Friday, July 28, 2006
Nationals win sixth straight, Soriano not yet traded (nor anyone else, like Hernandez), plus tips on taking photos through nets/fencing
Livan Hernandez wins his 8th victory in 2006 and is now 8-8, and Cordero picks up his 17th save in Thursday’s day game. Since June 5th, Hernandez’s ERA has risen from 5.16 (a low of 5.06) to his present era of 5.70 (a high of 5.94). He is currently giving up almost six runs a game. In the last three games, though, he has only giving up 3 runs a game, and lasted at least 6 innings (and 7 innings on Thursday). Of course the start before that he gave up 7 earned runs in 1.2 innings of work. On the other hand, he has now won three straight decisions (and the team has won all six of the games he pitched in that time period). The point? Hernandez might be traded, team’s are looking for pitchers, and these are Hernandez current stats.
Right, the actual game on Thursday (see photo set of the game by MissChatter):
Soriano lead off with his 32nd home-run of the year, and Zimmerman added his 13th home-run of the year in the third inning. Hernandez was given an early lead and he held it until the third inning when he gave up a third inning lead off home-run to catcher Eliezer Alfonzo (8th home-run of the year). The Nationals responded immediately with Zimmerman’s 2 run home-run in the bottom of the third, pushing the Nationals back into a 3-1 lead. Unfortunately, the Giants immediately responded in the 4th when Alfonzo sac flied, driving in Sweeney, and Vizcaino singled to drive in Durham to tie the game 3-3. The game was tied until the seventh inning, when the Nationals finally jumped ahead for good. Fick walked to lead off the seventh inning, Hernandez bunted, and was out. Soriano then walked. Lopez grounded out, then Zimmerman walked. 2 out, bases loaded. Sanchez then relieved starting pitcher Matt Cain. First batter Sanchez faced: Johnson. Johnson hits a double to right field, driving in Fick and Soriano and moving Zimmerman to third. Chulk then replaced Sanchez and immediately gave up a single to Kearns. Soriano and Johnson score. Game over? Score 6-3? Not quite.
Micah Bowie replaces Hernandez for the 8th inning and faces just three batters, all of whom Bowie gets out. Cordero relieved Bowie for the 9th inning. Score 6-3 Nationals. Sweeney leads off the 9th with a ground out. Durham then singles. Feiliz up and out. 2 outs, 1 runner on, 1 runner at the plate. Worst that could happen at this point and the Nationals still would be ahead. The worst happens and Alfonzo hits his second home-run of the game (and 9th overall), driving himself and Durham. Score now: 6-5 Nationals. Todd Greene up (I believe Greene came into the game in the to play 1B, Hillenbrand moved from 1B to 3B, and Feliz moved from 3B to SS, Vizcaino out; not sure when this occurred though). Greene strikes out, Nationals win 6th straight, Hernandez wins his 8th game, Cordero his 17th save, Bowie his third hold, and the Nationals are now only 10 games under .500.
Tonight: LA; and future
Tonight the team starts a three game series against the LA Dodgers (47-55), and then will face the Giants again, this time in San Francisco for three games before an off day on Thursday (8/3/06; then San Diego for 3, then an off-day, then 10 games at home against NL East division opponents). So do the Nationals have it in them to win 9 games in a row on the road? Pulling within one game of .500 before facing their NL East opponents for the rest of August (13 games at home, 9 games on the road)?
Right, first the Nationals have to try to win tonight before we jump too far ahead.
Tonight Tony Armas (7-5, 4.35) faces RHP Chad Billingsley (1-3, 4.26).
Armas is 2-1, 3.71 against the Dodgers and is 1-1, 3.75 for July. Armas is actually better on the road so far this season. 5-4, with an era of 3.53 in 9 games started vs 2-1 with an era of 5.40 at home in 8 games started.
Billingsley is a rookie who has pitched 8 total games in the majors (1-3, 4.26 ERA). Billingsley routinely lasts just 5 innings, though his first win came in a game where he pitched 7 innings.
Saturday: July 29, 2006
LHP Michael O’Connor (3-6, 4.59) vs. RHP Derek Lowe (7-7, 4.18)
O’Connor’s first start against the Dodgers, and Lowe is currently having some pitching problems (ERA moved from 3.49 to 4.18 over 1 month; see probable pitchers page).
Sunday: July 30, 2006
RHP Ramon Ortiz (7-9, 4.87) vs. LHP Mark Hendrickson (4-12, 4.10)
Ortiz: 7 innings of work in first start against the Dodgers on May 28 (this year), gave up 3 runs. Nationals won.
Hendrickson has pitched just 5 games with the Dodgers as of 7/28/06; yet to win a game with them; era of 4.97 with them.
Monday: July 31, 2006
RHP Pedro Astacio (1-1, 5.06) vs. LHP Noah Lowry (5-6, 4.16)
Both Astacio and Lowry last pitched against each other in their last starts. Astacio lasted 6.1 innings and gave up 2 ER (3 total), and Lowry pitched 6 innings and gave up 2 unearned runs.
Trade deadline day. All of the above pitching match-ups are just “probable.”
A trick to take pictures through a net (like behind home-plate at RFK) or fence-like obstruction:
You want to take a picture of the batter (or runner, or whatever that is viewable through the net). If you point, focus on the batter, and take a picture, the camera is likely to focus on the net (even if the little focus box is around the batter, it is probably focused on the net around the batter, not the batter). So what do you do?
1) Focus on something outside the net, preferably on the field (third baseman is not blocked by the net).
2) Lock in your focus (on my camera, that means that the box is now green).
3) Move your camera back to the net area and take a picture of the batter. (probably better to focus on something the same distance as the batter and same lighting conditions of the batter; but focusing on the third baseman will give you good results).
Hopefully these notes are helpful.
Right, the actual game on Thursday (see photo set of the game by MissChatter):
Soriano lead off with his 32nd home-run of the year, and Zimmerman added his 13th home-run of the year in the third inning. Hernandez was given an early lead and he held it until the third inning when he gave up a third inning lead off home-run to catcher Eliezer Alfonzo (8th home-run of the year). The Nationals responded immediately with Zimmerman’s 2 run home-run in the bottom of the third, pushing the Nationals back into a 3-1 lead. Unfortunately, the Giants immediately responded in the 4th when Alfonzo sac flied, driving in Sweeney, and Vizcaino singled to drive in Durham to tie the game 3-3. The game was tied until the seventh inning, when the Nationals finally jumped ahead for good. Fick walked to lead off the seventh inning, Hernandez bunted, and was out. Soriano then walked. Lopez grounded out, then Zimmerman walked. 2 out, bases loaded. Sanchez then relieved starting pitcher Matt Cain. First batter Sanchez faced: Johnson. Johnson hits a double to right field, driving in Fick and Soriano and moving Zimmerman to third. Chulk then replaced Sanchez and immediately gave up a single to Kearns. Soriano and Johnson score. Game over? Score 6-3? Not quite.
Micah Bowie replaces Hernandez for the 8th inning and faces just three batters, all of whom Bowie gets out. Cordero relieved Bowie for the 9th inning. Score 6-3 Nationals. Sweeney leads off the 9th with a ground out. Durham then singles. Feiliz up and out. 2 outs, 1 runner on, 1 runner at the plate. Worst that could happen at this point and the Nationals still would be ahead. The worst happens and Alfonzo hits his second home-run of the game (and 9th overall), driving himself and Durham. Score now: 6-5 Nationals. Todd Greene up (I believe Greene came into the game in the to play 1B, Hillenbrand moved from 1B to 3B, and Feliz moved from 3B to SS, Vizcaino out; not sure when this occurred though). Greene strikes out, Nationals win 6th straight, Hernandez wins his 8th game, Cordero his 17th save, Bowie his third hold, and the Nationals are now only 10 games under .500.
Tonight: LA; and future
Tonight the team starts a three game series against the LA Dodgers (47-55), and then will face the Giants again, this time in San Francisco for three games before an off day on Thursday (8/3/06; then San Diego for 3, then an off-day, then 10 games at home against NL East division opponents). So do the Nationals have it in them to win 9 games in a row on the road? Pulling within one game of .500 before facing their NL East opponents for the rest of August (13 games at home, 9 games on the road)?
Right, first the Nationals have to try to win tonight before we jump too far ahead.
Tonight Tony Armas (7-5, 4.35) faces RHP Chad Billingsley (1-3, 4.26).
Armas is 2-1, 3.71 against the Dodgers and is 1-1, 3.75 for July. Armas is actually better on the road so far this season. 5-4, with an era of 3.53 in 9 games started vs 2-1 with an era of 5.40 at home in 8 games started.
Billingsley is a rookie who has pitched 8 total games in the majors (1-3, 4.26 ERA). Billingsley routinely lasts just 5 innings, though his first win came in a game where he pitched 7 innings.
Saturday: July 29, 2006
LHP Michael O’Connor (3-6, 4.59) vs. RHP Derek Lowe (7-7, 4.18)
O’Connor’s first start against the Dodgers, and Lowe is currently having some pitching problems (ERA moved from 3.49 to 4.18 over 1 month; see probable pitchers page).
Sunday: July 30, 2006
RHP Ramon Ortiz (7-9, 4.87) vs. LHP Mark Hendrickson (4-12, 4.10)
Ortiz: 7 innings of work in first start against the Dodgers on May 28 (this year), gave up 3 runs. Nationals won.
Hendrickson has pitched just 5 games with the Dodgers as of 7/28/06; yet to win a game with them; era of 4.97 with them.
Monday: July 31, 2006
RHP Pedro Astacio (1-1, 5.06) vs. LHP Noah Lowry (5-6, 4.16)
Both Astacio and Lowry last pitched against each other in their last starts. Astacio lasted 6.1 innings and gave up 2 ER (3 total), and Lowry pitched 6 innings and gave up 2 unearned runs.
Trade deadline day. All of the above pitching match-ups are just “probable.”
A trick to take pictures through a net (like behind home-plate at RFK) or fence-like obstruction:
You want to take a picture of the batter (or runner, or whatever that is viewable through the net). If you point, focus on the batter, and take a picture, the camera is likely to focus on the net (even if the little focus box is around the batter, it is probably focused on the net around the batter, not the batter). So what do you do?
1) Focus on something outside the net, preferably on the field (third baseman is not blocked by the net).
2) Lock in your focus (on my camera, that means that the box is now green).
3) Move your camera back to the net area and take a picture of the batter. (probably better to focus on something the same distance as the batter and same lighting conditions of the batter; but focusing on the third baseman will give you good results).
Hopefully these notes are helpful.
