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US Presswire photo Giancarlo Stanton's two-run homer off Jordan Zimmermann tied the game in the sixth. |
Hitting highlight: You knew it was only a matter of time before Ryan Zimmerman started getting hot at the plate. Sure enough, the Face of the Franchise is starting to show signs of it. His two-run double in the fifth raised his average to .326 with nine RBI over his last 10 games.
Pitching lowlight: Zimmermann's afternoon started off in fine fashion. He threw 12 of his first 13 pitches for strikes and entered the sixth having allowed only one run on four hits. But the right-hander fell apart quickly in the sixth, hanging a 3-1 slider to Stanton that turned into a home run. A double and a single later, Zimmermann was in serious trouble. He wound up failing to record a quality start for the second time in his last three outings.
Key stat: Zimmermann's home run was his first since 2007, when he pitched at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.
Up next: After getting some much-needed rest tonight, the Nationals return to Marlins Park tomorrow evening for Game 2 of the series. Edwin Jackson will face Anibal Sanchez at 7:10 p.m.
33 comments:
Papelbon in a "non-save" situation (8-4). If the Mets lose, then no matter what the Nats will be in first place with an above .500 road trip when they get home. So it's already good.
And that's the worst case! Hit the beach, don't drink too much, get some rest and take the next two. That would be a GREAT road trip.
Can't win 'em all? You figure the Nats were at a huge disadvantage given the past 20 hours, but they made a game of it.
PS While I know he's had some big hits, is there any more of a Sure Thing in baseball than Ankiel-with-a-K wiffing on a high fastball?
Tyler Moore sent down and Solano called up.
You don;t win many when you hang sliders to Stanton. He was playing with fire all three times against ramerez, and they final made him pay.
They looked defalted after Caughlin made the great catch against harper that saved at least 1 run. The rest of the hitters went weakly into the night for the final 8 outs.
Speaking of working with little sleep many of our military have done that for years, and I thank them, and I know they would never use lack of sleep for a reason to not do their duty.
Way to go Men and Women.
.326 with nine homers over his last 10 games.
Uhh Mark, Kilgore-like in his need for an editor? You may be thinking of Corey Brown not Ryan Zimmerman with the nine homers?
You might wish to make a correction.
Yep... Hard to figger why anyone would throw Ank anything BUT high heat...
But, hey! I'm a happy camper!! This teams been Rollin', all year!! A win today would have nearly unbelievable, under the circumstances... Bring it, tomorrow, fellas! And play Corey, every day!!!
Tyler Moore sent down and Solano called up.
As I suggested over on NationalsProspects.com. Solano is a right handed bat who is a good defensive catcher and has been known to play other positions like second base.
I expect we might see Brown starting in CF soon ... Ankiel is Ankiel, usually strikes out trying to hit one out of the park. Time for Rick to take a seat next to Jayson.
peric, Solano isn't going to play 2nd base here. He's here to backup at catcher. Its great to know he can do many things but will only play catcher.
Lol Manassas!! Don't worry about it.... It's kinda like a puzzle, sometimes, and I like puzzles....{:^D
Sure enough, the Face of the Franchise is starting to show signs of it. His two-run double in the fifth raised his average to .326 with nine homers over his last 10 games.
Ryan Zimmerman is hitting .254 with 2 home runs ...
Still think Mark was thinking of Corey Brown ...
It's 9 RBI, Peric....over the last 10 games... Mark had it right in the gamer...
Actually I have dyslexia and the mixing of letters has been a problem all my lfe (my typing is no better either). Just want people to know I do not type wrong on purpose. I do reread the comments and often catch it and correct it, but often times I do not catch it, and I have learned to live with it.
That being said I still hate the lets not swing at strikes and swing at ball approach too many of our hitters have. You have to get lucky to get a hit with that formula.
Someone said you can't win them all. I know that I just want to win all that are close. I will take a 10-0 loss, but once winning after 5 I expect a win everytime. (likewise I expect a loss everytime if losing after 5, so it does even up).
I just hate losin )sort of like Michael Jordan, he said he was pissed after every loss when playing, and even more now as an owner).
Thanks for the road trip perspective, NatsLady. Tomorrow is another day, eh?
Also, I'm with NatsLady (earlier thread) and Manassas (this thread) in remembering and thanking service members today.
Mark, with the draft coming soon, is there any word on what areas Rizzo is scouting? HS/College? Pitchers? Or is that hush-hush?
Manassas, we all hate losing. But once JZ lost the lead and Coglan caught that ball, it was over. Nice to see Henry pitch well and not lose his cool, and if Perry could be relied on to pitch like he has his last few outings we wouldn't need to trade for a reliever.
Bernadina did not make a base running error (IMO). He had a good at-bat and got on base. If the ball had dropped and he only got to third there would have been a-yelling and a-screaming. He figured (like the rest of us) that Cog would not get to that ball. Anyway, he was still on 2nd with only 1 out.
Well, NatsLady, I'd agree with you about Bernadina, but then we'd both be wrong,(IMO), but one of the great things about baseball is that six people can see the same play,and will have six different opinions as to what happened. From my perspective if Coughlin doesn't make the catch, with his speed Bernadina would score if he has just taken a couple of steps off the bag. He went too far off to tag up. Roger did have a good at-bat though. In the past three weeks the most fundamentally sound base runner on this club has been a 19 kid that still has basic coaching that he has received still in the forefront of his brain.
Bernie would have scored if it dropped, so he could wait up at the base and tag up just in case it was caught. I would agree that it was a base running mistake, but not a game changing one. The slider that hung is one.
Sliders can be the hardest to hit if pitched well, and the easiest to hit if pitched poorly, that is the gamble with a slider. He got Stanton earlier to groud to pitcher on a good slider.
Marlins are taking the defense over offense approach to the outfield (except Giancarlo in RF).
Coghlan = batting .133 and average arm but HUGE range (per Fangraphs)
Petersen = batting .205 and slightly above average arm and good range.
I have a feeling Ozzie is smarter than the average bear...
get some rest, guys
Well, putting it that way, if you are relying on Bernadina to win the game for ya...
Yeah, JZ said he made two mistake pitches that cost him the game. Two pitches to good hitters. On a day when everyone else was tired, and couldn't really pick him up. I wish he hadn't done that, but there you are.
The Marlins' Z-Man sounds pretty impressed:
"Man, I'll tell you what, I found out why they're in first place," Zambrano said. "Those kids can hit. They're good. The only mistake I made today was to Zimmermann. Otherwise I was in control. I made some good pitches that they hit."
LOL JZ on his homer:
Adam Kilgore @AdamKilgoreWP
Jordan Zimmermann didn't know at first if his homer had cleared the fence: "There's so many bright objects out there."
No, Bernadina didn't cost us the game, or even a run, as it turned out because Zimm hit into a double play anyway. In the past few weeks we have had a handful of screw ups, resulting in lost runs scored,and bases gained,by going too far and not be able to tag up. As to counting on Bernie "to win the game for ya," yeah, I expect him to play good fundamental baseball when he's called upon. Like Ankiel, he has a few things expected of him to remain on the team. If either of them don't continue to meet them then, as fringe players, they will be gone. It's the way of the game for successful teams. And yes, I think with his poor performance at the plate that Rick Ankiel is a fringe player that needs to step it up.He can't afford to have guffaws like he had today in CF. When Morse, and then Werth, returns, that OF is getting crowded, and if Brown shines,(a big 'if'), at least one outfielder will have to go.
The Pirates have called up Doug Slaten. What are they thinking?
We ddidn't score enough runs to make any mistakkes and win. We scored 21 in the previous 3 games, this was one the pitcher needed to win. He couldn't.
Agree Ankiel is a "fringe player." But he's been playing almost every day and pretty solid in the OF except for today. He is clearly exhausted, his face was dripping with sweat today and last night, and I wonder if he didn't catch a bit of the flu from the Braves--which he would never admit, because, as you say, he is a fringe player who can't afford to take a sick day.
Once Rizzo re-signed Ankiel, you just knew he would be the starter. Davey has to give Corey Brown some reps out in CF. From what I saw of Corey in Spring Training, he can play some great defense. He obviously doesn't have Ankiel's arm but has better speed and good jumps on balls.
Have to find out if Corey Brown can hit at the MLB level.
This is a funny commentary.
Memorial-Day-brings-surprises-in-nations-pastime
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/columnist/lopresti/story/2012-05-28/Lopresti-Memorial-Day-brings-surprises-in-nations-pastime/55250568/1
Pitch FX confirms that the only ball that Bell threw in the strike zone against Ankiel was on the 2-0 pitch that Ankiel was taking.
5 balls thrown and 1 strike. Ankiel is killing this team in key situations at-bat.
http://www.brooksbaseball.net/pfxVB/cache/location.php-pitchSel=425514&game=gid_2012_05_28_wasmlb_miamlb_1&batterX=68&innings=yyyyyyyyy&sp_type=1&s_type=3.gif
Gonat, no, you didn't know Ankiel was going to start. Who knew that Werth would break his wrist and Morse would take this long to get back? Agree Brown should get his chance.
He obviously doesn't have Ankiel's arm but has better speed and good jumps on balls.
No outfielder has Ankiel's arm ... although Harper's is close and the Orioles appeared to tout some impressive outfield arms.
We saw today with Lombardozzi's arm. Its just not an outfield arm. Harper or Ankiel would have thrown the guy out ... Lombardozzi's throw just didn't get to the plate in time.
I agree,peric, with your entire post. Lombo is a tough one for Davey because he wants to get him some at bats, but won't jump ship on Espinosa. Personally, I have always hated weakening the outfield. From Little League on, coaches tend to stick a good bat/ bad glove in the outfield. It's not usually a winning recipe. The ball will find them in the really big game. Lombo belongs in the infield.
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