Wednesday, September 06, 2006
Nationals Lose 2-0, winning streak over; O'Connor is today's starting pitcher (O'Connor pitches five innings, gives up 3 H, 1 BB) Nationals LEAD! 1-0
O'Connor is starting today's day game and has already acheived 1 out by getting Preston Wilson, leading off, to fly out to start the game. Then he walked Taguchi. Pujols up now. (see below)
Last night's game:
Pedro Astacio picked up his 5th loss of the year, but actually pitched a very solid quality game. He was out-pitched by the Cardinals Suppan who gave up zero runs. None of the Cardinals pitchers gave up any runs (Nationals shut-out), and none of the Nationals relievers gave up any runs. Only Rauch gave up a hit and walk, while both Wagner (whose ERA has now fallen to 3.86) and Rivera combined for 1.2 innings of zero runs/walks/hits/strike-outs (Wagner relieved Astacio and pitched the for the last 2 outs of the 7th inning, while Riveria pitched the ninth inning).
Castro committed an error (started, played 2B, went 0-4, average now .236), and the team managed to make two double plays in the game while hitting into zero double plays. Logan again started in CF, and went 1 for 3. His batting average is now .357. There is nothing more to say about this game other than: After last night's game, the Nationals are now 60-78.
And to include a picture of a real live bald eagle:
- O'Connor throws first pitch at 6/30/06 game.
Right Now:
O'Connor got out of the first inning without giving up a hit, while Soriano has lead off the Nationals half of the inning with a "reached on error." Lopez then came up and singled, which moved Soriano to second base. Zimmerman just popped out. Nick Johnson up. Johnson Doubles! Soriano scores! Not sure how Lopez didn't score off of a Johnson double, but he is now on third base. 2 men on, third and second base, 1 out, Church up, and out (ground out). 2 out, 2 men on, Jose Vidro up. Vidro flies out (long fly out to warning track in center field). Inning over. 6 batters up for Nationals in first inning, score 1 run, leave 6 on base. 4 batters up for Cardinals in first inning, zero score, 1 walk, 2 left on base.
2nd inning: Spiezio singles, Belliard Grounds into Double Play. Catcher Molina up. Molina Grounds Out!. 2 innings so far for O'Connor, 1 hit, 1 walk given up, 1 GDP induced. Now up for Nationals: Fick, Logan, then O'Connor.
Fick hitting .236 with the bases empty (which is better than his .222 average against RHP). Fick Singles! Average rises to .226 from .217. Nookie up. Logan hitting .500 with runners on. .357 vs. RHP. 2 balls, 2 strikes. Come on Nook! 3 balls 2 strikes. Interesting, Fick actually has a SB recorded. Sorry, waiting for the sixth pitch to occur. Foul! Runner Running! Sixth pitch was almost exactly in same spot as second pitch, which was a called strike. Another foul. And another. Fick running on each foul ball (3). Trying to tire him out, I see (Fick, that is). In Play! No Out Recorded! Seemingly hours roll by as I wait to see what happened in the play. Still waiting. Um . . . did hit a bird? What's the hold-up? What happened? Ok, not seemingly hours going by, actual hours going by waiting for the result of this play. Ah, I see, complicated. Fick at second base now, Logan at first due to error. Logan's average falls from .357 to .333. O'Connor up. 2 outside balls.
Update 1: Fick caught stealing while O'Connor bats, O'Connor strikes out, Sorinao grounds into force out. Third inning, SS Miles leads off, out, pitcher Carpenter now up for Cardinals; strikes out. Wilson up for second time. This will be the test, second time through the order. Odd, they have Wilson wearing the wrong hat on GameDay. 1st pitch to Wilson - in the dirt. Foul, then apparently another ball in the dirt (at least looks that way on GameDay graphic). Another foul. High outside ball. Ball in play (was in strike zone). Wilson grounds out. O'Connor has now made it through 3 innings while giving up just 1 hit and 1 walk. Now up for Nationals: Lopez, Zimmerman and Johnson.
Update 2: Lopez grounds out, Zimmerman grounds out. Johnson up. Hit a double last time up. 6th pitch, ball in play. Johnson singles! Church up. Ground out first time up. Church grounds out again. Inning over, update 2 over.
Update 3: O'Connor would have lead off the bottom of the fifth inning, so Robinson pulled him for Mateo, who is called out on strikes for O'Connor. Now it's up to the bullpen (after this inning over, Soriano has strike out, and Lopez has walked, currently on 1st base, Zimmerman up).
Today's Nationals Line-up:
LF Soriano (.290)
SS Lopez (.274)
3B Zimmerman (.284)
1B Nick Johnson (.292)
RF Ryan Church (.253)
2B Jose Vidro (.289)
C Robert Fick (.226)
CF Nook Logan (.333)
P Michael O'Connor (.077)
Against: RHP Chris Carpenter 13-6, 2.87 era.
LF Wilson (.263)
CF Taguchi (.271)
1B Pujols (.321)
RF Encarnacion (.287)
3B Spiezio (.264)
2B Belliard (.281)
C Molina (.219)
SS Miles (.271)
P Carpenter (.143)
Received an e-mail yesterday about the Scouting Report by the Fans for the Fans for 2006. I had forgotten, but I had participated in this in 2005. Well, if you are interested in expressing your views about the Nationals players, head on over to the website.
Last night's game:
Pedro Astacio picked up his 5th loss of the year, but actually pitched a very solid quality game. He was out-pitched by the Cardinals Suppan who gave up zero runs. None of the Cardinals pitchers gave up any runs (Nationals shut-out), and none of the Nationals relievers gave up any runs. Only Rauch gave up a hit and walk, while both Wagner (whose ERA has now fallen to 3.86) and Rivera combined for 1.2 innings of zero runs/walks/hits/strike-outs (Wagner relieved Astacio and pitched the for the last 2 outs of the 7th inning, while Riveria pitched the ninth inning).
Castro committed an error (started, played 2B, went 0-4, average now .236), and the team managed to make two double plays in the game while hitting into zero double plays. Logan again started in CF, and went 1 for 3. His batting average is now .357. There is nothing more to say about this game other than: After last night's game, the Nationals are now 60-78.
And to include a picture of a real live bald eagle:
- O'Connor throws first pitch at 6/30/06 game.Right Now:
O'Connor got out of the first inning without giving up a hit, while Soriano has lead off the Nationals half of the inning with a "reached on error." Lopez then came up and singled, which moved Soriano to second base. Zimmerman just popped out. Nick Johnson up. Johnson Doubles! Soriano scores! Not sure how Lopez didn't score off of a Johnson double, but he is now on third base. 2 men on, third and second base, 1 out, Church up, and out (ground out). 2 out, 2 men on, Jose Vidro up. Vidro flies out (long fly out to warning track in center field). Inning over. 6 batters up for Nationals in first inning, score 1 run, leave 6 on base. 4 batters up for Cardinals in first inning, zero score, 1 walk, 2 left on base.
2nd inning: Spiezio singles, Belliard Grounds into Double Play. Catcher Molina up. Molina Grounds Out!. 2 innings so far for O'Connor, 1 hit, 1 walk given up, 1 GDP induced. Now up for Nationals: Fick, Logan, then O'Connor.
Fick hitting .236 with the bases empty (which is better than his .222 average against RHP). Fick Singles! Average rises to .226 from .217. Nookie up. Logan hitting .500 with runners on. .357 vs. RHP. 2 balls, 2 strikes. Come on Nook! 3 balls 2 strikes. Interesting, Fick actually has a SB recorded. Sorry, waiting for the sixth pitch to occur. Foul! Runner Running! Sixth pitch was almost exactly in same spot as second pitch, which was a called strike. Another foul. And another. Fick running on each foul ball (3). Trying to tire him out, I see (Fick, that is). In Play! No Out Recorded! Seemingly hours roll by as I wait to see what happened in the play. Still waiting. Um . . . did hit a bird? What's the hold-up? What happened? Ok, not seemingly hours going by, actual hours going by waiting for the result of this play. Ah, I see, complicated. Fick at second base now, Logan at first due to error. Logan's average falls from .357 to .333. O'Connor up. 2 outside balls.
Update 1: Fick caught stealing while O'Connor bats, O'Connor strikes out, Sorinao grounds into force out. Third inning, SS Miles leads off, out, pitcher Carpenter now up for Cardinals; strikes out. Wilson up for second time. This will be the test, second time through the order. Odd, they have Wilson wearing the wrong hat on GameDay. 1st pitch to Wilson - in the dirt. Foul, then apparently another ball in the dirt (at least looks that way on GameDay graphic). Another foul. High outside ball. Ball in play (was in strike zone). Wilson grounds out. O'Connor has now made it through 3 innings while giving up just 1 hit and 1 walk. Now up for Nationals: Lopez, Zimmerman and Johnson.
Update 2: Lopez grounds out, Zimmerman grounds out. Johnson up. Hit a double last time up. 6th pitch, ball in play. Johnson singles! Church up. Ground out first time up. Church grounds out again. Inning over, update 2 over.
Update 3: O'Connor would have lead off the bottom of the fifth inning, so Robinson pulled him for Mateo, who is called out on strikes for O'Connor. Now it's up to the bullpen (after this inning over, Soriano has strike out, and Lopez has walked, currently on 1st base, Zimmerman up).
Today's Nationals Line-up:
LF Soriano (.290)
SS Lopez (.274)
3B Zimmerman (.284)
1B Nick Johnson (.292)
RF Ryan Church (.253)
2B Jose Vidro (.289)
C Robert Fick (.226)
CF Nook Logan (.333)
P Michael O'Connor (.077)
Against: RHP Chris Carpenter 13-6, 2.87 era.
LF Wilson (.263)
CF Taguchi (.271)
1B Pujols (.321)
RF Encarnacion (.287)
3B Spiezio (.264)
2B Belliard (.281)
C Molina (.219)
SS Miles (.271)
P Carpenter (.143)
Received an e-mail yesterday about the Scouting Report by the Fans for the Fans for 2006. I had forgotten, but I had participated in this in 2005. Well, if you are interested in expressing your views about the Nationals players, head on over to the website.
