Casto's pinch-hit 3-run homer helps Nats sweep Mariners
What a way to celebrate Father's Day. Your dad comes to see you play from Salem Oregon. You hit your first major league home run, a 3-run shot in the eighth, to break a 2-2 tie and help your team sweep the Mariners. That's the day Kory Casto had.
Casto, pinch-hitting for Wily Mo Pena, hit an 0-1 pitch, off the foul pole in right, to put the Nationals in front 5-2. It was his first hit in his last 14 at bats. The Nationals added another run on Lastings Milledge sac fly to make it 6-2.
The win gives the Nationals the series sweep, their first since they swept the Mets at Shea Stadium from September 24-26 of last year.
Washington is now 4-2 on the current 9-game road trip and the team improves to 12-3 when Tim Redding starts.
Redding pitched six innings of five hit ball. He gave up two runs, one earned while throwing 111 pitches. It's his fifth straight no-decision.
The Nationals have an off day tomorrow before beginning a 3-game series with the Twins in Minnesota.
Post Game
Final Line Score
Nationals 6-12-3
Mariners 2-8-1
WP-Colome (2-1)
LP-Lowe (1-3)
HR-Casto (1)
Offensive Stars
Casto: 1-1, HR, 3 RBI
Flores: 2 RBI
Guzman: 2-5, 2B, R
Milledge: 3-4, RBI
Dukes: 2-3, 2 R, SB
Boone: 2-5, R
Clutch Casto
Kory Casto, whose first career home run was turned out to be the game winner, spoke to Debbi Taylor after the game about how special this day was for him.
Pete McElroy's Live GameBlog
Nationals scoring, 8th inning
Kory Casto hit a pinch-hit 3-run homer, the first of his career, to break a 2-2 tie. Casto hit the foul pole. Aaron Boone got the inning started with his second double of the game and moved to third on Felipe Lopez's sac bunt. Lopez was safe at first when pitcher Mark Lowe tried to get Boone out at third. Casto followed with his first home of the year. Elijah Dukes hit a single, stole second and advanced to third on catch Kenjie Johjima throwing error. Lastings Milledge hit a sac fly to make it 6-2.
Nationals scoring, 7th inning
The Nationals missed a golden opportunity to break the game open in the seventh, but did manage to tie the game at 2-2.
Cristian Guzman hit a lead-off double and Elijah Dukes walked to chase starter Jarrod Washburn. Lastings Milledge hit an infield single, off reliever Mark Lowe, to load the bases with nobody out. Dmitri Young flew out to shallow left for the first out. Flores hit a weak grounder to third, for the second out, but Guzman scored the tying run. Ronnie Belliard struck out looking to end the inning.
Redding thru 6 innings
He didn't have his best stuff or command today and he threw a ton of pitches to get thru six innings. If it wasn't for three errors in the third, it would be a 1-1 game. Here is his line thru 6 and most likely his last because of the 111 pitches thrown.
6 IP, 5 H, 2 R, ER, 2 BB, 4 K, WP. 111 pitches, 69 strikes.
Stranded
The Nationals keep getting runners on base, but haven't been able to get them home. They have seven hits, three walks and a hit batter, but have only scored one run. They've left eight on base and are 0-9 with runners in scoring position thru six innings.
Mariners scoring, 4th inning
Ichiro Suzuki extended his Interleague hitting-streak to 26 games, with a fourth inning single and in the process put the Mariners up 2-1.
Willie Bloomquist hit a 2-out single, stole second and scored on Ichiro's single to right. Trying to take second on the throw home, Ichiro was thrown out to end the inning.
Costly Mistakes
Felipe Lopez was charged with two errors on one play in the third. He bobbled a grounder for the first error and while trying to get the runner at frist, threw wildly and the ball went into the stands for the second error. Two outs later and the Nationals about to get out of the inning without giving up a run, Elijah Dukes dropped a routine fly for the third error of the inning, allowing the Mariners to tie the game.
Redding thru 3 innings
Tim Redding is scuffling thru the first three frames. He's already thrown 65 pitches and his defense has let him down. He gave up two first inning hits but didn't allow a run and walked two in the second and stranded both. 3 errors led to an unearned run in the third. Here is his line.
3 IP, 2 H, R, 0 ER, 2 BB, K. 65 pitches, 40 strikes.
Nationals not getting RIPSY with it
The Nationals have had their chances to add to their 1-0 lead, but haven't gotten the hit when needed. Thru 3 innings, they are 0-5 with runners in scoring position and have left four men on base.
Nationals scoring, 1st inning
For the third straight game, the Nationals scored a run in the first inning.
With 1-out, Elijah Dukes was hit-by-a-pitch, Lastings Milledge hit an infield single and Dmitri Young walked, to load the bases. Jesus Flores hit a broken-bat grounder to third that scored Dukes. The Mariners traded a run for an out. Ronnie Belliard looked to add to the lead, but his liner was right at right fielder Jeremy Reed.
Starting Line-Ups
Nationals
SS Cristian Guzman
RF Elijah Dukes
CF Lastings Milledge
DH Dmitri Young
C Jesus Flores
3B Ronnie Belliard
1B Aaron Boone
2B Felipe Lopez
LF Wily Mo Pena
Mariners
CF Ichiro Suzuki
2B Jose Lopez
LF Raul Ibanez
3B Adrian Beltre
DH Jose Vidro
C Kenjie Johjima
RF Jeremy Reed
1B Miguel Cairo
SS Willie Bloomquist
If you missed the action last night on MASN, get up to speed with yesterday's Nats GameBlog.
Clippard solid in 5-2 victory, picks up first win as a National [link]
Game Preview
Nationals (28-42) at Seattle (24-44)
The Nationals are trying to sweep a series for the first time since April 29-30, when they won a 2-game set against the Braves at Nationals Park. The last time they swept a 3-game series was September 24-26 last year vs. the Mets at Shea Stadium.
Last night, Tyler Clippard held the Mariners to two runs in six plus innings, picking up his first win as a National, and Jesus Flores drove in three runs with an RBI single and a 2-run homer in Washington's 5-2 victory.
Tim Redding, making his first career start vs. Seattle, will be opposed by Jarrod Washburn.
The Nationals have tomorrow off before continuing Interleague play with a 3-game series in Minnesota with the Twins.
Pitching Match-Up
RHP Tim Redding (6-3, 4.29) will try for the fourth time to win his seventh game. He has no-decisions in his last four starts, but the Nationals won all four games. In those games, Redding has given up 18 earned runs in 22 2/3 innings, a 7.14 ERA. Washington's offense picked him up, outscoring the opponents 31-25.
Redding's last outing started off bad, but got significantly better in the Nationals 7-6 come-from-behind win at Pittsburgh last Tuesday. He gave up three first-inning runs but held the Buccos to one run the next five innings. Washington hit three home runs in the seventh to tie the game before winning it with a 2-run ninth.
This is Redding's 15th start and sixth on the road. He is 3-0 with a 3.56 ERA outside of D.C, while holding opponents to a .173 batting average.
Redding faced the Mariners as a member of the Padres and gave up six runs on five hits in 3 1/3 innings of relief.
LHP Jarrod Washburn (2-7, 6.09) is looking for his first win since May 5. Since then, he is 0-3 with two no-decisions and a save. In his last outing, Washburn gave up one run on five hits in six solid innings, but was forced to take the no-decision due to a lack of run support.
The lefty is making his sixth start at Safeco Field. His previous five haven't been productive. Washburn is 1-3 with a 6.26 ERA and has given up 19 earned runs in 27 1/3 innings. Opponents are batting .297 off him and six of the nine home runs he's surrendered have come at home.
In his only career start against the franchise, as a member of the Angels in 2003, he gave up one run on five hits in six innings to pick up the win.
Inside the Numbers
Who's Hot, Who's Not
Hot
Jesus Flores: .444 (4-9), HR, 5 RBI in series. .340, 2 HR, 14 RBI last 14 starts.
Dmitri Young: .429 (3-7), 2 RBI in series. .500 (10-20), HR, 3 RBI last 6 games.
Ronnie Belliard : .375 (3-8), 3 RBI in series. .368 (7-19), 3 2B, 2 HR, 6 RBI last 5 games.
Elijah Dukes: .318 (7-22), 2 2B, 3B, 4 RBI, 2 SB last 5 games.
Cristian Guzman: .333 (13-39), 3 RBI during 8 game hitting streak.
Felipe Lopez: .318 (7-22) during 6 game hitting streak.
Not
Kory Casto: 0-14 last 5 games
Willie Harris:.079 (3-38) last 25 games.
Aaron Boone: .120 (9-75) career vs. Seattle
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