On a sticky, humid Thursday night…

Hanrahan looked alright - but couldn’t make it past the 5th. He struck out eight but he walked five and throughout the game, he seemed to be throwing as many balls as strikes. He came out after the 5th, having given up only 4 hits and 2 runs including a two run HR by Ruiz.

Schroder gave up another run and 2 hits. He was relieved by Bascik who got us out of the 7th. In the 8th, Rivera gave up 2 hits and another run - but struck out two. We love Rivera, but he deserves a day off. Big Jon Rauch pitched the ninth, giving up just a hit.

We struggled with offense throughout the whole game. Belliard and Kearns had doubles, but Hamels managed to strike out 6. In the 8th, Ronnie Belliard and Dmitri both went deep to bring the Nats within 2. Poor Reliever Tom Gordon was boo-ed by the mean Phillies fans. A double-play and Austin’s injury ended our hopes in the 8th. Oh yes, and then there was Robert Fick in the 9th. We actually heard a little girl asking her Dad if we could trade Fick on the way out.

In other news…

Ryan Zimmerman’s weekly column is all about chasing the Marlins to the 4th spot in the NL East.

Jack McGeary was interviewed by Bob and Don last night. I didn’t realize his parents were from western PA and attended a college in my backyard — St. Francis University. He grew up liking the Pirates and idolizing Roberto Clemente.

Jim Bowden’s column in the Examiner about signing McGeary is also pretty classic Bowden and a fun read. Jack is still going to attend Stanford but also play for the Nationals.

The Nationals have now signed each of their first 20 selections from the 2007 Draft.

It’s finally out there — Nick Johnson will not play this season. He’s having surgery again - this time for his hip.

Jesus Colome should be back up in the bullpen by September.

We recently had the opportunity to talk to Brian over at Phillies Nation about our division rivals in Philadelphia. We also answered a few questions about the Nationals for Phillies fans. Check it out!

What grade would you give the Phillies in terms of their actions around the trade deadline?

D. Although Kyle Lohse was an ok pickup, the Phils are in desperate need of relievers. I would have liked to see them pursue Eric Gagne.

Do you think there are any holes in the roster that you would like to see filled?

Relief pitching definitely. Add a few more arms to the bullpen, including a legitimate closer will allow Brett Myers to return to the rotation and bolster that area. Hamels, Myers, and Moyer will return, but the fate of Kyle Kendrick, Adam Eaton, Kyle Lohse are still up in the air. Offensively the Phils are set, though it would be nice to have an everyday third-baseman that can hit 10-20 homeruns.

Looking ahead to the offseason, what deals do you anticipate the Phillies making?

I think there might be a trade or two involving one of their youngsters, perhaps Michael Bourn. It depends on if they can resign Aaron Rowand who has been playing every bit like he’s in a contract year. Also not many people realize, that manager Charlie Manuel’s contract is up at the end of the season. A lot of fans dislike him, but players have always responded to him.

What impact has Utley’s absence had on the team heading into the most important stretch of the season?

Surprisingly it has not been as bad as everyone thought. Tad Iguchi has been contributing offensively while adequately manning second base. The Phils have so many offensive weapons - Rollins, Howard, Rowand, and even Burrell - that subtracting Utley and his .336 average from the lineup hasn’t been a total disaster. However, Utley is one of those intangible players that brings something extra to the ballclub. As we approach September his leadership could be missed significantly.

What has been your favorite Phillies moment of the 2007 season?

I think it has to be when Shane Victorino provided the game-winning home run in extra-inning on Shane Victorino day. The Phils were giving away bobble-hip figurines of the Hawaiian-born Victorino and there were all sorts of festivities. As Harry Kalas said, “You couldn’t have scripted it any better.”

Who is your favorite player and why?

Cole Hamles. When kids go to bed they wear Superman pajamas; when Superman goes to bed he wears a Cole Hamels jersey.

What is your favorite Phillies moment of all-time?

The 1993 season was one I will never forget. The Phils don’t make the playoffs very often but when they do, it’s an amazing experience to be in Philly. The team had so many fun players that people could relate to like Kruk, Dykstra, Daulton, and Mitch Williams. Even though it ended in the most horrible of outcomes courtesy of Joe Carter, following them over that fun season was well worth it.

Which game do you prefer…AL or NL?

NL. I’m not a fan of the DH.

What are your thoughts on interleague play? Do you think the Phillies had a fair schedule?

They definitely had a fair schedule…well at least in that they finally produced a winning record in interleague play. I was kind of bummed we didn’t play the Red Sox this year though, that had started to become a fun tradition.

Would you like to see more interleague play in the second half of the season?

Nah, I like that the teams play a lot of divisional games toward the end of the season. Those are high-stakes and make for some quality baseball watching in August and September.

The Phillies are just 3 games behind the Mets and a half a game ahead of the Braves - what are your predictions for the rest of the season? How do you think the Phillies will finish?

2 games behind the Mets, but they will win the Wild Card

Lucky number 7 The boys took to the field last night and were ready to rebound from a tough loss on Tuesday night to the Phillies. Tim Redding headed to the mound after a solid warm-up and struck out 7 batters en route to his second win of the season. Coincidentally, Shawn Hill also struck out 7 Phillies on Tuesday night. Redding was apparently eager to get his second win because he took matters into is own hands at the plate. He hit a double into deep left during the second inning that drove in Ryan Church and Austin Kearns. It was Redding’s first RBI in nearly four years. Ryan Zimmerman was able to score in the bottom of the 6th after Kearns hit into a double play.Ryan Church scored the 4th and final Nationals run of the evening when he sent a ball flying into the upper deck over the Nats bullpen for a solo home run. Church, who has been criticized on and off throughout the season has certainly been producing recently. He is currently ranked 5th in the NL for doubles and has recently come up with a couple of big home runs in the past few days.The Nats ran into some trouble in the top of the 7th when the defense was unable to field what could have been a double play. Rivera came out to take over for Redding but had a rough night by allowing one hit and walking a batter. Ray King came out and recorded 2 outs before Luis Ayala, whom I nicknamed Lights Out Luis for his amazing performances of late, got the last out. Ayala came back out in the 8th and looked like the great set-up man he was in 2005 by breezing through the 8th inning. Chief came in and got the save! Last night we sat in Section 301 and enjoyed some lively discussions about the furture of the Nationals with several very enthusiastic Nats fans. One thing that we all seemed to agree on is that the Nats certainly have developed a great farm system that will likely carry them far in the future. We have sat near them a couple of times in that section and it’s always a great time with good discussions and a lot of cheering for the Nats!! Noteworthy Nats News: …The Nationals signed their sixth round draft pick, left hander Jack McGeary. …Teddy is one loss away from a 0-100 all-time record in the President’s Race. Maybe George, Tom and Abe can ban together and allow Teddy just one victory in RFK. I personally hope that the President’s Race continues in the new ballpark, the middle of the fourth wouldn’t be the same without it. 

After a long away series and a trip across the country, I was happy to head back to RFK last night. We were excited to see Shawn Hill back in action, and were hopeful for another solid performance. I am happy to report that we were not disappointed. Hill pitched 6 shut out innings. In fact the only hit he gave up was a single to left/center which should have been caught, chalk that one up to another miscommunication between Nook Logan and Ryan Church. Hill threw 79 pitches and struck out 7 batters - fantastic work - we are very happy to have him back in the rotation!

Hill was replaced by Ayala in the 7th who promptly struck out the first three batters he faced, a great 1-2-3 inning! The Nationals took the lead in the bottom of the inning, when Tony Batista pinch-hit a two run double. We also witnessed some exciting defensive plays, including another rundown between second and third, in which Zimmerman tagged the runner for the out. Schneider also had a great throw to second for another caught stealing.

Things started to fall apart in the 8th inning. Ayala was replaced by Rauch on the mound. Zimmerman stopped a ground ball, but the throw to first was wide and the runner advanced to second. Ryan was given his 18th error of the season. When facing his next two batters, Rauch allowed a single, making the game 2-1, then a go-ahead two run homer to make the score 3-2. It was disappointing when these guys had worked so hard for 7 solid innings, to see it all go to waste with a bad pitch.

We were hopeful for a rally in the 9th- at least a tie - as our games with Philly always seem to head into extra innings. Ray King came in to face one batter and was replaced by Rivera (who I think pitches almost everyday!). Rivera struck out the next two batters also. The Nationals tried to start a rally in the 9th but both Langerhans and Logan struck out. It was a sad ending to such a stellar performance from Shawn Hill. Shake it off boys, and lets take the next two against Philly!

Because we missed a few things over the past couple days…

Sunday’s game was phenomenal. It is always great to see the guys rally back - but twice. It was classic. If you didn’t see it, make sure to watch the clip of an ecstatic Flores running around the bases to tie the game. A Robert Fick TRIPLE helped us out in a big way. Rauch got the win even though he struggled and gave up the lead in the top of the 8th. Cordero got the save.

Shawn Hill is back tonight and ready to take on the Phillies. We hope he’s ready. We’re so glad he’s back.

Traber moved down to Columbus and Bascik was sent to the bullpen.

Capitol Punishment has the scoop on the Nats signing Josh Smoker today. Another piece of great news as we head into this important homestand.

Check back tomorrow for a Q&A with Phillies Nation.

In an attempt to escape the heat in DC and to visit the parentals, I headed to Seattle for a week. I was anxious about missing the Nationals take on the Giants. Fortunately for me, but unfortunately for the Nats I made it to my parent’s house just in time to see Barry hit his #756. I was happy I got to witness such a historic baseball moment!

I was hoping to take in a Mariners game during my visit, but we seemed to have crossed paths in the air as they were in Baltimore taking on the Orioles earlier this week. I did make the trek into the city to check out Safeco Field. At least I can say I have been there! It’s a beautiful park and seeing it only added to my excitement for our new park.

In 1997 Ken Griffey Jr. officially helped break ground for the new stadium, it was completed in July 1999. The stadium holds 47,116 and has a one of a kind retractable roof designed to cover but not enclose the stadium, helpful with the rainy weather in Seattle. Safeco also features one of the most comprehensive scoreboards in the MLB. The Mariners team store was also huge, two stories and filled with everything you can possibly imagine. I bet our new stadium will be just as great. I took a few pictures and wanted to share them. Can’t wait to see you all back at RFK on Tuesday!

With the help of Hanrahan and Lopez, the Nats managed to secure the split against the Giants and leave San Francisco, Barry Bonds and all the buzz to return to normal baseball.

Hanrahan pitched well and was backed up by oustanding defense. He lasted 5 1/3 innings, gave up one run on seven hits and picked up his second Major League victory. And — he can hit. In his MLB debut, Hanrahan hit a triple at Shea. At home in RFK, he hit a double. At AT&T Park, he hit another double. Hanrahan is 3-6 at the plate. He was relieved with great performances by King, Rivera, Ayala and Cordero. Rauch struggled in the 8th but managed to work his way out of it — partly because Flores caught Feliz stealing second. Out of nowhere, Felipe Lopez seems to be riding a hot streak — blasting a homerun to left field to put the Nats on top. Lopez and Flores shared an exciting defensive play catching Roberts stealing home. Logan is starting to look more comfortable too — perhaps a result of his conversation with Jim Bowden, according to Bill Ladson.

Other Stuff to think about:

Bergmann and Hill are close to returning, but the starting five (3 rookies and 2 minor league free agents) have been doing quite well. Thoughts on who will get sent down?

In other MLB news — Looks like things got pretty interesting for Clemens and the Yankees this week.

The Potomac Nationals game was rained out — so Detwiler makes his debut tonight.

The Nationals are still tied with the Marlins with a 53-62 record.

Ryan Zimmerman’s weekly column (which I can’t seem to find online at the moment, but will link if it shows up) says that watching Bonds hit is HR was an electrifying experience that he’ll never forget. He said the starting 9 had to sign a ball that will go to Cooperstown and he was pretty honored by that. He saved a game ticket. One of the Nats players filmed the game from the dug-out. Ryan didn’t talk to Bonds as he rounded third and he was pleased to see Willie Mays come down onto the field.

A Look Ahead:

Tonight, Matt Chico takes the mound to face Livan Hernandez of the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Midnight Tuesday/Wednesday after Barry Bonds’ record-setting HR …

We witnessed history in SF tonight, but the night became perfect for me when the Nats came back and won the game, so everyone went home happy. The team bus was pretty full from the ballpark back to the hotel and the mood was lively. Tim Tolman asked me what my HR call was, and he was concerned I would give an opposing player a “See … you .. later!” call. I told him no way would I give Bonds, or any opponent, my signature call.

As Nook Logan caught the last out, I said on MASN, “The Giants got their home run, but the Nats got their win.” As an announcer, I always hope for the right words to say at the right time, and I hope tonight was OK. The atmosphere at AT&T Park was electric, and it reminded me of the night in ‘98 when Mark McGwire hit record-setting #62 against Steve Trachsel and the Cubs. I wasn’t working that night, having called numbers 60 and 61 the day before. But Busch Stadium exploded when Mark hit #62 and it was the same as Bonds launched #756 off Mike Bacsik.

I saw Mike in the clubhouse after the game and he was all smiles, pleased to be part of history. He was actually being interviewed live by Debbie Taylor when Felipe Lopez hit the double that got him off the hook and put the Nats ahead in the 8th. I told Mike that I didn’t want him to give up the big HR, but once he did, the Nats couldn’t have picked a better spokesman to represent the club. I told Mike that America would be in love with him by this time tomorrow; he smiled that smile of his. He’s a great guy and it’s been a pleasure to get to know him this season.

As far as the game and the home run, here was my call: “Three-two pitch to Bonds … there it goes! This ball is history!” and then I shut up and let our pictures tell the story. It’s the beauty of TV; you can make a quick call and then let the pictures take over. Don Sutton and I sat quietly as we watched the stadium erupt in noise, fireworks and streamers, quite a sight. The video on the scoreboard from Hank Aaron was powerful, and I followed up with the comment that, for many baseball fans, Aaron would always be the home run king.

I got to see Aaron play when I was a kid, and I thought along with Willie Mays and Roberto Clemente, they were the 3 most exciting players I ever saw. Stan Musial was great in my native St. Louis, but those 3 were electrifying.

I hope Nats fans enjoyed my home run call, but I hope they enjoyed us winning the game more. That made the night perfect for me; we got to see history but we won the game, my Oklahoma buddy Chris Schroder got his first major league win, and we tied the Marlins for 4th place. I wish all of you Nats fans could have been there with us!

Bob Carpenter
Nationals TV Announcer
August 8, 2007

Bonds hit his 756 homerun against Nationals starter Mike Bascik tonight.

Check out Like Father, Like Son — an ironic AP Story about Bascik’s father and Hank Aaron.

….more to follow…

No history…yet.

The Nats managed to keep Bonds quiet throughout the late-night game on Monday evening. Lannan threw to Bonds — getting a foul out, a GIDP, a strike out and one walk.

Lannan had a great outing despite all the pressure and media attention.

It was frustrating, however, to watch this:

It also helped that Acta showed confidence in the left-hander starting in the sixth inning. With the score tied at 1, the Nationals had a golden opportunity to break the game wide open off starter Tim Lincecum. Washington had the bases loaded and two outs. Acta allowed Lannan to bat in the inning and the left-hander promptly struck out.

Yes, he pitched a great 7th and we were able to preserve the bullpen — a bullpen we would not have needed to pitch through extra innings with a 2 or 3 run lead entering the 7th.

Dmitri’s homerun in the 10th put the Nats in the lead, only to have Chad Cordero give up a run in the bottom of the inning to tie the game.

King loaded the bases in the 11th with no outs for Luis Ayala. Dave Roberts scored on Winn’s single — game over…late, late, late for us DC fans.