Friday, September 01, 2006
Nationals Win Exciting Game (6-5), Ship Ward to Atlanta and Anderson to the Dodgers
Last night’s game was exciting to see in person. The game was colder than expected, but at least none of the expected rain shower hit during the game.
Astacio started and actually made it past the third inning for the first time since his complete game. He made it to the sixth inning, and recorded two outs in that inning before being relieved by Rivera. Astacio gave up 4 runs off of 8 hits and 2 walks in the 99 pitches he threw in 5.2 innings of work (with 62 strikes).
The Nationals scored first in the bottom of the first inning, when Kearns hit a sacrifice fly, which allowed Lopez to score and Zimmerman to move to third base (Johnson had walked, and was on first base after the sac fly, if I remember correctly). Anderson then was up and hit a single to drive in Zimmerman and move Johnson to third. Score after 1: 2-0, Nationals.
The Phillies then scored a series of unanswered runs in the second inning (1 run), fourth inning (1 run off of Howard’s 49th home-run (Phillies record) to tie the game 2-2), and 2 more runs in the sixth inning to take a 4-2 lead.
Bottom of the ninth, score 4-2, Nationals up. Anderson pushes the ball forward, pitcher retrieves ball, and makes a throwing error - Anderson safe at first (going somewhat by memory here). Schneider then doubled, moving Anderson to third base. Castro then struck out. 1 out, runners on first and third. Mateo PH for closer Cordero - grounds out. 2 outs, runners at first and third. Soriano up. Soriano had been 0 for 4 up to this point, but Rhodes didn’t want to face him, and intentionally walked Soriano. Lopez now up, bases loaded, 2 outs, game on the line. Lopez hits a single, Anderson and Schneider score the Nationals third and fourth runs of the game, and Soriano moves to second. 2 outs, tie game, runners on 2nd and first, Zimmerman up - and out (strike-out).
Cordero is out of the game (PH for in ninth), so Wagner comes in to pitch the tenth inning. Gets the first batter he faces to ground out. 1 out. Hits the Phillies catcher. 1 out, runner on first. Nunez up, the sub .200 batter. Nunez hits into what, if I recall correctly, should have been a double play, but Johnson misfired the ball. Lieberthal (the catcher) was out at second, but due to the nature of the throw, and catch, there wasn’t a good shot at getting Nunez out at first. 2 outs, runner at first. Jeff Conine comes up to bat for Rhodes. Yes, the 40 year-old Conine who had appeared in 4 previous at-bats this year. Conine singles, Nunez to third. Wagner misfires the ball, or as it is officially recorded, Schneider lets the ball get past him, and Nunez scores during the play for the potential winning run, and Conine moves to second base. 2 outs, runner at second, and Phillies in lead by 1 run. Rollins is walked. Inning finally over when Victornio is struck out.
Bottom of 10th, Nationals at-bat. Johnson leads off with a single (a strange little single, with Johnson stumbling down the basepath, and the ball apparently misplayed, no error given though). Kearns out, fly out. Anderson singles, Johnson moves, slowly, to second base. Schneider up. 1 out, runners on first and second. Schnedier singles, Johnson scores (I guess Johnson really can run, then), Anderson moves to second. Game tied 5-5. 1 out, runners at first and second. Castro up - and out, though, and importantly, Anderson moves to third. Church PH for Wagner. Pitch to Church, pitch rolls past catcher, Anderson runs home, catcher retrieves ball and fires it to the pitcher who lunges towards Anderson, Anderson slides past the tag and is safe at home (I suppose the play is somewhat confused in my mind). Nationals WIN!
Wagner picks up his second win of the season. Lopez committed another error (Harper threw the ball to get a base-runner out, who was trying to steal second, but Lopez missed catching the perfect throw), but also went 3 for 5 with 2 RBI. Zimmerman was 2 for 5, Johnson was 2 for 4, Anderson made a great catch in centerfield and was 3 for 5, with 2 runs scored and 1 RBI (and then traded). Harper started, but went 0 for 2. When a reliever came into the game, Schneider stood in the batters box to PH for Harper, but after the inning went to two outs, Ward PH for Harper. Schneider came in to play catcher, and went on to go 2 for 2 with 1 run and 1 RBI. Astacio went 1 for 2.
Box Score - the pictures from the game will be posted tonight, hopefully, though there is supposed to be a game tonight.
Daryle Ward traded to Atlanta Braves for pitching prospect Luis Atilano
Atilano is a right-handed starting pitcher who is both 21 years old and on the DL (had Tommy John surgery on August 10th). Atilano was drafted in the first round (35th pick) in 2003 (First-Year Player Draft).
According to the Baseball Cube, Atilano pitched in 2003 with the Gulf Coast Braves (Rookie level), and posted a 3-2, 3.83 ERA in 12 games started (1 CG, 1 SH; line: 54.0IP 61H 25R 23ER 5HR 7BB 24SO). In 2004, 19 year old Atilano pitched with Danville at the Rookie level. He went 5-1 with an ERA of 4.20 in 13 games started (64.1 IP, 64 Hits, 54 strike-outs, 10 walks). 2005: Rome, Single A team, 8-9, 4.17 in 24 games started, 136 IP 138 hits 32 walks 66 strike-outs. 2006: Myrlte Beach, High A level, 6-7, 4.50 in 19 games, 18 started. 116 IP 134 hits 27 walks 45 strike-outs.
Press release
Anderson (and cash) dealt to the Dodgers in return for pitching prospect Nunez
The 20-year-old Nunez is a right-handed pitcher and in 2006 has a record of 6-0, with an ERA of 1.58 in 10 games (7 started). 57 IP, 56 strike-outs. First two years were spent in the Dominican Summer League, where he went 8-4 in 26 games (18 starts). Overall, combining the rookie level work this year, and the two years in the Summer League, gives him a minor league career total of 14-4, 2.02 ERA in 36 games (25 starts).
Press release
Tonight: Probably Rain-out, or:
RHP Miguel Batista (10-5, 4.46) vs. LHP Billy Traber (3-3, 7.14)
Traber did not do well in his last start, 2.2 innings pitched, and has lost his last two games. Batista worked 8 innings in his last start, giving up just 3 runs off of 8 hits, but did not pick up a win (or a loss).
Astacio started and actually made it past the third inning for the first time since his complete game. He made it to the sixth inning, and recorded two outs in that inning before being relieved by Rivera. Astacio gave up 4 runs off of 8 hits and 2 walks in the 99 pitches he threw in 5.2 innings of work (with 62 strikes).
The Nationals scored first in the bottom of the first inning, when Kearns hit a sacrifice fly, which allowed Lopez to score and Zimmerman to move to third base (Johnson had walked, and was on first base after the sac fly, if I remember correctly). Anderson then was up and hit a single to drive in Zimmerman and move Johnson to third. Score after 1: 2-0, Nationals.
The Phillies then scored a series of unanswered runs in the second inning (1 run), fourth inning (1 run off of Howard’s 49th home-run (Phillies record) to tie the game 2-2), and 2 more runs in the sixth inning to take a 4-2 lead.
Bottom of the ninth, score 4-2, Nationals up. Anderson pushes the ball forward, pitcher retrieves ball, and makes a throwing error - Anderson safe at first (going somewhat by memory here). Schneider then doubled, moving Anderson to third base. Castro then struck out. 1 out, runners on first and third. Mateo PH for closer Cordero - grounds out. 2 outs, runners at first and third. Soriano up. Soriano had been 0 for 4 up to this point, but Rhodes didn’t want to face him, and intentionally walked Soriano. Lopez now up, bases loaded, 2 outs, game on the line. Lopez hits a single, Anderson and Schneider score the Nationals third and fourth runs of the game, and Soriano moves to second. 2 outs, tie game, runners on 2nd and first, Zimmerman up - and out (strike-out).
Cordero is out of the game (PH for in ninth), so Wagner comes in to pitch the tenth inning. Gets the first batter he faces to ground out. 1 out. Hits the Phillies catcher. 1 out, runner on first. Nunez up, the sub .200 batter. Nunez hits into what, if I recall correctly, should have been a double play, but Johnson misfired the ball. Lieberthal (the catcher) was out at second, but due to the nature of the throw, and catch, there wasn’t a good shot at getting Nunez out at first. 2 outs, runner at first. Jeff Conine comes up to bat for Rhodes. Yes, the 40 year-old Conine who had appeared in 4 previous at-bats this year. Conine singles, Nunez to third. Wagner misfires the ball, or as it is officially recorded, Schneider lets the ball get past him, and Nunez scores during the play for the potential winning run, and Conine moves to second base. 2 outs, runner at second, and Phillies in lead by 1 run. Rollins is walked. Inning finally over when Victornio is struck out.
Bottom of 10th, Nationals at-bat. Johnson leads off with a single (a strange little single, with Johnson stumbling down the basepath, and the ball apparently misplayed, no error given though). Kearns out, fly out. Anderson singles, Johnson moves, slowly, to second base. Schneider up. 1 out, runners on first and second. Schnedier singles, Johnson scores (I guess Johnson really can run, then), Anderson moves to second. Game tied 5-5. 1 out, runners at first and second. Castro up - and out, though, and importantly, Anderson moves to third. Church PH for Wagner. Pitch to Church, pitch rolls past catcher, Anderson runs home, catcher retrieves ball and fires it to the pitcher who lunges towards Anderson, Anderson slides past the tag and is safe at home (I suppose the play is somewhat confused in my mind). Nationals WIN!
Wagner picks up his second win of the season. Lopez committed another error (Harper threw the ball to get a base-runner out, who was trying to steal second, but Lopez missed catching the perfect throw), but also went 3 for 5 with 2 RBI. Zimmerman was 2 for 5, Johnson was 2 for 4, Anderson made a great catch in centerfield and was 3 for 5, with 2 runs scored and 1 RBI (and then traded). Harper started, but went 0 for 2. When a reliever came into the game, Schneider stood in the batters box to PH for Harper, but after the inning went to two outs, Ward PH for Harper. Schneider came in to play catcher, and went on to go 2 for 2 with 1 run and 1 RBI. Astacio went 1 for 2.
Box Score - the pictures from the game will be posted tonight, hopefully, though there is supposed to be a game tonight.
Daryle Ward traded to Atlanta Braves for pitching prospect Luis Atilano
Atilano is a right-handed starting pitcher who is both 21 years old and on the DL (had Tommy John surgery on August 10th). Atilano was drafted in the first round (35th pick) in 2003 (First-Year Player Draft).
According to the Baseball Cube, Atilano pitched in 2003 with the Gulf Coast Braves (Rookie level), and posted a 3-2, 3.83 ERA in 12 games started (1 CG, 1 SH; line: 54.0IP 61H 25R 23ER 5HR 7BB 24SO). In 2004, 19 year old Atilano pitched with Danville at the Rookie level. He went 5-1 with an ERA of 4.20 in 13 games started (64.1 IP, 64 Hits, 54 strike-outs, 10 walks). 2005: Rome, Single A team, 8-9, 4.17 in 24 games started, 136 IP 138 hits 32 walks 66 strike-outs. 2006: Myrlte Beach, High A level, 6-7, 4.50 in 19 games, 18 started. 116 IP 134 hits 27 walks 45 strike-outs.
Press release
Anderson (and cash) dealt to the Dodgers in return for pitching prospect Nunez
The 20-year-old Nunez is a right-handed pitcher and in 2006 has a record of 6-0, with an ERA of 1.58 in 10 games (7 started). 57 IP, 56 strike-outs. First two years were spent in the Dominican Summer League, where he went 8-4 in 26 games (18 starts). Overall, combining the rookie level work this year, and the two years in the Summer League, gives him a minor league career total of 14-4, 2.02 ERA in 36 games (25 starts).
Press release
Tonight: Probably Rain-out, or:
RHP Miguel Batista (10-5, 4.46) vs. LHP Billy Traber (3-3, 7.14)
Traber did not do well in his last start, 2.2 innings pitched, and has lost his last two games. Batista worked 8 innings in his last start, giving up just 3 runs off of 8 hits, but did not pick up a win (or a loss).
