Dukes seems to have really turned the corner on that sub-.200 batting average. Last night’s show of defense, offense, speed, clutch hitting and good baseball instincts was a treat to watch. Dukes went 5 for 6 with an assist, a stolen base, a double, a home run and a walk off RBI single in the 14th inning.
I think Saul Rivera was also a key component of this win, though I know relievers garner attention only when they fail. Rivera came off some recent shaky outings with three scoreless frames. He was personally involved in 4 of the 9 outs — 3 by hustling to first base. Saul Rivera too had a fantastic night, one that shouldn’t go unnoticed.
While Redding had a good night (6 innings, 3 runs, 2 walks, 5 strike outs), just look at what happened when he left the game. The combination of Manning, Ayala, Rauch, Rivera and Hanrahan together gave up one hit and one walk. Together, they put up eight zeroes and had a great night.
The bullpen and the early clutch hitting by Jesus Flores (3 for 6, 2 RBI) laid the groundwork for the win. But Dukes was quite clearly the star.
A quick note on the bad stuff. Guzman went 0 for 7. Kory Casto went 0 for 6 with 4 strike outs, but somehow managed to avoid the bus to Ohio. Langerhans was sent down to make room for Garret Mock.
We had the pleasure of taking in the game from Coach’s territory last night, and we noticed a few things. I don’t know what it looked like on tv or what Don Sutton had to say about it, but fans at Nationals Park really grew tired with home plate umpire Ed Rapuano early in the game. The only gift appeared to be - well, putting the winning run on base in the 14th inning. Felipe sure didn’t seem to know he got hit by Wright’s pitch, but the gift certainly made up for his questionable calls throughout the game.
Additionally, fans near the dugout do not like Paul Lo Duca. He only made one plate appearance, a pinch hit walk, but during that at-bat, fans really let him have it. Some suggested alternative careers. Some yelled about wasting 5 million dollars. Some had more creative ways to taunt him. But, the sentiment was clear.
The Nationals also put together a moving tribute to Tim Russert early in the game. Many stood and clapped. The video tribute combined parts of a speech he gave when baseball first returned to DC. It concluded with a message that read “You will always be our 10th man.” After the tribute, fans were encouraged to wave their hats in memory of Tim. It was a brief moment, but a fitting celebration for someone who really did love the game. It was nice that the team managed a win for Tim too, even if it came some 10 innings later.
Free baseball on a beautiful night with a win. What’s not to love.
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June 21st, 2008 at 4:11 pm
>>Guzman went 0 for 7. Kory Casto went 0 for 6 with 4 strike outs, but somehow managed to avoid the bus to Ohio
Whatever, the whole Nats lineup suffered a fantastic drop in batting average that night. Casto’s bat wasn’t as impressive as last weeks but his defense was picture perfect, something the Nats need (Ahem, Lopez). The guy can make CRUCIAL plays at first and third. I’m tired of watching the ball get past this defense for extra bases and run op’s. I hope Washington doesn’t resort to initiating split second send downs on a night of terrible offense by 90% of the team.