giving to the grounds crew. Most underappreciated people in the sport.
I don't know...it's hard to take a phrase like "crappy gutless Washington team" from somebody who won't even go by a nickname online.
Wang is looking pretty good today. One unfortunately 2-run mistake is the difference in the game.
I like Bobby C, what is everyone's deal, I would have been fired by now covering some of the dead weight on this team!
@Mick, I like Bobby C. too. I just think he sounds a little tired today.
The oompa-loompa moment was classic Carp. But I think he's a quite decent play-by-play guy.
Mick, you are the man. I couldn't agree more.
Sec, what is in your coffey? 15 wins next year based on what? If anyone really believes that, he will be a Red Sox or Angel next year because they have pro scouts not some ridiculous hunch you have.
August 21, 2011 2:59 PM
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I am seeing a work-in-progress. 15 wins is a stretch at this point. Agree with Anon that if scouts and other GMs believe he is doable for 15 wins he will seriously be in high demand. He won't go back to the Yankees and it still leads a lot of options including the Nats.
FP had a pretty good idea earlier. A reality show around groundskeepers. Now, I admit that I am not the guy to predict which reality show ideas will work, since I never watch them (except for 1 episode of Swamp People when my army buddy was in town).
But something showing the behind the scenes of a big, professional sports stadium wold be pretty cool.
Wally, Junior Seau had a short-lived show where he did behind the scenes jobs at stadiums. Those ideas are interesting but not everyone thinks like us.
Anon - really? I hadn't heard about that.
Watching some of these Venezuela-canada Little League highlights made me wonder, when did they start allowing 16 yr olds in Little League?
Thank you Anonymous
Charlie and Dave are most interesting during a rain delay. Fortunately, MLB Gameday Audio keeps the stream going during a rain delay.
(Guess I could just turn on my FM radio, but that feels so "old school.")
My sincere sympathies.
2:57 p.m. -- Jimmy Rollins, by the way, left this game with a right groin strain. Replaced at shortstop by Wilson Valdez.
Dave Jags just told a fantastic story about driving home last night from Nats Park. He was behind a bus from Philadelphia. Dave took the I-295 south on-ramp, because that's how he needed to go. The Philly bus cut Dave off and got on that ramp too (not 295 north).
Bus driver stops in the middle of the ramp and proceeds to go into reverse. Dave said the bus driver actually wanted to back up on the ramp to correct his mistake.
Dave said he leaned on his horn and would not let the driver back up. Says he saw that it was a 215 area code on the company name, and therefore Dave had no intention of letting him back up. He said, "Maybe he got turned around in Richmond."
Dave Jageler for President!
Junior Seau was once a Dodgers bat boy for one episode which was good. I think the mistake in the show was getting into other fringe sports nobody cared about. I stopped watching after the 3rd week.
People who like Bobby Carpenter enjoy white bread and American cheese sandwiches with mayo. Very dull.
You gotta problem with pearls?
http://www.playerwives.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/positivetribe.jpg
Sec 3, My Sofa said...
Maybe he just needs more of those titanium necklaces.
Honestly, that is the silliest-looking thing. They look like pearls.
Which would be funny.
August 21, 2011 2:32 PM
Uh Gonat, like Bullriding and being a horse trainer? Don't all baseball and football fans like that?
@Scott from Burke, so I take it you don't like Carpenter?
Or are you saying you do, but you're a white-bread-American-cheese-mayo-loving person, and that's how you so confidently draw that conclusion?
"Asdrubal"--hilarious! Thanks. I may make that my icon.
Well, I can confirm that there is something worse than being in your STH seat and surrounded by hundreds of phans - it's being jammed into a hot steamy dark concourse with thgousands of them during a rain delay. Trust me Mark, it's hard to muster up any sympathy for your pressbox windows whining...
hehe, you're welcome, sec3. ;-) I remembered the look from watching during the postseason a few years back.
Thanks for sharing the Dave J. story, Dave. Loved it!
Re. grounds crew and reality shows, MLB Network occasionally has such programming. Recently saw one featuring the Reds, and grounds crew was among the featured roles.
Dave: Thank you for you compliment. I appreciate it when people refer to my being confident..although occasionally I have been called arrogant. And Carpenter is the definition of blah...but I don't believe he's gonna be around next year, so one more month won't be so bad.
Sunny by me now, hopefully we can get this game going again minus Halladay.
Thought I'd kill time by watching Friday night's bottom of the 9th again. It brings back all the warm, fuzzy feelings. Check it out. You know you want to.
Flynnrie, Dave...as usual enjoy your comments. I for one would like to give Werth a dose of what was ailing Ruiz, maybe it would give him pause and be a little more aggressive. Any volunteers? :-)
Tarp is off the field. Halliday is done for the day. Could be a lot worse. GYFNG.
Captcha - raingiz
Waiting out the delay on the upper level is much better - sun is out, fresh breeze coming through and the game to resume at 4:30 - GYFNG!!!
Just in case somebody doesn't:
Oompah loompah song
Thanks for the link Sec 3. I had no idea what that was all about. Sure made FP's comment a lot funnier.
maybe we should show up just for the comeback. Can't be that hard to get in...
But the capcha is "entle" --
and everybody knows you're not supposed to go entle into that ood night.
I find Carp amusing. Which does not mean that I find him good, or even competent.
Jon Miller was my favorite.
MASN is back to the game now.
"hustrati"
I don't know what that is, but I don't want to be one.
Wally, I was very sorry when Hank Greenwald decided to retire from the Giants broadcast. Replacing him with Jon Miller was the best possible outcome there.
Danny Espinosa is back!
Well, that didn't take long!
Welcome back Danny!
Welcome to the majors, Michael Schwimmer.
Welcome back, Danny Espinosa!!!!!
Bye bye to Halladay's chance of earning a W.
I can't believe we brought in Gorzelanny to just get 1 out.
Sec 3 - I don't know Greenwald, but if you liked him better than Miller, that is pretty high praise
Mark said ... Espinosa's got four RBI today, and the Nats have tied this game 3-3 in the sixth.
Gotta be a record, no?
Hank was the long-time SF radio guy. If you like Charlie and Dave, you'd probably have liked him. Usually dry sense of humor, raucous when the situation called for it, very well informed indeed--funny, funny guy.
Yeah, got a little confused there. Was thinking that Espinosa had only four RBI since the All-Star break but now two of them today.
Hey, Mark, no fair! Now I lok stuped!
Wally said...
Mark said ... Espinosa's got four RBI today, and the Nats have tied this game 3-3 in the sixth.
Gotta be a record, no?
Wally, when you're in a slump, that's how it goes--even good days wind up costing you.
What the hell is this umpire's strike zone?? I am now convinced that some of these turds help out certain teams and pitchers and that is crap
So the guy in his debut gets calls - the batter was Ryan Zimmerman -wtf?
Schwimer calls off Ruiz not once, but twice and then strikes out red hot Ryan Zimmerman looking and the side.
I thought it was supposed to get easier getting Halladay out of the game, at least the Nats got 2 runs off of Halladay in his 1st inning of work today!
I would expect the same GD strike zone in the 8th with Clippard. these umpire crew SUCKS. I have not complained all season about these turds in blue, but the last two nights is all I can take.
The last one to Zimmerman might have been a little in, especially for a rookie to a franchise player, but the rest were there, from this angle.
Anon at 4:36, before his last pitch, Gorzy was on the back of the mound trying to stretch out his calf. Plus he pitched in relief of Livo Friday night
Anony: when the strike zone is from dugout to dugout, when Nats are batting, what do you expect
i like Carp, but he is clueless. after announcing the weekend attendance totals, he says: "Well done, Nats fans, and we welcome some visitors from up North."
um, excuse me?? Seems to me Nats fans had little to do with those totals.
The third strike called on Espinosa by that crap in blue should was HORRIBLE
OMG, Clipp threw the same pitch to Victorino this crap ass ump called a strike last inning!
DCGuy, I suspect he was just being "polite."
Nats are screwed, Victorina out at first and of course blue screws up call
Mick, I thought it looked high at first, too, so I went to the stop-motion. Good pitch.
I wouldn't mind giving all those Phillies fans a loss in the rubber game of the series as a parting gift. We could also include a card thanking them for helping to pay Werth's salary :)
Ump, open your eyes please.
are you shi____ ME ump, THIS WHERE DAVEY NEEDS TO GO BESERK ON UMP.
OK, now THAT was a blown call on the inside pitch to Howard.
And FP doesn't much like the strike zone, either. I guess I have a pitcher's zone.
Sec 3, Clipp threw same pithces and they are called balls. the ball call on Ryan Howard says it all to how bad this umpire crew is
I'm glad we signed Werth (I keep telling myself) but God does he look absolutely clueless at the plate most nights
Jayson WerthLESS worst deal since 1971 Denny McClain deal. $125 mil BUST and he is laughing all the way to the bank. maybe this bum will go AWOL like Curt Flood and spare us another season of watching his feeble efforts at the plate
It's good to see Espinosa having a good 3 hit day after the struggles he's had since the All Star break. Perhaps it's just a sign that he had his sophomore slump a little early.
i don't usually get too bent about the Ump's calls at the plate, since it usually works both ways, but this guy is awful, and it's only on our side he's awful. and Victorino was out at first.
Meals and Bucknor are worse than West and Hernandez. MLB broke them up, these guys should be broken up too. Seriously crappy umps.
Mick - Davey has not uttered a peep in support of anyone since he has been here. The ump screamed at Clip one day, he didn't back him up.It would appear that's not something he does. And - Shane Victorino was out on that pick off. And --- Tyler Clippard is Houdini.
Werthless--how pathetic. I can't imagine 6 more years of this turkey. He is a fraud.
I was hoping 2nd time through the order they could hit Schwimer. Pence was playing Danny deep so that doink dropped in. Hope Charlie leaves him in to see what the top of the order does 2nd time around.
I like bringing Storen in now even though the score's tied instead of trying to keep him for the possibility of being used in extra innings. We've seen that tactic backfire on us a few times this season.
At least the phillies fans are paying Jayson's salary for us. I hope they bought lots of expensive beer.
I'd have rather seen Clippared go 2. Pitcher's spot is due up in the bottom of the 9th and there's not a left out there...
DJ is gambling that we'll score in the 9th, assuming Drew shuts them down with no runs. Good gamble IMHO.
Whatever the outcome, let's take the good. Danny has come alive. Desi got a couple of big hits in this series. Zimm's right where he should be. And Wang out-pitched Halladay in everything but score. We're on the right track.
I remember when John Hirschbeck threw out Cal for arguing balls and strikes. The Post tracked down the ump who had last done thrown Cal out at home. He said, "It was like throwing Jesus out of church."
Storen, this is ugly. Bryan, that is the book in a tied game at home to bring in your closer.
If the Lerner's are not sick of hearing these Philly slobs in the stands, then shame on them as owners
dammit
Storen has not looked good his last couple of outings, very hittable. He, like so many Nats, needs to pick it up. The free base in a tied game was unexcusable. At least make them earn it.
And Mick, Curt Flood came back for the $.
Drew has been solid all year and nobody should blame him for this impending loss. We have too many stiffs in the lineup including a WerthLESS one
Agree with Grandstander that Clip should have come out again. But Gorzelanny should not have been limited to one batter. Not happy with the bullpen use today.
Life was going so well. I fell asleep in the rain to Dave's voice telling how he refused to let the Philly bus back off the on-ramp; Charlie saying, "Don't back off an on ramp. That sounds like it ought to be on page one of "How to Drive a Bus." Maybe he got turned around by Richmond." I woke up to Espi's home run. Charlie and Dave on the radio, (storm knocked the TV out), and thought I was in heaven. But the Phillies have just scored, this is not heaven, but the Vale of Tears.
Phillies phans getting thrown out. See ya!
Nats need to run off 4 straight wins starting Tuesday. at this point, I would be happy with 82-83 wins
OK, got them right where we want them. One to tie, two to win. Let's go get 'em!
SC Nats Fans -- That is actually not true, the last time he closed he got in a little trouble but the time before that ( last friday night maybe?) he went 1-2-3 and was absolutely filthy. Let's remember what kind of hitters these are folks, top to bottom. There is a good reason they have won a record number of games for this point of the season. I think we have held our own in this series and in the season series, especially at home, quite well, or as well as any other team.This is who you measure up against and it has not all been bad news.
Strike four, and the ump finally rings up Valdez! Let's Go Nats! Break their hearts! After they've helped us so:
Anonymous said...
why keep opposing fans out, we need $ to pay Werth.
August 21, 2011 11:45 AM
SCNatsFan said...
Storen has not looked good his last couple of outings, very hittable. He, like so many Nats, needs to pick it up. The free base in a tied game was unexcusable. At least make them earn it.
And Mick, Curt Flood came back for the $.
August 21, 2011 5:28 PM
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Storen needed to get past Hunter Pence which he did and got the slumping Ibanez who he walked and was in the bottom of the odor.
Not great.
Phillies fans getting thrown out? Do tell!
This bench has little depth from the right side. Why wouldn't Davey put in Ramos with HR power and a real batting average.
Okay, when Carpenter suggested that Schwimmer would love to hand his (potential) win to Halladay, he lost me.
Kid comes into a big-league game, is lights-out after giving up a dinger, and he should "hand" the win over to the veteran who's not in line for the win? Ridiculous!
Bastardo is Philthy. He should close from here out.
And young Mr. Bobblehead ties the game in the bottom of the ninth.
One day too late, Desi!
Well well well, Ian Desmond, See YA!!!!
OMG, that should have been a walkoff if Drew did his job.
IAN!!! Shut the Phillie fans up!!!
I was about to say how embarassed I am about the visiting fans chhering and how poor it is we need to pinch hit, at a major legue level, Brian Bixler. But Ian just made my day better!
Ruh roh. Burnett warming up in the bullpen.
Dave, the rookie came in with the lead, Halliday in line for the win, right. It was 3-2 and Schwimmer gave up the HR to take a potential win from Halliday.
Right? It makes sense. If Carpy lost you, maybe it was not Carp's fault.
Well, that was pleasant, too.
Choke on your bus exhaust, Philistines.
Woo hoo!
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