Well that was the fastest baseball game I’ve seen in a while. It should make the MLB happy. Jason Bergmann faced another ace tonight in Brandon Webb, and sorta held his own. Webb ended up pitching his 14th complete game, and the D-backs won 4-0. Bergmann pitched a complete game also, the Nats first since August 2006. Jason made a couple of mistakes, mostly leaving pitches up in the zone that resulted in four solo shot home runs. Two of those homers went to Mark Reynolds. Unfortunately for Bergmann those four mistakes were magnified because the Nats offense was silent once again thanks to Webb’s pitching. Jason pitched very well though, his control was great and he didn’t walk anyone. He should be pleased with his outing. Hopefully his last couple great starts are enough to prove he should be on the starting rotation for good.

The Nats had a couple of chances to score some runs tonight, however all of their big hits came with two outs on the board, and no one could come through with clutch hits. Maybe that’s because the teams current best clutch hitter, Jesus Flores was on the bench tonight, recovering from the headaches and nausea he felt after last nights game. Hopefully Flores sitting tonight was just a precaution and he’ll be back and ready to go tomorrow. Speaking of injuries, Zimmerman took BP today, but not at 100%. We are still hearing the “he might be ready tomorrow” story. So he’s been out for six games and he hurt himself on the 17th of May? He could have been put on the DL with everyone else, and freed up a roster space briefly. Still a trip to the DL for Zimmerman isn’t that unlikely is it?

Lastings Milledge had a pretty good night. He reached base three times and stole two bases. Nieves, Lopez, Langerhans, and Young also had some nice hits. Too bad no one could knock in a run or two. The Nats look to take 2 of 3 tomorrow as Shawn Hill faces Dan Haren. It’ll be interesting to see Hill’s performance after his last couple of rocky starts.

With the Nats feeling a bit of a line up shift (Lopez, Dukes and Pena were on the bench) and facing some tough pitching (Micah Owings) the first game in Arizona looked to be interesting. Ryan Zimmerman was also on the bench for the fifth game in a row, still feeling some pain in his shoulder. Aaron Boone got the start again at third base in his absence.

The Nats got off to an early lead thanks to another great at bat by Jesus Flores. His two RBI single scored both Dmitri and Milledge. That gives Jesus 16 RBI’s so far this season. He seems to be having the best at bats with runners on base. Flores continues to prove himself everyday. The catcher got knocked around a bit in the game tonight, getting hit twice in the head; he was taken out in the 8th inning after he developed a headache and some nausea. Nieves replaced him. Hopefully, it’s nothing serious and Flores feels better soon, lord knows we need his bat!

Tim Redding pitched ok even though he issued five walks and gave up a solo home run in the fourth inning. Redding actually loaded the bases twice in the fifth inning due to walks and consecutive singles, one to hot hitting pitcher Owings. Tim was able to work himself out the jam allowing only one run on a sac fly.

Milledge knocked in a sac fly in the 6th to break the 2-2 tie. Redding started the 6th but seemed to run out of gas, and was relieved by Joel Hanrahan. Hanrahan finished the inning with a double play and worked a scoreless 7th. Willie Harris nailed a three run homer in the 7th to break the tie again and give the Nats some much needed insurance.

Luis Ayala came in to pitch the 8th. He made a nice play at first base to record the first out, and then gave up a solo homer (his fourth of the year) to put the D-Backs within two. Ayala worked out of the inning nicely, striking out the next two batters.

In the 9th Willie Harris and Cristian Guzman hit consecutive singles, and Boone walked to load the bases with one out for Felipe Lopez. Thanks to his hustle, Lopez beat the play at first and Harris scored from third making the score 7-4. Jon Rauch pitched a 1-2-3 ninth and the Nats took game one of the series.

Don Sutton was back in the booth tonight, but he still didn’t sound totally healed. He also had some issues identifying which team he works for. Don called Tim Redding “Tim Hudson” through the entire broadcast. Maybe Don needs a few more days on the announcers DL to rest his voice and study the Nationals roster?

The story line is getting too repetitive:  good starting pitching, little to no offense and a late inning bullpen collapse.  Just plug in the key players and you’ve got a game.

Lannan pitched 6 innings, giving up 2 runs on 5 hits.  It wasn’t his best day, but it was another decent start.  He did issue 3 walks throughout the game and hit Kouzmanoff, who would, moments later, cross the plate to tie the game.

Saul looked fine in the 7th, his normal inning of relief.  When he came back in the 8th, things didn’t go as well.  He was saved when Ryan Langerhans leaped to make an amazing catch which robbed Kouzmanoff of a home run.  He promptly gave up two consecutive singles before being lifted for Charlie Manning. 

Manning’s fourth pitch to Gerut soared just left of the foul pole in right field - a three run shot to give the Padres a decisive lead.  Two of those runs were charged to Rivera, who was also tagged with the loss.

The bats went back to silent today.  The team managed to pull out 2 runs on only 4 hits.  Only Lopez, Boone, Milledge and Langerhans put the ball in play.  Dukes and Langerhans collected the RBIs. 

I’ll ask again - since it seems overlooked, but when can we expect Ryan Wagner (60 Day DL) to return and how long will it take him to get back to form?  We need more reliable arms in the bullpen and the top three can’t handle all the work.  We’re not going to be blowing out teams anytime soon, which means, every arm in the pen must be able to play in close games.  Whether it’s tied or we’re up or down by one or two runs, it would be nice if we had some real options rather than wearing out the two set-up men and the closer.   On that note, Cordero had a nice stint in the booth today.  We need him back too.

Oh, these West Coast games are tough…especially with tomorrow’s midnight Sex and the City premiere looming over us, but we love this right? Most days.

Anyways, Odalis Perez has pitched better than his record shows.  He hung in there tonight by pitching well to contact and recording ground outs.  Did anyone else notice Perez’s facial expressions early in the game? Especially on those fly balls hit to Milledge and Pena?  After the plays were made, Odalis looked almost angry.  Maybe he was just showing relief that Lastings and Wily Mo made the plays?  Regardless, Perez’s emotions were evident throughout the whole game on his face.  Perez’s cutter was breaking the Padres’ bats all over the place.  Odalis pitched solidly into the 7th inning, allowing the bullpen to rest a bit.  

Perez was given a big cushion to work with when catcher Jesus Flores hit his first career grand slam in the fourth inning.   Aaron Boone started the inning off with a single.  Padres starter Shawn Estes had issues finding the strike zone and walked Dmitri Young.  Then, after a wild pitch, he hit Milledge who walked to first.  With the bases loaded, Flores shot one to left centerfield to score all four.  It was an impressive at bat and further proof that Flores has been one of the team’s best clutch hitters.  At the rate Flores is going, he should be hitting even higher in the line up.

The Nats added more insurance in the 6th inning.  Lastings Milledge hit a monster solo shot, his third of the season, to left field putting the Nats up by 4.  Lastings seems to be getting more comfortable at the plate; he has been hitting well during the past week.  The boys got a little something going again in the 7th when Felipe hit a double, and Guzman followed with a shallow single. Lopez scored on a sac fly by Boone.

Things got close in the 7th with Sanchez on the mound.  He gave up a two run homer to make the score 6-4.  Elijah Dukes tried to make a long running grab on a ball, but lost it when he dove hard into the ground.  It appeared the wind got knocked out of him.  He stayed in the game though and hopefully it’s nothing serious. Ayala relieved Sanches in the 7th with one out and he finished the inning without an issue. Additionally, Ayala laid down a nice bunt and pitched a 1-2-3 8th inning. Jon Rauch pitched a scoreless 9th and the Nats won 6-4.

Overall, we probably couldn’t be more critical of Paul Lo Duca’s presence on our team. However, he’s not so bad in the booth. He seems to have a lot of insight - if only because he’s a catcher and he’s played for so long. It wasn’t as bad as I expected it to be and at least it was a fresh perspective. Surprisingly, he’s more modest than Sutton. Now, if he could just stay up there and leave Flores to develop behind the plate, I think we’d all be happy.

In other news, Humberto Cota - a catcher who signed with the Nationals last winter and stayed in spring training for only a few weeks before being released was suspended today for violating MLB’s performance drugs policy. Cota, who supposedly received the drugs from a doctor in Mexico, faces a 50 game suspension.

(AP Photo/Lenny Ignelzi)

Nats Farm Authority reports that outfielder/prospect Justin Maxwell went on the Disabled List today.  He was playing with Class AA Harrisburg.  Maxwell was hitting .233 with 35 runs scored, 28 RBIs and 13 stolen bases.  In his call-up last September, Justin hit .269 with 2 home runs in just 15 games with the Nationals. 

We speculated that with outfield troubles and an injured Austin Kearns, Maxwell might be back in Washington shortly.  Unfortunately, that definately won’t happen anytime soon.

Jerry Crasnick from ESPN is reporting that Bret Boone has retired for good. 

“When I walked away the first time, I had a lot of issues going on and I wasn’t in a good place. I came back with a clear mind and a clear head, and I know where I was as a player at this stage of my life. I’m glad I made the decision.”

Boone, a three-time All-Star and four-time Gold Glove Award winner, played for 14 seasons.  Boone first retired from the Mets in 2006, but came back this spring to play with his brother Aaron and for his father Bob Boone, Assistant GM to Jim Bowden.  Boone hit .261 in 13 International League games in April with the Columbus Clippers.  Boone cited the long bus trips for minor league teams and the difficulty of staying in shape at 39 as the primary reasons for his departure.

It was enlightening, it was educational, and I found out where I was as a player,” Boone said of his minor league stint. “I can still play. But I’m definitely not where I was five or six years ago, and it helps me mentally to know that. I’ve come to grips with it and I’m fine with it.

We wish Bret all the best.

Two Nationals continued to struggle with arm injuries yesterday while one sat out and one fought through it. Ryan Zimmerman was again on the bench as the Nats opened up a three game series with the Padres. He’s continuing to rest a sore shoulder. Zimmerman maintained that if this game was played in September in the middle of a pennant race, he would be out there. However, right now, Zim, the Nats, and I’m sure most of the fans feel it’s best to let the shoulder heal without rushing it.

Shawn Hill, on the other hand, is a different story. He’s been battling injuries and pain for years now and had decided to fight through and continue to pitch. It’s obvious that Hill is tired of being forced into a spectator role and desperately wants to contribute to helping his team succeed. Hill’s had a rough night and had trouble getting into a rhythm. Despite throwing 54 balls in five innings, Hill gave up just 2 runs. In my mind, that’s not too bad for a guy who has barely been able to practice all season. Hill left the game in a 2-2 tie, but the bullpen just couldn’t hold the Padres. After Colome’s strong sixth inning, Charlie Manning came in to pitch the seventh. Manning recorded two quick outs before allowing a home run to Gonzalez. Hanrahan was then called to the mound and gave up another solo shot. It was all the offense the Padres would need to beat the Nats 4-2.

The one thing that does make Zimmerman’s time on the bench a little easier to swallow, is Aaron Boone’s current level of play. He’s been a versatile guy for the Nats by playing both first and third base and he’s hitting relatively well. Last night, Boone hit a homer in the first inning which also scored Guzman. Unfortunately that was the only scoring we would see from the boys all night.

Tonight Odalis Perez (1-4) will go for his second win of the season against Shawn Estes (1-0).

On Saturday evening, Clippers fans watched their team pull off some magic to withstand an early set of back-to-back homers by the Buffalo Bisons.

Pitcher Collin Balester earned the win for the AAA Clippers after giving up three solo shots in five innings.  Luckily for him, the Clippers offense was firing thanks to shortstop Ray Olmedo.

Following some nifty base running in the second inning that saw Olmedo steal home after an attempt was made at Jemel Spearman stealing second, the home team put up four runs in the third inning capped by Olmedo’s 2-run ground out - a rare sight indeed.  The final score was 6-3.

The Buffalo team, rumored to be playing a lot more often in Columbus next year, allowed hits from 7 of the 9 Clipper batters.  Only Yurendell de Caster and Alex Escobar were hitless, ending a 17-game hitting streak for Escobar.

Ketchup won the hot dog race.

Here’s a nice feature story on Jack McGeary’s ability to juggle college and pro baseball.  Bob Boone and Mike Rizzo recently traveled to Stanford to watch McGeary throw a simulated game.  McGeary has a full class load and a 3.5 gpa, but also tries to keep the “same schedule of a pitcher on a five-day rotation.” 

…he did his running in the outfield, went through his stretching exercises, threw pitches against a small netted backstop he put up, then threw in the bullpen for a while, gathering the balls and putting them back in his bag as needed during a two-hour workout. No coach. No teammates. No uniform. No batters. And, often, no catcher.

The author, Jake Curtis, and Stanford’s baseball coach, Mark Marquess question whether Jim Bowden’s experiment will work but McGeary certainly seems disciplined and dedicated.

Oh, and in case you’re curious — his freshman class schedule:
Exploring the Death Penalty
American Literature and Culture to 1855
Management of Sustainable Building Projects
Epic Journeys, Modern Quests
Sports Nutrition
History of Medicine
Anthropology of Medicine

It was a holiday.  It was an extra inning affair.  It was time for a pinch hitter with a flair for dramatic late-inning holiday heroics.  Or so we hoped.  Instead, Wil Nieves came to the plate and quickly recorded the second out in a quick 1-2-3 inning for Saloman Torres which finished the game.  Zimmerman was unavailable due to a lingering shoulder injury, an injury sustained in Baltimore last weekend after a slide into second base.  Watching a Memorial Day loss without Zim in the line-up was hard, but knowing that this shoulder problem could become something worse has everyone concerned.   First revealed by Paul Lo Duca, it seemed as though the shoulder was just sore.  Yesterday, however, Ryan wasn’t sure when he’d be ready to play again.  With so many of our guys on the DL, this injury is alarming. 

As for the game, Jason Bergmann tossed 5.2 innings of scoreless ball with 4 hits, one walk and 8 strike-outs.  Bergmann extends his scoreless streak to 19 2/3 innings since returning from AAA.  Unfortunately for him, the bullpen surrendured 4 runs over the final innings.  Everybody struggled to get runners out.  Manning, Sanches, Hanrahan and Rivera all gave up one run each.  We gave the Brewers lots of free opportunities over the course of the whole game (1 passed ball, 1 wild pitch, 5 walks, 3 stolen bases and an error).  All in all, we’re lucky it wasn’t worse. 

The Nats got on the board early with a solo shot by Cristian Guzman in the first.  Elijah Dukes and Jesus Flores padded the score with consecutive doubles in the 2nd. 

After leading for most of the game, the bullpen faltered in the ugly 7th inning.  The Nats surrendered a wild pitch and a stolen base.  They used three pitchers and Dmitri Young had a costly error.   In the top of the eighth, Hanrahan walked Cameron and quickly paid for it when Prince Fielder hit the sacrifice fly that put the Brewers on top.

Dmitri Young answered back in the bottom of the inning with a home run to centerfield which deflected off the centerfield wall and rolled back onto the field.  Young chugged along the bases as fast as a big guy like that could possibly go and arrived at third safely before Manny Acta came out to question the umpires.  After a few minutes of discussion, they ruled it a home run and D trotted home to tie the game.  Manny again came out to argue in the 11th inning when second base umpire Paul Emmel called Gabe Kapler safe at 2nd on a steal attempt.  Lopez was visibly angry with the call, as were almost all of the fans still in attendance.  It was Kapler’s single just moments before which put the Brewers up.  Rivera prevented further damage, but nobody could hit off Torres to mount a comeback rally in the bottom of the inning and the Nats fell 4-3 with no walk-off home run in extra innings by the face of the franchise.

We sat by the bullpen yesterday and loved the view.  Despite missing the scoreboard and having no tvs there, it’s a great view of the park and the bullpen and the shade was a welcome treat during a hot day game.  Here’s the photos.