Nationals Postgame Notebook
The script could not have been written any better. Opening night in the new ballpark. The President of the United States throwing out the ceremonial first pitch. The home grown kid hitting a walk-off solo home run to give the team and the city an amazing win in front of the whole baseball world.
Ryan Zimmerman had done this before. Hitting 3 career game ending home runs before tonight, but this one was special. "To have the President out here and all the activities and the ceremony before the game was perfect, Zimmerman said, "everyone got to see a great ball game and you can't write up a better script than that to end the game." No one would disagree with Zimmerman.
Even manager Manny Acta would agree, "A very exciting day, great way to win it, with the right guy up, the franchise player came through in the first game of the new stadium."
Is this a sign of things to come for the 2008 season? Only time will tell, but it's one heck of a start.
Related Links:
Inning-by-inning recap and pre-game notes
Washington Times Nats Page
The Nationals got to Braves starter Tim Hudson early. A single by SS Christian Guzman led off the game. Husdon struck out Lastings Milledge and Zimmerman before Nick Johnson, in his first game since 2006, doubled to right to score Guzman and give the Nats the 1-0 lead. Next up was Austin Kearns and he singled to right to bring in Johnson for the 2-0 lead.
It's a good thing they got 2 early runs because Hudson and Braves' relievers Will Ohman and Peter Moylan retired 24 straight before Zimmerman ended it in the bottom of the ninth.
The Braves cut the lead in half in the top of the 4th when Chipper Jones hit the first HR in Nationals Park history off Odalis Perez. The HR was estimated at 404 feet.
That would be all the scoring until the 9th. With Jon Rauch pitching, Mark Teixeira just missed a HR to right center and settled for a double. Pinch runner Martin Prado spelled Teixeira and moved to third on Francoeur's ground out to second.
With Jeff McCann at the plate, Rauch threw a bad pitch that got by catcher Paul LoDuca and Prado slid ahead of the tag to tie the game at 2-2. A pitch Rauch takes full responsibility for, "I just screwed up, I didn't make the pitch. Right pitch, wrong spot."
Zimmerman let Rauch off the hook with his 4th career game ending homer. Not bad for a kid from Virginia who is the cornerstone of the franchise.
News & Notes
-Nationals President Stan Kasten on Ryan Zimmerman, "He's not just a great ball player, but a great person."
-Left fielder Elijah Dukes was placed on the 15-day DL with a right hamstring injury. Reliever Chris Schroeder will be recalled from Triple-A, Columbus Monday to take Dukes' spot. Willie Harris will likely get the start in left tomorrow vs. Philadelphia.
-Closer Chad Cordero won't be available for a few days due to tendinitis in his right shoulder.
-Johnson's RBI was his first since 9/19/06 vs. Atlanta at RFK. I asked Johnson if he was thinking double all the way and he said "He's got a hell of an arm out in right field (rightfielder Jeff Francoeur), I decided to take a chance and snuck on in there."
-Odalis Perez's outing: 5 IP, 4H, ER, BB, 2 K. 70 pitches 43 K's.
-Saul Rivera retired all 6 he faced. His line 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, K
-Hudson pulled for a pinch hitter in the top of the 8th. He threw 7 strong innings giving up 3 H, 2 ER, 3 K. he retired 19 straight after a shaky first inning when he gave up the 2 earned runs.
-Braves pitchers had retired 24 straight before Zimm's walk-off HR.
-Nats bullpen 4 IP, 0 H, BB, K
-This was the first win on opening day since baseball returned to the Washington in 2005.
-The Nationals improved to 3-2 when President George W. Bush is in attendance.
-The Nats are in Philadelphia to take on the Phils. Monday, in the Phillies season opener, it's Matt Chico vs. Brett Myers. A scheduled off day on Tuesday, then Tim Redding takes on Cole Hamels on Wednesday and Jason Bergmann vs. ageless Jamie Moyer.
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