Friday, August 12, 2005
Nationals lose 6-3 in the last game of the series and lose this all-important series
Drese continues to be the weakest Nationals pitcher, lasting just 5 1/3 innings last night (9 H 5 ER 3 BB 2 SO 96 pitches 58 strikes; ok, the ESPN box score seems to be wrong again, how did Drese give up 6 total runs, 5 earned, if he only pitched 5 1/3 innings, and the Astros only scored 1 run in that stretch, at least according to the top of the box score? How or why are the runs in the 8th inning counted against Drese?). His record falls to 3-6, and his ERA rises to 4.69.
The Astros jumped out to an early lead in the bottom of the first inning, scoring 1 run, but that was it for the Astros scoring until the bottom of the 8th when they retook the lead and added 5 more runs. The Nationals finally scored their first run in the top of the seventh, tying the game, and added another run in that inning to lead briefly. They added one more run in the top of the ninth to cut the lead in half, but that was all.
Wilson and Guillen hit home-runs (Wilson's 19th, and Guillen's 20th), and Vidro and Castilla hit doubles. Wilson's homer came in the seventh with two out and one on-base. Guillen hit his homer in the top of the ninth with no-one on.
A website with a great collection of news stories is this website here (Nationals Pride). A link to the Washington Post/Times, WTOP.com and Nationals.com stories are collected on the website.
Adding to those stories/website links: Here is ESPN.com's recap/box score, SI.com's recap/"Astros Build NL Wild Card Lead to 2," a much better blog entry in reaction to the game titled "Driftin' too far from shore" (Nationals Inquirer; pointing out that Cepicky cleared waivers and returned to New Orleans and that Watson seems to have trouble with lefties (as Basil put it: "It took one game for Frank Robinson to determine that Brandon Watson, he of the winning smile, is out of his depth against the lefties"), would seem to be something that I should have included, eh?), all about Ryan Church in John IV's recent entry titled "Sacred Cow."
NL East:
The Nationals are now tied for third (with Florida) and 6.5 games behind the Braves (and 0.5 games behind the Phillies).
Wild Card:
Astros 62 52
Phillies 60 55 2.5 games back
Marlins 59 55 3 games back
Nationals 59 55 3 games back
Mets 58 56 4 games back
Brewers 56 59 6.5 games back
The team now is 59-55, and travels to Colorado (44-71) for a three game series (don't forget that Sunny Kim and Zach Day are now with the Rockies).
Tonight:
Esteban Loaiza (6-8, 3.63) vs. Jamey Wright (6-12, 5.85)
ESPN Stat pack. Nationals.com preview.
Saturday:
Tony Armas (6-5, 4.64) vs. Byung-Hyun Kim (3-8, 5.05)
Sunday:
John Patterson (6-3, 2.52) vs. Jose Acevedo (2-2, 5.85)
The Astros jumped out to an early lead in the bottom of the first inning, scoring 1 run, but that was it for the Astros scoring until the bottom of the 8th when they retook the lead and added 5 more runs. The Nationals finally scored their first run in the top of the seventh, tying the game, and added another run in that inning to lead briefly. They added one more run in the top of the ninth to cut the lead in half, but that was all.
Wilson and Guillen hit home-runs (Wilson's 19th, and Guillen's 20th), and Vidro and Castilla hit doubles. Wilson's homer came in the seventh with two out and one on-base. Guillen hit his homer in the top of the ninth with no-one on.
A website with a great collection of news stories is this website here (Nationals Pride). A link to the Washington Post/Times, WTOP.com and Nationals.com stories are collected on the website.
Adding to those stories/website links: Here is ESPN.com's recap/box score, SI.com's recap/"Astros Build NL Wild Card Lead to 2," a much better blog entry in reaction to the game titled "Driftin' too far from shore" (Nationals Inquirer; pointing out that Cepicky cleared waivers and returned to New Orleans and that Watson seems to have trouble with lefties (as Basil put it: "It took one game for Frank Robinson to determine that Brandon Watson, he of the winning smile, is out of his depth against the lefties"), would seem to be something that I should have included, eh?), all about Ryan Church in John IV's recent entry titled "Sacred Cow."
NL East:
The Nationals are now tied for third (with Florida) and 6.5 games behind the Braves (and 0.5 games behind the Phillies).
Wild Card:
Astros 62 52
Phillies 60 55 2.5 games back
Marlins 59 55 3 games back
Nationals 59 55 3 games back
Mets 58 56 4 games back
Brewers 56 59 6.5 games back
The team now is 59-55, and travels to Colorado (44-71) for a three game series (don't forget that Sunny Kim and Zach Day are now with the Rockies).
Tonight:
Esteban Loaiza (6-8, 3.63) vs. Jamey Wright (6-12, 5.85)
ESPN Stat pack. Nationals.com preview.
Saturday:
Tony Armas (6-5, 4.64) vs. Byung-Hyun Kim (3-8, 5.05)
Sunday:
John Patterson (6-3, 2.52) vs. Jose Acevedo (2-2, 5.85)
