Nats Weekend Round-up: Lose Pair to Padres

Washington -- The Washington Nationals continued their limp to the finish line of the baseball season over the weekend, dropping a pair of games to the Padres by scores of 6-1 and 6-2. Combined with Friday night's 14-inning 11-6 loss, the Nats were swept by a team that had been equally bad in the standing as they had over 154 games. The Nats now stand one-half game ahead of Seattle to avoid the worst record in the major leagues for 2008. The Mariners have played one fewer game and have on fewer victory that the Nats. Washington has lost five straight and eight of their last ten. Seattle is working on an eleven game losing streak of their own.

Saturday night the Nationals were dominated by 6-foot, 10-inch right-hander Chris Young. Young (W, 6-6, 4.11) was masterful in keeping down the Nats offense, pitching seven innings and allowing no runs on just two hits and four walks, striking out five. He threw 66 of his 111 pitches for strikes. Young battled injury all season long, and won for just the second time since May 16. He even added a home run, the first of his major league career, against Nats starter John Lannan in the seventh inning. Lannan (L, 9-14, 3.68) didn't pitch poorly, allowing just one earned run over his seven innings, but three unearned runs led to his demise. Lannan allowed four hits and three walks, striking out five. He surrendered two home runs, Young's and 2B Edgar Gonzalez', his seventh.

Two errors led directly to runs, as Will Venable reached ahead of Gonzalez' homer, and Ryan Zimmerman threw one away with a runner on in the eighth, allowing both base-runners to move up and eventually score on an infield single by Chase Headley. The lone Nats run came courtesy of an Aaron Boone ground-rule double in the eighth inning, scoring Emilio Bonifacio from second base.

San Diego completed the sweep Sunday afternoon, on a perfect day weather-wise for baseball. Cha Seung Baek (W, 6-10, 4.87) threw seven innings, allowing just one earned run on five hits, to defeat the Nats 6-2. Baek, who pinch-hit in Friday night's marathon, struck out five and did not walk a batter. His counter, Nats' starter Odalis Perez (L, 7-11, 4.27), gave up three earned over six innings on five hits and one walk. He struck out eleven Padres in the brilliant sunshine. 29,608 fans saw the last Sunday home game of the season.

Adrian Gonzalez, the Padres budding superstar first baseman, went 2-for-3 with a home run and three runs scored and 3B Kevin Kouzmanoff added two hits and three RBIs. Ryan Zimmerman homered -- his thirteenth of the season, driving in two, and finished 2-for-4 on the day. Willie Harris also contributed two hits.

San Diego outscored the Nats 23-9 in the sweep, their first on the road since July 2006. Washington needs to go 5-1 in their last six games to avoid the franchise's first 100-loss season since 1976 as the Montreal Expos.

The Nats are off on Monday, and begin a three-game series with the Florida Marlins Tuesday night, their last home games of the season, before concluding the 2008 season on the road at Philadelphia.

Photo (c) C. Nichols 2008.

Padres Explode In Eighth To Down Nats 5-2

San Diego, CA--San Diego outfielder Jody Gerut hit a three-run home run off Washington Nationals rookie reliever Charlie Manning in the bottom of the eighth inning Thursday and the Padres held on to win the game 5-2 and the series two games to one. In a battle of two of the lowest run-producing line-ups in the National League, San Diego triumphed by winning the rubber match and sending the Nats to a weekend series in Arizona bruised and feeling like they should have fared better against a team that came into play tied for the worst record in the majors.

When a team is struggling, sometimes one big hit makes all the difference, and the Padres got that hit from forgotten outfielder Gerut. Once a prized prospect in the Cleveland organization, Gerut has fought injuries and bounced to the Cubs and Pittsburgh -- with several minor league stops in between -- before settling this season in the Padres outfield, after a hideous start to the season from veteran Jim Edmonds, which found Edmonds placed on the waiver wire. Gerut hit 22 home runs in his rookie season with Cleveland in 2003 and, now healthy, is starting to produce for the Padres.

The ill-fated inning for Washington started with Saul Rivera on the hill, who had relieved starter John Lannan in the previous inning. Rivera (L, 3-3, 4.64) got the first out as Kevin Kouzmanoff grounded out, but shortstop Khalil Greene got San Diego's rally started with a single to center field. Michael Barrett then singled to right field, moving Green up to second. At that point, Manager Manny Acta went to the pen again, calling on the rookie to face Gerut, making his first at bat of the game after entering as a defensive replacement. Manning has done nothing but struggle since his recall last week, and he would fare no better against Gerut. Manning quickly got ahead in the count 1-2, but Gerut delivered the next offering into the right field grandstand for the 5-2 lead. Manning's ERA now stands at 9.00 after four appearances covering three innings.

The Nationals hitters were held down all day by five Padres pitchers. Starter Wil Ledezma went five innings, giving up one earned run on just two hits and three walks, striking out seven. He was followed by Bryan Corey, Cla Meredith (one earned run on one hit and one walk), Heath Bell (W, 2-3, 2.37) and Trevor Hoffman, who finished up after Gerut's heroics for his eleventh save of the season. Nats starter John Lannan threw six innings and battled some control issues, as he allowed five hits and three walks in five innings of work, but he mitigated the damage and only surrendered two earned runs, when Edgar Gonzalez drove in his little brother Adrian and Kouzmanoff with a bases-loaded single in the fourth inning.

The Nats' two runs were the manufactured kind. In the top of the fourth, Lastings Milledge bunted safely, stole second and third, and scored on an Elijah Dukes' sacrifice fly. In the seventh, Dukes walked with one out, stole second, took third on a ground out and scored on a Ryan Langerhans single.

The Nats were beneficiaries in Wednesday's game of Jesus Flores' grand slam, but when a team is struggling they can't always depend on that "one big hit" surfacing, and it was noticeably absent Thursday in sunny San Diego.

The Nationals travel to Phoenix to play the Diamondbacks Friday night. Tim Redding (6-3, 3.59) looks to get the Nats off on the right foot in Arizona against Micah Owings (6-2, 3.73) at 9:40 pm EDT.

NATS NOTES: With the loss, Washington stands at 23-32, last in the National League East.

Justin Maxwell, of Double-A Harrisburg, will miss up to six weeks with a right wrist injury. The team has released few details, but Harrisburg Manager John Stearns indicated there is concern with "possible ligament damage." Maxwell has been placed on the minor league 7-day disabled list.

GB&U: Killing the Pain in San Diego

RESULT: Nats beat Padres 6-4.

GOOD: Jesus Flores! He hit his first major league GRAND SLAM off Shawn Estes to provide the big punch the Nats needed in this game. Flores is now hitting .344 after going 2-for-4 again. And did you catch Paul LoDuca in the MASN booth for the telecast, with don Sutton fighting laryngitis? I think he's got a future in broadcasting, maybe sooner than later.

BAD: Brian Sanches. He failed to record an out, allowing both hitters he faced to reach, including a two-run shot from Pads lead-off hitter Scott Hairston.

UGLY: Odalis Perez' mouth. Emergency root canal just hours before the game. He was all hopped up on painkillers all night. He was weak, groggy from the meds, and unsure of whether he could go six pitches or six innings. Ah, the miracles of modern medicine.

NEXT GAME: Get-away matinee in San Diego. John Lannan (4-5, 3.57) takes on Wil Ledezma (0-2, 4.65). Facing Webb and Haren this weekend, it would be nice to take 2-of-3 against the Padres, now tied with Seattle for the worst record in the bigs at 20-34.

Nationals, Flores Slam Padres

San Diego, CA--Jesus Flores hit his first major league grand slam, Lastings Milledge added a solo shot, and Odalis Perez had another quality start as the Washington Nationals hung on to defeat the San Diego Padres 6-4 Wednesday night.

Perez, pitching just hours after receiving an emergency root canal in the morning, was not perfect, but certainly good enough to keep the light-hitting Padres at bay long enough to allow Flores and Milledge to play hero with their big blasts. Perez (W, 2-4, 4.14) went six and one-third innings, allowing three earned runs on six hits and three walks. He struck out four and did not allow a home run. "It was tough," he said. "I couldn't sleep (Tuesday night). It was painful. I wasn't sure if I was going to pitch."

Perez was the inspirational leader for the team playing through pain, but Flores delivered the big blow when it counted. In the fourth inning, against Padres starter Shawn Estes (L, 1-1, 3.33), Aaron Boone reached on a single, Dmitri Young walked and Milledge was hit by a pitch, loading the bases for the young catcher, pressed into duty with injuries to veterans Paul LoDuca and Johnny Estrada. Flores was down in the count with one ball and two strikes, when Estes didn't locate a fastball, and Flores deposited it in the left center field grandstand, clearing the bases and giving the Nationals a 4-0 lead. Flores went 2-for-4 on the night with four RBIs, raising his season average to .344, best on the team. It was his second home run of the season.

The Padres scored in the bottom of the fifth when second baseman Tadahito Iguchi singled in outfielder Jody Gerut, but the Nats--specifically Milledge--would answer back in the top of the sixth. Milledge got behind reliever Mike Adams 1-2 just as Flores did with Estes, and Adams couldn't find the kill shot either. Instead, Milledge was the one with the dagger, as he blasted a shot to the middle deck of the mining company building beyond the left field fence, a tremendous blast that Milledge perhaps admired for just a fraction of a second before leaving home plate to round the bases for his third homer of the year.

Washington added an insurance run in the seventh. Felipe Lopez (2-for-4), battling a two-week slump, doubled to center and Cristian Guzman (3-for-5, .308) singled, moving Lopez to third. Aaron Boone, again starting for Ryan Zimmerman, hit a sacrifice fly to left to plate Lopez and give the Nats a cushion they almost needed.

In the bottom of the inning, rookie Luke Carlin doubled off Perez, and veteran Tony Clark followed with a double of his own, plating Carlin and ending Perez' evening. Brian Sanches relieved Perez, and promptly allowed a two-run shot to lead-off hitter Scott Hairston, his seventh of the season, followed by a single by Iguchi. Not wanting things to get out of hand, Manager Manny Acta went to the bullpen again. Luis Ayala entered and cleaned up the mess to escape without any further damage. Ayala pitching one and two-third perfect ball, and Jon Rauch earned his eleventh save, striking out two in the ninth inning.

The three-game series wraps up Thursday afternoon at 3:35 EDT, with John Lannan (4-5, 3.57) facing Wil Ledezma (0-2, 4.65).

NATS NOTES: The win moves the Nats season record to 23-31, eight games behind Florida in the NL East.

Ryan Zimmerman missed his third straight contest, nursing his sore left shoulder. He is still listed as day-to-day, but is hopeful to play in the weekend series against Arizona.

Catcher Paul LoDuca, on the DL with a broken right hand, provided color commentary in the MASN TV booth, filling in for Don Sutton, who has been battling a case of laryngitis this week.

Photo (c) C. Nichols 2008

Homers In Seventh Do In Nats

San Diego, CA--Adrian Gonzales and Kevin Kouzmanoff hit back-to-back solo home runs off two Washington Nationals relievers in the seventh inning to turn a tie game into a 4-2 victory before 18,774 at Petco Park in San Diego Tuesday night.

With two outs in the frame, Gonzales hit his fifteenth of the season on a 0-1 count with two outs from just promoted rookie Charlie Manning (L, 0-1, 7.71). Manning had successfully struck out Padres second baseman Tadahito Iguchi and got right fielder Brian Giles to ground out to short. But Gonzales made no mistake on the one-strike fastball, depositing it over the left-center field fence, taking a lead the Padres would not relinquish. Left fielder Wily Mo Pena tried to make a leaping catch at the wall, but came up empty. "I tried to get the ball in on him and the ball stayed up in the zone," Manning said. "I made a mistake and paid for it." It was Gonzales' fourth home run in his last six games.

Manager Manny Acta then pulled Manning in favor of Joel Hanrahan, who has been in command much better of late, but Kouzmanoff took the first pitch he saw from Hanrahan to almost the same spot in left-center that Gonzales hit moments before. Hanrahan got out of the inning and pitched the eighth as well. He went one and one-third innings, allowing just the one earned run on two hits and no walks, striking out three in the process.

It was a tightwalk all night for the Nats, as starter Shawn Hill was without his best stuff all night. He surrendered only two earned runs on five hits in five innings with five strikeouts. But he also walked five Padres, giving them plenty of base runners all evening. San Diego managed to cash in on Hill's mistakes in the third inning, as he walked Gonzales, Kouzmanoff and Khalil Greene in succession, then gave up a single to catcher Michael Barrett (1-for-4, .188) on a 3-2 count with two outs.

The Nationals' pair of runs came in the first inning, as Aaron Boone -- filling in again for sore-shouldered Ryan Zimmerman -- homered against Padres starter Randy Wolf, driving in Cristian Guzman (2-for-4, .301), who had doubled the previous at bat. It was Boone's fifth home run of the season, tying him with Guzman and Nick Johnson for second on the team, behind Zimmerman's team leading eight. Although the Nats reached Wolf for seven hits, they could not push another run across the plate. Heath Bell (W, 1-3, 2.45) pitched a perfect one and one-third innings for the win and Trevor Hoffman added to his all-time lead in saves with his tenth of the season.

Game two of the three-game series is Wednesday night in San Diego, with Odalis Perez (1-4, 4.13) matching up with Shawn Estes (1-0, 2.33) at 10:05 EDT. Estes, 35, is making a comeback after missing most of 2006 and all of 2007 with injuries. He has started three games for the Padres and has yet to allow more than two earned runs.

NATS NOTES: The loss puts Washington's record at 22-31, nine games behind division-leading Florida.

Manager Manny Acta said Zimmerman (sore left shoulder) was available for pinch-hitting in the game. It was Zimmerman's second consecutive day off.

Hill pitched on eleven days rest, missing one start, during which he received a cortisone shot for the pain in his elbow. He's been unable to throw between starts as he is accustomed to, and after the game theorized that perhaps that's where the lack of command may be coming from. He threw 82 pitches, only 38 for strikes.

Photo (c) C. Nichols 2008