 |
Photo by Mark Zuckerman / NATS INSIDER Jordan Zimmermann faces the White Sox on a surprisingly hot evening in D.C. |
The Nationals will hope whatever longballs they hit come with some men on base, and the guy who's been on more than anybody else is Denard Span. After going 2-for-3 with a walk last night, the new leadoff man has raised his season OBP to a hefty .500. Yes, Michael Morse has six homers already for the Mariners, but Span has been exactly what the Nats wanted and needed him to be so far, so you aren't hearing anyone in the organization complain about that trade-off.
Jordan Zimmermann gets the start against Maryland's own Gavin Floyd. And old pal Adam Dunn is starting in left field tonight for the Sox, his first appearance here since signing with Chicago after the 2010 season. Should get a nice ovation from the crowd.
Updates to come, so please check back...
CHICAGO WHITE SOX at WASHINGTON NATIONALS
Where: Nationals Park
Gametime: 7:05 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN2, MLB.tv
Radio: WJFK (106.7 FM), XM 184
Weather: Partly cloudy, 83 degrees, Wind 9 mph out to CF
NATIONALS (5-2)
CF Denard Span
RF Jayson Werth
CF Bryce Harper
3B Ryan Zimmerman
1B Adam LaRoche
SS Ian Desmond
2B Danny Espinosa
C Kurt Suzuki
RHP Jordan Zimmermann
WHITE SOX (4-3)
CF Alejandro De Aza
2B Jeff Keppinger
RF Alex Rios
LF Adam Dunn
1B Paul Konerko
SS Alexei Ramirez
3B Conor Gillaspie
C Tyler Flowers
RHP Gavin Floyd
UMPIRES
HP Chris Guccione
1B Tom Hallion (cc)
2B Ron Kulpa
3B Phil Cuzzi
7:00 p.m. -- Well, here's a new one: They just announced the start of tonight's game will be delayed until 7:20 p.m. because the umpires got caught in traffic and couldn't get here in time. So there you go...
7:21 p.m. -- Hey, the umps made it! So we are underway at last. Jordan Zimmermann fires strike one to Alejandro De Aza.
7:27 p.m. -- Not a great start to Zimmermann's night. Though he was pumping in 95 mph fastballs with regularity, he allowed a one-out single to Jeff Keppinger followed by a double into the left-field corner by Alex Rios. That brought Adam Dunn to the plate in a big spot, and the big guy was greeted with ... well, only mild applause from the crowd. Kind of disappointing, to be honest. Dunn swung at the first pitch and tapped a grounder to first, but enough to bring home the night's first run. So the Nats come up to bat trailing 1-0.
7:34 p.m. -- So much for all that talk (including from yours truly) about how patient Denard Span and Jayson Werth have been at the plate. They each struck out in the bottom of the first, Span on four pitches, Werth on three. Uh, yeah. Gavin Floyd cruises through the inning on 11 pitches. Onto to the second, the Nats down 1-0.
7:40 p.m. -- Better stuff from Zimmermann in the top of the second. He needed only 11 pitches to retire the side and nearly made a fantastic play on Conor Gillaspie's comebacker, instead deflecting the ball to Ian Desmond for a 1-6-3 groundout.
7:47 p.m. -- On the bright side, the Nats actually got a guy on base in the bottom of the second. Desmond roped a two-out double into the left-field corner. But that was all they could muster against Floyd, who has needed only 22 pitches (17 strikes) to complete two scoreless innings.
8:04 p.m. -- Still not much happening for the Nats against Floyd. Kurt Suzuki drew a leadoff walk in the third and slowly made his way around to third base on a sac bunt and a groundout. But he was stranded there when Werth struck out swinging to end the inning. Still 1-0 Sox after three.
8:14 p.m. -- Nice awareness on Zimmermann's part in the top of the fourth. Either that, or Rios is a complete moron. Could be either. Whatever the case, Rios inexplicably decided to try to steal second base before Zimmermann ever made any kind of move toward the plate. Jordan merely stepped off the mound and fired to Desmond for an easy out. He's through four innings now on 53 pitches.
8:27 p.m. -- I was watching Bryce Harper take BP this afternoon, and he was really peppering the bleachers. Second deck. Even one into the third deck. Well, he almost reached that top level on Floyd's first pitch of the bottom of the fourth. He settled for a solo shot well up into the second deck, his fourth homer of the season. That tied the game 1-1, but it didn't stay that way for long. Desmond (who has really started hitting the ball with authority the last couple days) roped his second double the night, then scored moments later on Espinosa's single to right. One other bit of insight: Eight games into this season, Trent Jewett is establishing himself as an aggressive third base coach. His philosophy seems to be to force the outfielder to make the throw. And it paid off right there, with Rios' throw way off-line, allowing Desmond to score. The Nats take a 2-1 lead as we move to the fifth.
8:45 p.m. -- Make it 3-1 as Werth, Harper and Zimmerman hit back-to-back-to-back singles in the bottom of the fifth. Nice baserunning by Werth and Harper, each going first-to-third with little trouble to put themselves in position to score.
8:52 p.m. -- And the White Sox get one run right back in the top of the sixth. De Aza doubles and ultimately scores on Rios' groundout. Back and forth we go, with the Nats' lead down to 3-2 in the middle of the sixth.
9:13 p.m. -- Just as they did last night, the Nationals did some serious damage on Chicago's pitching staff in the middle innings. Seemed to figure out Floyd once they saw him the third time. Put it all together, and they've increased the lead to 5-2. Another extra-base hit for Desmond, this one a triple, giving him seven total bases on the night.
9:25 p.m. -- Zimmermann, meanwhile, has been getting stronger as this game progresses. He's at 90 pitches through seven innings. He's only reached the eighth inning once in 82 career starts, and he certainly looks like he could do it tonight. But Drew Storen is warming in the Nats' pen, so perhaps not. Still 5-2 at the stretch.
9:32 p.m. -- Yep, Zimmermann is out after seven. Here's Storen in for the eighth, trying to protect a three-run lead.
9:41 p.m. -- A fairly tidy, 15-pitch inning for Storen. So the lead remains 5-2 as Rafael Soriano begins to limber up in the bullpen.
9:48 p.m. -- Here we go: Soriano enters with a three-run lead. Same situation as last night.
9:56 p.m. -- That'll do it. Much easier effort tonight from Soriano, who closes out a 5-2 victory for his fourth save of the year. The Nats improve to 6-2 and will go for the sweep tomorrow.
107 comments:
I'm glad that Dunn will appear tonight in the first inning so the crowd can salute him. It would have been awkward if he's come up in the 9th last night representing the winning run with the tying run on base. Hope the fans tonight let him know we all remember him fondly.
I am waiting for that first really dominant game against a good team. You know, when it all clicks it's a thing of beauty.
For any season ticket holders who need to turn in unused tickets for RCP, you can now do the Yankkes game and all the Marlins games at the exchange link. You now get an email when you submit it too :)
Agreed 100% bowdenball...woulda been hard to cheer for him with 1 on, 1 out, and a 1 run game in the 9th!
Agree with you, too, bbswami!
I'm looking forward to saluting Dunn too. Reason to get there by first pitch if possible.
I'm also looking forward to him botching Span's popfly to left, lumbering after Zim's rocket down the line into the corner and failing to cut off Desi's shot to the gap, which turns into a triple. Good times.
I hope yall do give him a warm welcome, I always liked watching the big lug, but I hope that it doesn't happen until the 2nd inning (since he bats 4th)...
I echo all those qualified good thoughts about our old pal the Big Donkey. Great to hear him interviewed by Charlie on the radio last night. But I hope we beat his team soundly tonight.
I echo all those qualified good thoughts about our old pal the Big Donkey. Great to hear him interviewed by Charlie on the radio last night. But I hope we beat his team soundly tonight.
Welcome Adam Dunn. Hope you greatly increase your strikeout percentage tonight.
Wild results. The team that clobbered us 15-0 is getting clobbered 10-0 right now... Houston put up 16 runs (and 22 hits) against the M's, but Bo pulled the starter after 4 innings (when it was 13-0) so he didn't qualify for the win. The Yanks are old and decrepit, but they put up 16 against Cleveland and Tony Francona...
Baseball is bewildering.
I expect another offense-fueled game, Swami.
NL, I was discussing the same thing with a friend. There have been awful lot of games to start this season with one-sided scores.
I don't mind a four HR night for Dunn as long as Nationals win at the end of the game.
(from a few threads ago -- whenI mentioned that a DC writer, I think Boswell, said that Harper would be the third youngest AA player in baseball)
Sec. 3, My Untucked Sofa said...
How long ago did you see it? They might have been promoted or flamed out by now.
FWIW, I saw it sometime between the start of the season and a few days ago! (Probably last week).
I'm also looking forward to him botching Span's popfly to left, lumbering after Zim's rocket down the line into the corner and failing to cut off Desi's shot to the gap, which turns into a triple. Good times.
Nice one, 222!
To be charitable, I'll add this: two balls to the upper deck.
But foul.
I expect the Nats to have a triple to LF tonight.
To be fair, I will admit I was one of the voices urging Rizzo to re-sign Dunn. But also to be fair, I never wanted him to play another inning in the outfield.
Sect222, I agree and felt the same way about Michael Morse.
Houston put up 16 runs (and 22 hits) against the M's, but Bo pulled the starter after 4 innings (when it was 13-0) so he didn't qualify for the win.
If memory serves, something similar happened with Jim Riggleman and Jason Marquis. I think the score was 6-5 and Riggs told him he was done after the 4th, then we went and put a 6 spot up in the top of the 5th but Riggs wouldn't let Marquis come out to get the win. Marquis flipped out on him quite visibly and Riggleman later made comments about how "certain veteran players" were complaining to their agents about his managing style.
As far as Dunn, it would be ridiculous to not salute the man on his first at bat. He didn't trash the team or the town and he was actually quite vocal about wanting to stay in Washington. I wish him all the best. But after the first AB, anything goes...
Will our middle infielders beat the throw from home to the Second Base bag tonight, or ever this season? Ramos and Suzuki each have taken throwing errors already because Espi or Desi are not in front of the bag for the throw. They gotta get this fixed.
Seconded. Or thirded. Or whatever.
Les_in_NC said...
I hope yall do give him a warm welcome, I always liked watching the big lug, but I hope that it doesn't happen until the 2nd inning (since he bats 4th)...
April 10, 2013 4:07 PM
Texts from Daughter Wonk
Last year I chronicled the amazing transformation of my 17-year old daughter from "don't like sports on tv -- period" to complete Nats fanatic, who, within months, could recognize each Nat by face (even with a catcher's mask on), and could still tell you last year's pitching rotation and full Nats starting line up.
What was particularly hilarious last year, was that everything she knew, she knew only from watching Nats games. And so, while she could tell you that Ankiel strikes out on high and outside pitches, she had no idea what "The American League" was until interleague play (and still doesn't get the DH rule).
Anyways -- a few folks asked me to keep writing about her. I've been stumped about what to write.
Until today.
Last night I was in a meeting during the game (from the 3rd inning until the 7th), and she kept texting me about the game to keep me up to date. I posted three screen captures here -- they are the hilarious texts of a now 18-year-old who is an amazing fan (giving her dad the warm and fuzzies).
Her enthusiasm is just such a high level of youthful purity -- it's awesome.
Check them out here (id info removed). The conversation is starting with her description of Gio getting thrown out at second.
They get progressively better -- so check out all three:
http://s24.postimg.org/6yho1qjs5/nats_texts_1.jpg
http://s24.postimg.org/od1wa0gx1/nats_texts_2.jpg
http://s24.postimg.org/7zhwqv0rp/nats_texts_3.jpg
Grnadstander -- that Riggleman/Marquis story is not exactly accurate. Jason had given up 5 runs in 4 innings (8 H, 2 K, 3 BB), he was struggling and had he not acted like a child in the dugout and made his manager look bad, Riggleman probably would have sent him back in with the big lead -- but Jason had sealed his fate at that point.
Well, I am in the solid minority of one here, I guess. You want to give Adam a warm welcome in warmups, fine. Once the ump says "play ball" the only thing I'm rooting for him to do is to take a seat after he strikes out.I don't want our boys to suffer a loss, or even have to come from behind if he succeeds at the plate.
I don't think anyone's looking for Dunn to hit HRs tonight, just to give him a nice hand. The guy was a great player for us and he wanted to be a part of the team going forward, it just did not work out.
No Seamhead, I am with you as well. I will wish Adam well when they leave DC. I don't want to see Lannan win one game for the Phillies and don't want to see anything but success for our Nationals. Dunn was fun to watch here and he certainly left with class. I hope he continues his success but not for the next two days.
Go Nats!
Uh oh. Calling NCNatsie. We have competition for a Nats theme song. And this one has guitars.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/dc-sports-bog/wp/2013/04/10/the-nasa-scientist-and-the-nats-anthem/
Well, I am in the solid minority of one here, I guess.
I don't see the conflict. Applaud for him when he comes to bat (the first time), and still root for a strike out.
Anybody here want Dunn to do well tonight or tomorrow?
No, I didn't think so.
But I'll stand up and cheer for him when he's first announced. After that, game on.
Thats just about right 222. Give him his due before he bats and then its K time!!
I am gonna cheer like mad every time Desi fields the ball cleanly and makes a quality throw. Jeez Louise that guy looks bad in the field right now. In these big slugfest games (if that is what we have tonight) every out, every saved base is that much more important. SS has to make the plays if your club is going to the MLB playoffs.
Joe Seamhead said...
Well, I am in the solid minority of one here, I guess. You want to give Adam a warm welcome in warmups, fine. Once the ump says "play ball" the only thing I'm rooting for him to do is to take a seat after he strikes out.I don't want our boys to suffer a loss, or even have to come from behind if he succeeds at the plate.
April 10, 2013 5:16 PM
Nope, there are at least two of us. See my post at 4:21 pm above.
Don, Faraz above at 4:29 said he wouldn't mind seeing Dunn hit 4 home runs. I don't want to rehash a move from so long ago, but I never thought of Adam Dunn as being a great player He was a fun guy, was well liked in the locker room, hit a lot of home runs. After that, I don't want to say anything, because I don't have anything good to say, other then I hope he does great for the rest of the regular season after the ChiSox leave town after tomorrow night's game.
Come on, Dunn knocked in 100+ runs in both his seasons on super-awful clubs managed by Manny effing Acta. He never got hurt, he hit 38 HRs each year, so something to cheer for once in a while for a Nats fan. And he was 6'6" of comedy most of the time. He was a great player for us.
Wonk, I think I heart both you and your little Wonkling.
Joe, big difference between "wouldn't mind" and "hoping for," if you ask me.
I'm with those who don't want to see teh Big Dunkey hit any HRs against us. Let him get a long fly out or two with no one on base, and K or GIDP if there are baserunners.
But I'd give him a standing O at the first, PRE-game introduction. And a nice hand before his first at bat. Then nothing thereafter.
Boz, I believe it was, also stated (might hvae been in a chat) that Riggleman was chasing Marquis around the clubhouse wanting to engage in fisticuffs afterward. Nobody comes out of it exactly smelling like a rose, imho.
Don said...
Grnadstander -- that Riggleman/Marquis story is not exactly accurate. Jason had given up 5 runs in 4 innings (8 H, 2 K, 3 BB), he was struggling and had he not acted like a child in the dugout and made his manager look bad, Riggleman probably would have sent him back in with the big lead -- but Jason had sealed his fate at that point.
April 10, 2013 5:06 PM
Awesome texts. Kind of reminds me of when I'm texting back and forth with my baseball buddies during games. :-)
Wonk, I think I heart both you and your little Wonkling.
Thanks a lot, spellcheck. >:(
might hvae
Scooter said...
Wonk, I think I heart both you and your little Wonkling.
What a great name for her. Thanks! ;-)
natsfan1a said...
Awesome texts.
Thanks. They are indeed very amusing when I get them. And her pure youthful exuberance makes my heart melt. (And I consider myself lucky that we can connect on something well enough that she can text "wish you were here"!)
Joe S, I won't mind because like I said before, I am rooting for Nats to win. Bob Horner against Expos hit four HR in one game but Braves still lost to Montreal. I am hoping for something like that.
What a great interview by Adam Dunn on the pregame show. Nothing but class.
Stuck in traffic. GYFNG!
Surprising stat of the day -- I read somewhere (didn't check) that: Dunn (with only two seasons) is still second, all time, on the Nats home run list. (RZ is first).
Gameday says the game is delayed? It's not raining in No Va.
Wonk, not a whole lot of players have stuck around long enough to take over Dunn's standing I guess. I am guessing Soriano is third on list?
Not surprised about traffic. DC definitely has traffic issues.
"unannouced reason for the delay"? Prez coming? Bomb threat?
Traffic. Welcome to our world.
NatsLady, the umpires were stuck in traffic. Seriously, that's the reason.
I'm surprised a certain Sox fan living on Pennsylvania Avenue hasn't stopped by to see his team yet.
Delay of play because umps were stuck in traffic!
Charlie and Dave not too impressed.
Changing the subject; My son play ball for St. John's in DC and graduated the same year that Gavin Floyd did at Mt. St. Joes in Baltimore. Because SJC was non-conference, and maybe for other reasons, Gavin never pitched against them in the 4 year period. Gavin was a great hitter, so he played first when he wasn't pitching. One day at St. John's during a game Gavin warmed up. Up until that day, none of us had ever heard a ball hit a high school catcher's mitt with that kind of a rifle shot sound before. He got drafted in the first round that year. We were surprised that he never pitched in the four games against St. John's because Mt.Saint Joes lost all four games to them during Gavin's high school career.
Interesting that Charlie and Dave knew the reason (and are incredulous about it) but Bob and F.P. didn't (were pretending not to?)
Anyone having MLBtv problems? I keep getting "This video broadcast not available" ... someone gave me a tip about this once but I've forgotten what it was!
That Nats fan is having dinner with Republican Senators tonight. Yesterday he was hosting famiies from Newtown. He's a busy guy.
Sorry, I meant Sox fan...
Jordan already with zip on the fastball. Dotting 95mph.
Jordan threw 15 pitches in the first inning -- gameday says 13 of them were fastballs. What's up with that?
gameday also said nationals scored on espinosa's grounder.
I haven't got the mlb package yet and the free trail just expired - to those who can see is Danny back trying to crush every pitch with the big loop?
I haven't got the mlb package yet and the free trail just expired - to those who can see is Danny back trying to crush every pitch with the big loop?
All this talk about Span seeing lots of pitches and he makes an out on the first pitch. Hitters seem to be swinging early and often.
Hitters seem to be swinging early and often.
That often happens when you get a guy who's throwing only strikes. Why fall behind 0-1? 30 strikes and 13 balls so far.
Helluva AB by Espy after the strikes from Floyd. Great base running by Desmond to take the lead.
This might sound odd, but I'm not sure Bryce did square that one up entirely. Looked on the slowmo like it was a little inside of the sweet spot. Still darn near made the third deck. That's a strong young man.
If JZ can make Floyd pay now, that would be awesome.
1. Atta boy, Bryce. Show the older ones how it's done ;-)
2. Good time for Espi's first ribby of the season!
Yowza -- Floyd at 7 K's in 4 IP.
Good news: JZ is only at 53 pitches after 4 IP.
That's a strong young man.
And just think: most ball players hit the beginning of their peak years around age 26 or 27. Can you imagine what it'd be like if he improved steadily for six more straight years?!
Yowza!!
Very nice looking DP -- quick releases for both Desi and Espi!
And a 10-pitch inning for JZ. Nice.
Dc wonk - I hope he is here when he matures into that
Wonk, that's a good point. At 20, he is, get this, not done growing yet.
Mama, don't let your babies grow up to be pitchers.
Still, if we learned anything from Bo Jackson, it's to appreciate what we're seeing, while it's there.
That, and don't let them play football.
Either that, or Rios is a complete moron.
Dang, it's starting to wear off onto Mark.
Alright Danny get yourself on track
Great AB by Suzuki.
Span adds to the lead. Good going guys!
A few more runs and maybe Davey will risk putting HRod in for an inning...
Denard got a break from the official scorer.Good for him, gets a RBI and a hit.
Candide, wash your mouth out with Maalox, and rinse it with bourbon. Well, was hoping for a bigger inning, but we were fortunate on Span's hit. That could have just as easily been a double play ball. I'm very happy for Danny Espinosa tonight. I hope he keeps it up.
Unlikely they get 2 on Span's shot, it hit well in front of Ramirez, not in the air when he got it.
I give him a hit, there, too. The shortstop was playing in, the ball was hit hard, and short-hopped him. Would have been an awfully tough error.
what's up old Funk!
2 solid performances by JZim so far
Is that Daryl Boston coaching first base for Chicago? Looks like a much older version of him, but that would be about right.
Just got done explaining to Cunegonde who Tony Tarasco is, and his brush with fate in the 1996 AL division playoffs.
Which reminds me, is Jeffrey Maier still in OB?
... Maier worked in the summer of 2006 as a scout in the Cape Cod League for ESPN's Peter Gammons and also as an instructor for Frozen Ropes Baseball Training Center. Maier has since become a special consultant for the New Haven County Cutters.[9] He has had several internships, including with the YES Network, and had several interviews (according to The New York Times) with MLB teams at baseball's winter meetings in search of a front-office job.
From Wikipedia entry
Thanks, C.
Really wish drew was closing this thing. Just not impressed with Soriano. I don't rest until he untucked. Deep breath deep breath
I'm tucked.
Here comes RafySo!
My shirt's untucked. Actually, it has been all day. Probably won't tuck in again until a wedding we're going to at the end of the month...
You're wearing a shirt??
Ponche Soriano! Ponche Soriano!
Our TV room is COLD...
Piche Soriano! Piche Soriano!
Guys in the Lexus front row are ready to untuck.
Nats win!!! Woo-HOOOO!!! (copyright 2013 MicheleS)
UNTUCKED
Yowsa
Soriano smiles even less than Zimmermann.
Off to bed. See you at the park tomorrow!
LOL at those dudes standing up all tucked behind home plate. I guess they must have untucked. I know I did. Too bad we're not the Padres. Then there could be a Friar Tuck mascot. :-)
Oh, dear. I think I may owe another beverage.
Candide said...
Guys in the Lexus front row are ready to untuck.
April 10, 2013 9:56 PM
Post a Comment