Game three in Cincinnati didn’t bring much offense for the Nats yet again. The Nats didn’t score until Tim Redding - of all people - hit a single in the second to plate Kearns. The game would stay at 1-0 until the fifth thanks to solid pitching from Redding. The Reds eventually tied the game after singles by Hariston and Griffey and a sac fly by Phillips.
The injury curse hit the Nats yet again in the 7th inning when Elijah Dukes hit the left field wall while tracking a fly ball. He made the catch, but it looked like he planted his legs weird and in the process hurt his knee. Dukes crumpled to the ground and really looked to be in pain. Manny and the trainers immediately ran onto the field and called for the cart to take Dukes off. Things looked pretty grim. MASN showed JimBo and he looked pretty upset with the injury…maybe because his experiment was falling apart right before his eyes? News on Dukes came a bit later in the game, and it wasn’t good, he strained his patella. This is certainly another crippling blow to an already defeated team. Dukes was having a great run and was one of the only guys generating any sort of offense.
After getting just one run in the first eight innings, the Nats were able to mount a bit of a rally in the 9th when Dmitri Young took a lead off walk thanks to Reds closer Cordero. Kearns followed with a base hit to center, and Jesus Flores had a great at bat and hit a deep fly ball to center to earn a sac fly and tie the game.
Hanrahan came back out to pitch the bottom of the 9th and immediately gave up a base hit, Hariston then stole second, Flores didn’t have a chance to make the throw. They intentionally walked Griffey to put runners on first and second with one out. Luis Ayala came in to face Phillips, who hit a walk off single. The Reds won 3-2.
The Nats look to avoid the sweep tomorrow when the rookie Colin Balester faces Edinson Volquez at 1:35.
Entries (RSS)
July 5th, 2008 at 10:59 pm
Ayala is not good.
July 6th, 2008 at 10:18 am
He has been in the past. He’s overworked for sure.
July 6th, 2008 at 8:26 pm
Keep Redding, Balester and Rauch among the pitchers. Keep Kid Flores, Zimm, Milledge, Dukes and Goozie among the position players. Blow up the rest of the team and start from scratch. If this were an expansion club, they’d be cute, losing 110 games. As an established major league franchise, it’s an utter embarrassment. How do Bowden and Acta sleep at night, fielding this Double-A team?
July 7th, 2008 at 8:46 am
When is Jimbo getting the boot!? I think his leash has been entirely too long in the past year and someone needs to keep him from talking to the media. He sounds like an idiot and someone who just doesn’t get it. The fans aren’t going to stand for the “next year will be better.” It was fine for the first two years, but wasn’t this supposed to be “the year”? The Lerners need to give this team to Stan and stop Jimbo from getting the way. We all know Stan knows how to put together a winning franchise and we’ve seen it with dominance Atlanta had when Stan was there. Poor Manny is stuck simply doing the best he can with what he’s got…which is hardly anything.