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Photo by Mark Zuckerman / NATS INSIDER Jordan Zimmermann faces Jaime Garcia in Game 2 today at Busch Stadium. |
So the pressure today at Busch Stadium is squarely on the defending World Series champs, not the first-time playoff participants. Which means the pressure is on Game 2 starter Jamie Garcia to get his team back on track. The left-hander had an up-and-down season but he finished strong, going 4-1 with a 2.50 ERA over his last six starts (after the Nats got him for six runs in late-August).
Jordan Zimmermann makes his first career postseason start, and if you think the right-hander is fazed at all by the situation, you don't know him very well. "I really never get nervous for any games," he said yesterday. "The only game I really got nervous for was my debut [in 2009]. And I don't see anything changing this time."
We've got another afternoon start here in St. Louis, so look for the Shadow Monster to be a factor again. And for everyone who keeps asking: No, MLB has not yet announced a start time for Game 3 on Wednesday. As soon as they do, I will pass it along. I promise.
In the meantime, plenty of updates from today's game to come right here...
NATIONAL LEAGUE DIVISION SERIES - GAME 2
WASHINGTON NATIONALS at ST. LOUIS CARDINALS
Where: Busch Stadium
Gametime: 4:37 p.m. EDT
TV: TBS
Radio: WJFK (106.7 FM), WFED (1500 AM), WSPZ (570 AM), XM 184
Weather: Sunny, 60 degrees, Wind 10 mph out to RF
NATIONALS
RF Jayson Werth
CF Bryce Harper
3B Ryan Zimmerman
1B Adam LaRoche
LF Michael Morse
SS Ian Desmond
2B Danny Espinosa
C Kurt Suzuki
RHP Jordan Zimmermann
CARDINALS
CF Jon Jay
RF Carlos Beltran
LF Matt Holliday
1B Allen Craig
C Yadier Molina
3B David Freese
2B Daniel Descalso
SS Pete Kozma
LHP Jaime Garcia
UMPIRES
HP Marvin Hudson
1B Joe West (cc)
2B Jim Joyce
3B Alfonso Marquez
LF Ed Hickox
RF Paul Emmel
4:38 p.m. -- And we're underway on a 61-degree afternoon in St. Louis. Shadows covering the plate and almost reaching the mound, but not quite there yet.
4:50 p.m. -- The Nationals got two men on base in the top of the first, with Jayson Werth drawing a leadoff walk and Adam LaRoche getting the benefit of the doubt on a 3-2 check swing to draw a two-out walk. That set the stage for Michael Morse ... who grounded out to second. So the Nats are 0-for-1 with runners in scoring position today. We go to the bottom of the first.
4:57 p.m. -- Jordan Zimmermann couldn't have drawn his first inning up much better than that. He retired the side on 13 pitches, 10 strikes, striking out Jon Jay looking at a 95 mph fastball off the outside corner and then got a couple weak grounders to second base to end the inning. A superb start to Zimmermann's afternoon. Scoreless after one.
5:17 p.m. -- And the Nats get on the board first, thanks to a clutch hit from one of their real offensive forces ... Jordan Zimmermann. Yep, the right-hander has always handled the bat well, and it did it quite well in the top of the second, blooping a base hit to right with two on and one out and scoring Ian Desmond (who ran right through Bo Porter's stop sign) to give the Nats a 1-0 lead. So, to recap: The three Nationals who have driven in runs so far in this series are Kurt Suzuki, Tyler Moore and Jordan Zimmermann. Who'd have thunk it? 1-0 as we go to the bottom of the second.
5:38 p.m. -- That did not go well for Zimmermann. He allowed five hits in the bottom of the second, including four straight to open the inning. Four Cardinals wound up scoring thanks to RBI from David Freese, Daniel Descalso, Skip Schumaker and Jon Jay. The only bright spot for the Nationals: Mike Matheny decided to go for the knockout punch early and sent up Schumaker to pinch-hit for Garcia. So now the Cardinals will need to get 21 outs from their bullpen, with Lance Lynn the first man up. We go to the third, and the Nats now trail 4-1.
5:59 p.m. -- And Zimmermann's struggles against the Cardinals continue as Allen Craig destroys an inside fastball down the left-field line for a solo homer in the third. An infield single by Yadier Molina -- the seventh allowed by Zimmermann to the last 11 batters he faced -- finally prompted Davey Johnson to get his bullpen up and moving around. Zimmermann finally got out of the inning thanks to a fantastic diving play by Ryan Zimmerman at third. But the Nats now trail 5-1 after three. Craig Stammen is still warming as the top of the fourth begins, and the pitcher's spot is due up third. Looks like that will be it for Jordan.
6:08 p.m. -- That is indeed it for Zimmermann, who is pulled after allowing five runs in three innings. That matches the shortest of his 82 career starts, and the two previous ones both came in Sept. 2010, his first month back from Tommy John surgery. The Nats, meanwhile, have done nothing against Lance Lynn. So we move to the bottom of the fourth, the deficit still 5-1 as Stammen enters from the bullpen.
6:27 p.m. -- This one spiraled out of control in a hurry, didn't it? Stammen was greeted immediately in the bottom of the fourth by Daniel Descalso, who launched a homer into the petunia bed beyond the fence in right-center. The right-hander never could right himself and was pulled after recording only one out and allowing two runs to score (aided by Espinosa's error and Pete Kozma's hustle). In came Christian Garcia, who got out of the mess, but not before the Cardinals opened up a 7-1 lead as we go to the fifth.
6:37 p.m. -- Well, hold the phone. The Nats haven't quite given up yet. Ryan Zimmerman orders his first round of postseason cortisone shots and deposits a ball into the left-field bullpen. Adam LaRoche immediately follows with a shot into the petunia bed in right field. Just like that, the deficit has been trimmed to 7-3 as the Nats show some signs of life in the fifth.
6:53 p.m. -- It's been a battle all afternoon/evening, but Garcia managed to get through the bottom of the fifth without allowing a run to score. It's still 7-3 as we enter the sixth inning of a game that began 2 hours and 15 minutes ago.
6:57 p.m. -- The Nats are starting to hit the ball hard. Unfortunately, they're hitting them just close enough to Cardinals fielders to make the play. Espinosa launched a ball deep to left-center to open the sixth but was stone-cold robbed by Jay, who slammed into the wall to make a fantastic catch and rob Espinosa of extra bases. Steve Lombardozzi (pinch-hitting for Garcia) also smoked a line drive, but right at Kozma at shortstop. So the deficit remains 7-3 as we move to the bottom of the sixth, Michael Gonzalez now on the mound.
7:06 p.m. -- Carlos Beltran launches one off the facing of the third deck down the left-field line. That makes it 8-3 as the Nationals' deficit grows larger and the number of outs they have left to work with diminishes. Seventh inning upcoming.
7:15 p.m. -- Strange doings in the top of the seventh. The Nats got themselves in business thanks to Werth's leadoff single and Harper's hustle double (his first postseason hit in nine at-bats). Zimmerman then smoked a liner to left, but right at Holliday. Werth tagged and scored, but when Holliday shanked his throw, Harper tried to advance to third. Bad idea. He was thrown out at third base, a real no-no when trailing by four runs. So it's now 8-4, but the Nats are down to their last six outs.
7:36 p.m. -- Here we go again: Mitchell Boggs on the mound with 2 on in the eighth. Chad Tracy sent up to pinch-hit. This time, Mike Matheny stuck with that matchup and didn't bring in the lefty. And it paid off, because Tracy popped up on the first pitch. The Nats are down to their last three outs, still down 8-4.
7:55 p.m. -- Make it 12-4 as the Cardinals keep their foot on the gas pedal in the bottom of the eighth against Sean Burnett. Three extra-base hits off the lefty, including another bomb by Beltran, this one into Albert Pujols territory beyond the left-field bullpen. Is it over yet?
8:05 p.m. -- It is now. Final score: Cards 12, Nats 4. Series tied at one game apiece. Game 3 Wednesday afternoon at Nationals Park, the first postseason game played in D.C. in 79 years.
300 comments:
«Oldest ‹Older 1 – 200 of 300 Newer› Newest»2-0. No problem. C'mon J-Zimm, you bulldog. Just do what you've done all season -- 7 IP, 4 H, 1R, 8Ks. Turn it over and we'll Clipp and Store it.
GYFNG!!
Looking forward to Jordan having the opportunity to show the rest of the country what Nats fans have known for a while: that he is a beast. The guy is long overdue for some national recognition.
Loved listening to Clip and Storen shut it down last night. Just like the good ol' days, when teams basically had to find ways to beat us in just seven innings, because the window of opportunity closes once we hear Peaches playing at Nats Park.
Go, Z'nn! Go, NATS!!
Bulldog Jordan and Frisky NATS Bats = GYFNG!
"Wind 10 mph out to RF". Hopefully Zim, Morse, Harper and LaRoche can all take advantage of a little help to take the ball deep.
Davey said Espi was amp'd up yesterday.
By the way, as we speaking, Stras us short-tossing in the outfield with JFlo. They just can't get Stras to rest.
I know this is negative, but I really think Zim's shoulder is worse than any of us are going to know until the off season. I don't know how painful it is, but it seems to be immobile at times. I know he has always had some throwing issues, but right now it just looks like his shoulder doesn't work properly and he is trying to find a slot to get the ball into the air.The underhand and sidearm work fine, but anything above that and it just looks like he can't lift his arm very high. You know he is going to gut it out. I hope the power is not going to be absent. I also hope that the other Zimmermann has solved the problem of too many days rest. I would like to see him the way he looked in Milwaukee when the entire state was watching him. We really need both of the Zimmermen today.
I'm amp'd up typing. Sorry about all the typos and hope Espi gets going today!
A statistical curiosity.
Zach Sanders @zvsanders
As a hitter, Gio Gonzalez saw more pitches than Mike Morse today.
Oh. And Ian will lead us.
Okay. Did they announce it yet? :-)
And for everyone who keeps asking: No, MLB has not yet announced a start time for Game 3 on Wednesday. As soon as they do, I will pass it along. I promise.
So, we know that Tylers Clippard and Moore kept their cool yesterday, as did Suzuki and Storen. I thought Desi looked the coolest and most focused of anyone on the team. He looked completely and totally at ease.The person that looked the most like a deer in head lights was -- Espi. What say you, imaginary friends? Agree- Disagree? Discuss.
If you, like Desmond, had been given the green light to ambush first-pitch fastballs on every at bat, you'd be cool and focused, too.
I don't think anybody was overpsyched yesterday. I think it was the cold that got to Gio -- something to remember in future assignment-making, and the weird shadows, which will be back today apparently, that got to the hitters. The Cards were also complaining about the shadows, but they were gone by the time Clip and Drew came in, and the Cardsbats still couldn't do anything, so double huzzahs to our bullpen.
If the Nats go on an eleven game winning streak, RZ can get his shoulder surgery sooner.
NCNatsie --
Inasmuch as the WS is likely to include Detroit or NYY, spotting Gonzalez only in warmer (relatively speaking) weather is problematic.
Is that really the best umps in MLB...Joe West.....he is a clown and a PR problem waiting to implode....who makes these decisions?
Hudson, West and Perfect-Game Popper Joyce. If it's a rout, the announcers probably will still have plenty to talk about.
Just don't anyone pop it straight up right over an infielder in the outfield.
And for everyone who keeps asking: No, MLB has not yet announced a start time for Game 3 on Wednesday. As soon as they do, I will pass it along. I promise.
But have they said what time they're going to announce when they'll tell us when the game is?
Is that really the best umps in MLB...Joe West.....he is a clown and a PR problem waiting to implode....who makes these decisions?
MLB.
It is explicitly not merit-based. We discussed this a week or two ago in great detail, and there's a link in there somewhere that explains everything.
I'd rather not think that Gio's issues was the cold; after all the rest of the games from here on are in October. Hopefully is was the long time between starts.
Of course Gio was a bit amped up -- have you every seen the guy? The more he pitches under the big lights, the more he'll calm down, not just this season but for many more seasons to come. Today, we get Jordan, the anti-Gio, cool, calm, and collected on the outside. Let's hope his insides are just as placid. A good performance from J-Zimm and our first game at home could be a clincher.
Go Nats!!
Hmmm....Morse usually bats in 4th hole against lefties?
Davey must know some stats that we don't know??
Let's go, Jordan. GYFNG!!!
Is anyone else really concerned with Zimmerman's throwing motion? It really seems like he is in store for pretty significant surgery once the season is done.
Andrew,
Of course; you have to be. I wish he just went sidearm until he has the shoulder repaired then he can relearn how to throw overhand.
I love that Davey ignores a bad game (or ten+ ) and keeps plugging in the guy who he thinks has talent. Go Danny
I envy those of you able to watch the game live. I'll be teaching, but a large chunk of my mind will be wondering about the Nats. And hoping that nobody tells me the score before I get to watch the replay this evening. GYFNG!
Mark,
Are you sure that game three is at 1:07 PM on Wednesday. That would make it a noon game in St Louis. Even Bud would not do that to the Nats.
MLB tv just confirmed 1:07 wednesday
Here we go!! It's cold and rainy in the Outer Banks. No excuses not to watch my Nationals!
Go Nats!! Score First!! Win the NCDS!!
OK, now that we stole game one, let's get game two. I hope these guys start hitting. We need more bats!
Outrageous, the Nats fans get the shaft again. Makes me sick.
10:07 Pacific? That works nicely for me (he wrote selfishly); not sure how it works for the team or the rest of the world. But let's win today's game and worry about that later. Keep the pressure on, offensively and defensively.
Just searched the house cable channels and we do not get MLB network. This is going to cause major issues with my spousal equivalent as I search for a bar in the area.
@Doc
I belive Morse is not batting fourth because Cards only have one lefty in the pen. It maintains, advantage Davey, on pinch hitting.
1:07 is good, for the players. Sucks for the fans with jobs who aren't there. Take lunch late.
Sec3,
Alas, again the O's get the prime spot tonight and the Nats play in the funky afternoon sun.
Just another nice thank you gift from Bud and his best friend in Bmore.
I think it has more to do with who they're playing, Water.
MASN just texted 1:00 start time Wednesday.
I'm really not getting all the "we're getting the shaft" stuff. Somebody's team is going to play a day game or 2 this week. Turns out it's our team. St. Louis fans have a 3:30 game today, in a town that may well not do much about the Columbus Day holiday. It happens.
We probably ought to just relax, make our Wednesday plans now, and enjoy the games.
The Orioles game isn't prime time, the Yankees game is. The O's are just the opponent.
Eh, was hoping it would be later, as it's difficult for my hubby to get out of work that early (luckily my boss is a big Nats fan - pretty much as big of one as me, well, it is me - so it's easier on my end). Anyway, thanks for the info.
I totally agree and am not affected but alas it would be nice if they balanced it out even just a little bit.
Heck, St Louis is watching today's beating in mid-afternoon and most St Louisians(sp?) may not even have gotten to lunch by the time the Nats sweep them out of the playoffs on Wednesday.
So, I guess it does not really matter.
The start time had nothing to do with the O's. It has everything to do with the damn Yankees.
… I wonder if anyone of you from the DC area can confirm what I heard today on a Canadian sports network. The report was that some Washington fans were in a DC bar yesterday afternoon and asked to have the TVs changed to the ball game, and were denied. Anyone heard that?
Go Nats!!
I am tired of all the whining. As long as the Yankees are in they will be on prime time TV because the NY market is the largest in the country and not because of any backhanded deals between Bud and Angelos.
sjm308, I was down there this weekend and the game is on channel 29 I believe. TBS is broadcasting this one.
Mexicali Brews at the 9 MP if you are looking for a cool bar.
They just said Weds' game was at 1:00. Good luck finding a spot to park, much less getting home in rush hour. Arrrgh.
1 pm and MLB Network. I feel for those of you that will have to listen to Kaat/Costas. Kaat will whine incessantly about Stras.
Okay..Believe in the Mayans.
JRoll and Mitch just picked the Nats to win to day. UGH!
Danny is gonna earn his keep today. Go Espy! Go Nats!
But the Cardinals aren't all injured, JRoll. How can the Nats possibly win?
Bob Costas: great.
Jim Kaat: not great.
Michelle,
I was listening to Mike Lupica this afternoon (New York) and he had Ron Darling on. Guess what he asked him?
'If the Nationals play the Reds do you think that missing Strasburg will be a determining factor?'
Darling: ' Absolutely; there is no way you can lose your no. 1 starter; your stud pitcher and not be effected negatively'.
They won't let this go. Will they?
JD.. Sadly they will not. NatsJack said it yesterday. As long as the Nats win, discussion will me muted.
Seamhead - I'd go through, hell, high water, and rush hour to go to Wednesday's game. And I will do it all with a smile. Not even the brass at MLB can kill this buzz!
They EYE BLACK IS BACK! Get him Bam Bam
I can't watch the game (work). How bad are the shadows?
24 pitches for garcia
Shadows are bad and moving all over the place
Sun is very bright, and shadows are very sharp and deep.
Reverse K for Jordan! Wish I could type a reverse K.
Wow 7 straight strikes
Unless TBS pitch track is off Marvin Hudson's strike zone is crazy. The second pitch looked good and the pitch track had it almost perfectly in the middle.
Manassas.. That pitch track has to be off. Plus Marvin Hudson (GA Native) is pissed about the Barves losing to STL
Mayans! Danny Walked!
My TBS HD froze. non HD is on. Is this what was happening to some of you yesterday?
Manassas, Have FIOS. No issues.
Gosh IAN is making me look smart!
Pliant told Porter where to stick that stop sign!
Jordan making his own offensive support!
Make that "Ian" told Bo.
Espinoza only on 2nd?
I lost the HD station, too.I went down to the regular channel, and to the radio for the audio.
Suzuki one of his few bad at bats. K on a ball in dirt. Harper had the samr problem
Ugh, has Werth set a record for runners left on base as a lead off hitter?
Will, its hard to criticize Werth for driving a ball pretty solidly there. Wasn't like he struck out or had a weak grounder that time.
Garcia is not long for this game 51 thru 2
Up over 50 pitches for Garcia.. Lynn up in the Pen.. This could be fun....
Hitters ticking me off. Garcia is throwing tons of balls and we swinging at way too many. Three K's that all could have been BB with plate discipline,
So how many people had picked Jordan as the first Zimmerman(n) with an RBI in this series?
Love how they are showing the Giants (forgive me 1A), but they are going to be eliminated tomorrow.
1 pm start on Wednesday. That's why God invented annual leave. And if I have to sit in traffic on my way home after the Nats wrap up the series, well I'll just listen to Phil Wood talk about the old Senators. There are worse things in the world.
Manassas.. The issue is they can't see the crap with the shade monster issues.
Face it, with these shadows and all the ball movement Garcia is getting when he manages to pitch strikes (only 29 out of 51 pitches so far), it's awfully hard for anyone to square up the ball solidly. Werth would have gotten all of that if he could have swung with more confidence. Two of our three RBI hits in this series have been bloops to the opposite field.
I wish the game on Wednesday weren't so early but as it will likely make for a lot fewer shadows, so much better for the players. Partly the lack of XBHs is due to the cold weather but it's also the shadows.
The shade monster causing no problems for Cards
But this strike zone of Hudson's is ridiculous. Strikes several inches outside, balls in the center of the strike zone. Zimm should have a 1-2 count on Freese not 3-0.
Also having issues with TBS HD. Seems to be back now
Having the strike zone right next to the batter really shows how bad Marv's strike zone is.
What shade monster. they are seeing ball perfectly fine. So I refuse to fall for that phoney story. We gets guys on base only Jxim hit it right
What is Espi's excuse
Deja vu
Horrible horrible strike zone.
McCatty as usual is out way too late. Nip it in the bud.
I thought Werth was going to catch his and Espi should have had his as should Rzim 3 of 4 were playable so fielders hurting us too.
Zimm is getting very little movement on his pitches and with Hudson not giving any low strikes, he's ending up elevating everything. He needs to throw a curve ball that actually curves.
We Need to limit damage
We struck out on 3 balls and now they strike out on 1
Cards are not having the sun light up the ball this half on the inning as everyone had been dealing with until now.
Finally, some bite on the slider to get Kozma.
Garcia gone already. Metheny showing some desperation?
Garcia already out!
Nats really should have scored more than 1 run, what is up with Bryce and what is up with Jordan?
Yeehaw! we're into their BP now! We win! Thank you Ian for ignoring Bo.
mnf. back up your dvr and you will see the mound was in the sun .
Just moving past the mound at the start of this inning.
Garcia was terrible and our hitters let jim off the hook with 1 run. What a shame. Lynn is much better and we have made the job much harder.
Both our starters were given leads in the second which neither bothered to do a shut down inning.
Wow. Garcia gone already? Seems like another case of Matheny overmanaging.
Desmond!!!!!
Johnny Wholestaff now pitching for the Cards.
Manassas, Now the infield is in shade, before it wasn't,
Good play by Ian
Heck of a play by Desi. That's a big out.
Manassas Nats' Fan AGREED, swinging at balls hitting in front of the plate by a foot
howver, a moot point as Jordan Z is not ready for prime time today... very disappointing
Finally someone decided to field. Ciuld have easily given up 0 runs with some fielding like we are capable of.
Who peed in manasasatsfan's cornflakes? Negative comment after negative comment...
If Lynn was better than Garcia he wouldn't have been relegated to the bullpen. Also he pitched yesterday so he won't be going a ton of innings today.
Just coming inboard. Why is Jordan getting lit up? Bad pitches or good hitting? Errors ? Why is their pitcher put already?
I am completely baffled by Hudson and his "strike zone". That pitch to strike out Zimm was called a ball twice to David Freese.
all we wanted was a split in St Louis any way.
I just hope other than Desi the other guys start hitting at home..
Seems like the only hitters are desi, Moore and jzim.
This shade monster excuse teed me off. Garcia pitches slow we should clobber. Was pleasantly shocked he was pitching as he is terrible and Lynn is very good now In
we hadhad opportunity twice to clobber Garcia and we didnt bother as we swung at so many balls.
That kind of performance makes a negative person. We just needed to only swing at strikes and we had game put away. That is how bad I think Garcia is
Pitching stinks hitiing stinks. Oh well All we hoped for was a split. Bryce just an embarrasment at the plate right now.
Swami- Jordan having trouble keeping the ball down. Defense hasn't helped and neither has the roving strike zone.
As a side note my wife says she know no one more possitive than me but I am absolutely negative when people swing at balls.
Does JZim only throw fastballs? Anyone have the breakdown of pitch selection? I saw 1 slider to Kozma and the rest looked like fastballs.
JZ just pitched 2 sliders to Holliday.
So yesterday Gio could not find the zone and today Jordan is getting too much of it ??? Looks like our bullpen may show up early, too. Thankfully no one was on base.
Yowee. Not good.
I assume we will still win this game. I never believe we will losr
Now I understand why Gorzelanny is on the postseason roster.
Our hitters should be doing this very same thing. Hope they show up here soon. Fielding not the usual either..
Manassas Nats' Fan said...
I assume we will still win this game. I never believe we will losr
October 08, 2012 5:54 PM
Thats the spirit! haha
We just need score 5 in the 4th no biggie
Better start chipping away or it could get out hand, no excuse not to with Lynn on the mound.
I suppose MNF thinks Ian should've made that play too. Yeah, it would've been nice if we had a couple of timely hits, but really the defense has been ok. The Cards are just knocking the snot out of JZimm so far.
I agree
Let's get 5
It's early. If our offense shows up and starts chipping away the way they are capable of doing, there is plenty of time. They need to get it together. And no more runs for STL please.
That play by Zim would have led to a different 2nd inning had he made the same kind of play. That is what we expect.
Now get some runs
I think that was a pretty nice play by Ryan Zimmerman.
Fouldd bunt followed by to hard a bunt. Espi when is the slump going to end?
Is TBS's pitch track just that far off or is Marvin Hudson the worst umpire in baseball?
Dave Jagler just said what I did, that the hitters didnt take advantage of Garcia and Lynn has been better all season
Espinosa now trying to bunt for a hit with Freese, DeScalso and Craig all playing in.
Also surprised Davey would use up Bernadina with 2 outs and nobody on. JZim could've hit for himself and then pulled for a reliever. At least Bernadina walked.
10 runners left on base by Werth in 6 AB....
You cant score runs without swinging if pitch is a strike.
Would help to get some runs now now lets score 5 next inning.
Our vaunted starting pitching is in shreds.... Gio pitched a gem yesterday compared to this!
It looks like Lannan should have been on the roster.
This is very similar to when we played them last in the regular season... we win a squeaker and then we get crushed two times. Our offense has been absolutely pathetic for over a month.
Stammen has been singularly ineffective the last two days....
Hey Dan, get your facts straight. In the past 30 days (one month), the Nationals have a team OPS of .825.
Can you guess which team has been better in that same span?
No, you can't, because there aren't any. The Nats have had the best offense in baseball by a considerable margin for over a month now.
Lack of focus on Stammen then lack of focus ny Espi.
making this hard.
Score 7 next inning
Things getting out of hand here.
The horseshoe ain't landing today.
If the pitching OR the hitting was ok, we could survive. We can't survive without one or the other. Yes, the cards are tatooing everything right now, but our offense has been totally stagnant. Jayson alone has stranded a ton of runners. I know this game is out of reach now, but the Nats need to get something going so that this doesn't totally mess with their heads heading home.
Mama said there'd be days like this...
So now we got Detwiler and Jackson coming up to pitch--at least we know the Cards can't hit either of them....
Ugly game but some people need to back up from the ledge a bit.
Dan Strong - the Nationals have averaged 4.97 runs/game over the last 31 games. How is that pathetic?
Going into St. Louis and splitting with 3 games at home left is something that I think everyone on this forum would have been happy with.
Lets not even forget that it is only the 4th inning! How many times has this team come back from big deficits this year? GYFNG
The Cardinals' manager wins today by yanking his pitcher earlier than I have ever seen while Johnson leaves Zimmerman and Stammen in to stagnate....
Will, thank you for setting Dan straight.
Looks like the Nats forgot this a was a playoff game. Come back Wednesday and win one for the hometown fans.
7 of last 8 Stammen has facdd reach base.
not to often from 6 runs.
Today I still expect to win.
Going into St. Louis and splitting is irrelevant except it means we get at least two post-season games. Home field advantage is not very valuable in baseball.
The Cards now have the "BIG MO". Nats are embarrassing themselves. The biggest problem is that the Nats have to endure this embarrassment for another five innings! I hope they can 'cause I can't. Time for dinner...
Nats in five. We got this.
GYFNG!!!
Stammen just getting hammered the last two days. I think we could get by without Stras but not with Zimmerman, Jackson and Detwiler all falling apart at the same time.
Lannan would have been crushed by the Cardinals and he can't pitch in relief. When are we going to give up on that guy? He isn't even as good as Tommy Milone ... if Milone had stayed Lannan would have been gone.
He might not be as good as Milone, who is basically your average MLB pitcher, but right now, except for Gio, we don't have anyone pitching even average.
At least Garcia looked like he cared....
Hopefully, after this game, fans and players will have learned to relax. Its best to sneak up on the Yankees and the National offense ... then put the hammer down hard.
On the bright side, the Cardinals best hitter is still somehow hitless.
William O. Douglas Loeffler said...
Going into St. Louis and splitting is irrelevant except it means we get at least two post-season games. Home field advantage is not very valuable in baseball.
I beg to differ. You have obviously never looked at Edwin Jackson and Ross Detwiler's home vs road splits. Both pitch better at home. And calling it irrelevant is just dumb. How is winning the first of a 5 game series irrelevant? I'd say it is pretty huge to not lose 2 games to start a series...
Anybody else remember Edwin pitching 8 innings without giving up an earned run and striking out 10 cardinals at Nats park?
He might not be as good as Milone, who is basically your average MLB pitcher, but right now, except for Gio, we don't have anyone pitching even average.
Yeah, kind of like Matt Cain? And uh Lincecum? Its only one game and believe it or not Zimmermann is still technically not completely past the Tommy John's surgery.
The rotation is still one of the best in baseball. And its only going to get better.
At least we won't get swept.... Gio's performance is looking a lot better now. Maybe the Card aren't as terrible as everyone thinks they are....
Give the Cards credit, the pressure was on them coming in today and they brought their hitting shoes. Had our batters converted opportunities in the first two innings, maybe the game is closer than the score. Still have 15 outs to give, but...
Chip away and we all will be happy. Seven this inning would be fine. No biggie.
What is the talk about a shade monster if it was a problem both team would suffer
Stammen just getting hammered the last two days. I think we could get by without Stras but not with Zimmerman, Jackson and Detwiler all falling apart at the same time.
Oh woe is me gloom and doom ... you make it sound like they won 50 games instead of 98 this season? You sure you're not a 'Stros fan? Or a Cubbies fan?
One by one, we can get it together and clean this up, Wish The Kid was having a better game.
I said winning on the road was irrelevant, not winning one of the first two games. Splits may or may not be important depending on various factors. If you have great faith in splits, then I hope you are right here, but generally pitchers who are better at home or on the road have ballpark factors playing into that. Both this park and Nats' Park play fair. This is not Colorado or SF.
The way we pitched at the end of the season kind of indicated this would happen sooner or later. I don't think Strasburg would have made a difference, this team is too inexperienced to go far in post-season. But its gravy for me. I just wanted them to win the division and win one game in the playoffs, which they have done. Jackson's outing will determine whether this goes to four or five.
Here we go
There we go Zimm.
At this point, winning the game is over... Nats need to use the rest of the game for batting practice. Is Bryce having an Andy Petite flashback?
Davey needs to own up on Espi, if he is hurt, play Lombo. This bunting with Espi is ridiculous. He really should go with Lombo back in DC.
Put this ugly game behind and hope Ejac can give Nats 6 good innings and that the guys will hit the ball and stop swinging at garbage like it is Spring training!!!
I hope this not like the Caps first ever post season in 1983... young up and coming team facing the defending champions Islanders in a best of 3 series. the Caps pull the upset and beat the Islanders in NY in OT, they then proceeded to lose 3 in a row, including 2 at home in blow outs. Nats are also playing the defending champions in the Cards. Nats won a dramatic 3-2 game in their first ever playoff and are getting blown out in this game before returning home for two, please, please, please do not let history repeat itsekf with this team, lol
One by one, we can get it together and clean this up, Wish The Kid was having a better game.
The two major keys to the Nationals steamrolling other teams:
1. Pitching, holding other teams to 3 or fewer runs if possible.
2. Werth and Harper working in tandem to get on base and wreak havoc on the other team's pitching and defense.
With both they dominate. With just one they have a pretty decent chance of winning.
Screw the doom. Praise the Boom!
Anyone who thinks our staff is as good now as it was, say, at the end of June, must have been partaking of the beverage that pays the Cards' salaries....
Back to back jacks!
That's two home runs Mick. 7 -3. Now if Werth and Harper can get going ...
But why do we always hit them with no one on base?
Now that is what I mean by using the rest of game for BP... end game on a positive!!
Zimmerman hits a pathetic home run into the bullpen.
Then the pathetic LaRoche does the same thing.
Shameful. Might as well treat it like batting practice.
Okay, then.
Let the next one happen with the sacks drunk!
Chip, chip, chip...
Anyone who thinks our staff is as good now as it was, say, at the end of June, must have been partaking of the beverage that pays the Cards' salaries....
Its better. Wang was starting then.
Well usually when it is back to back homers the second one never has anyone on base...
Crap almost 3 jacks in a row now that would have created some momentum!
Come on dont tease like that. That was suppose to 5 dinger inning
I hope JZ gets chance to redeem himself in the next series, I bet he does, I just hope he gets the chance too.
There is almost no momentum factor in baseball, but hey, if that makes you feel better, we still might win even without momentum.
If Nats can make the Cards sweat, even if they lose something like 7-5 or 8-6, that would be very positive
Davey needs to own up on Espi, if he is hurt, play Lombo. This bunting with Espi is ridiculous. He really should go with Lombo back in DC.
Ah, why is it that you do not see the grasshopper at your feet?
Davey and Rizzo are both looking at this the same way. Its a learning experience for the 2nd youngest roster ... one of the most talented but lacking a great deal of experience.
Two words grasshopper: learning experience.
These Nats will be back ... and back ... and then back again. Kind of like the Everready bunny they'll keep on going.
Many in baseball are in awe at what this team could become. And yes, they are going to be a whole heck of a lot better than the Spankees very, very soon.
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