Nats fall to Phillies 2-1, drop seventh straight
STATS: By Inning | Box | Matchup | Nats Stats | Phillies Stats
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The good news for the Nationals is that they didn't get shutout for the third straight game. The bad news is they lost their seventh straight, 2-1 in the opening game of their three game series with the Phillies.
Collin Balester tossed six innings of two-run ball, but took the loss and falls to 1-3 on the season. After winning his Major League debut, Balester is winless in his last four starts. Balester didn't walk a batter and struck out five.
Brett Myers picked up his first win since May 30th. He gave up one unearned run in seven-plus innings. Myers allowed four hits, all singles, and a walk and hit two batters.
It looked like Washington was going to be shut out for the third straight game until they got a lucky break in the seventh. Paul Lo Duca led-off with a single. Felipe Lopez hit a routine grounder to Chase Utley at second, but he booted the ball, hurrying to turn the Phillies third double play of the night.
Cristian Guzman came in to run for Lo Duca and Ryan Langerhans pinch-hit for Charlie Manning. Langerhans' sac bunt put runners on second and third with 1-out. Willie Harris's groundout scored Guzman and allowed Lopez to move to third. Ronnie Belliard grounded out to end the inning.
The Phillies got all the offense they would need from Utley's 26th home run, a 2-run blast in the third. After the home run, Philadelphia got five singles, all with two outs, but couldn't do anything with them.
Brad Lidge pitched a perfect ninth to pick up his 25th save in 25 chances.
Final Linescore
Phillies 2-8-1
Nationals 1-4-1
WP-Myers (4-9)
LP-Balester (1-3)
SV-Lidge (25)
HR-Utley (26)
Postgame Notes
Cristian Guzman, who didn't play on Saturday or Sunday due to a bruised left thumb, will have a precautionary MRI on his thumb on Wednesday.
The Nationals fall to 5-17 in July. That's a .227 winning percentage, the worst in baseball for the month. When scoring less than three runs, they are 4-37.
Paul Lo Duca, who said prior to the game that he might be on the trading block, is getting tired of losing and not being able to score runs.
Pete McElroy's Live Gameblog
Zimmerman's bonehead play
I know the Nationals haven't been able to score runs for the past two-plus nights, but what Ryan Zimmerman did in the seventh, was plain dumb. He was on first, with 2-outs, when Lastings Milledge hit a bullet to third baseman Eric Bruntlett. The ball went off Bruntlett to Jimmy Rollins at short. Zimmerman noticed neither was covering third and bluffed taking the base. Bruntlett picked up the loose ball, threw to second and Zimmerman was nailed. Had he stayed on the bag, the Nationals would've had two on with Austin Kearns up and who knows what might have happened. Zimmerman is smarter than that and he should know better than try something that dumb.
Balester's quality start
Collin Balester had his first quality start, but he left the game trailing 2-0. He gave up two runs on six hits in six innings. The only blemish on the night was the 2-run homer by Chase Utley. He can only get a loss or no-decision and that's a shame because he pitched very good. Balester didn't walk a batter.
6 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 5 K, HR. 93 pitches, 62 strikes.
Nationals scoreless
Washington's scoreless innings streak has reached 24 innings, after thr fifth tonight. Their first base runner, Paul Lo Duca, reached in the third by getting hit by a pitch. He was erased on a 3-4-6 double play. Ronnie belliard was hit by a pitch leading off the fourth, and he too was erased on a DP. The only other two to reach base were singles by Collin Balester and Jesus Flores, but neither advanced past first.
Balester thru 3 innings
Collin Balester has thrown 57 pitches thru three innings. After retiring the side in order in the first, he got out of a 1-out jam in the second. An error by Ronnie Belliard put runners on first and second, but Balester got a pop out and fly out to end the inning. Chase Utley's two run homer in the third put the Phils up.
3 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 3 K, HR.
Starting Line-ups
Phillies
SS Jimmy Rollins
CF Shane Victorino
2B Chase Utley
1B Ryan Howard
LF Pat Burrell
RF Geoff Jenkins
3B Greg Dobbs
C Chris Coste
P Brett Myers
Nationals
LF Willie Harris
2B Ronnie Belliard
3B Ryan Zimmerman
RF Austin Kearns
C Jesus Flores
CF Lastings Milledge
1B Paul Lo Duca
SS Felipe Lopez
P Collin Balester
Game Preview
Philadelphia (56-49) at Nationals (38-67)
Washington returns home to Nationals Park for a 6-game homestand beginning tonight with the Phillies.
The Nationals, just 7-15 in their last 22 games in DC, have been outscored 113-70 in that span, with the starters going 2-12 and new closer, Joel Hanrahan winning three.
Philadelphia, who was alone in first place in the NL East for most of the last two months, finds themselves one game behind the Mets. The Phillies, winners of two straight, are 5-4 in their last nine road games.
Tonight, Collin Balester battles Brett Myers.
Pitching Match-Up
RHP Collin Balester (1-2, 5.75) looks to end his three game winless streak. He hasn't won since beating the Marlins in his Major League debut on July 1st. Since that victory, Balester has given up 14 runs, 12 earned, in 15 1/3 innings, a 7.05 ERA.
In his last start at San Francisco last Wednesday, he gave up three runs in five innings in the Giants 6-4 win. San Fran hit back-to-back, run-scoring doubles in the first to take a 2-0 lead. Balester was in line for the win when the Nationals scored three in the sixth to take a 4-3 lead, but Luis Ayala gave up three in the eighth and Balester settled for a no-decision.
Balester is making his second start at Nationals Park and hopefully this one is better than the first. He gave up six runs, four earned, in 4 2/3 innings in the Astros 6-4 win on July 12th.
This is the first career start against the Phillies for the rookie.
RHP Brett Myers (3-9, 5.82) is making his second start since being recalled from Triple-A Lehigh Valley, where he spent nearly a month working on his mechanics.
Myers has just one win in his last 14 starts and he's given up four runs or more in nine of those and walked three or more in 10. Myers seems to be unsure of what he is doing on the mound, mainly because he doesn't look comfortable as a starter.
Drafted in the first round, 12th overall, in 1999 by the Phillies, Myers began his career as a starter and moved into the closer role early last year. When the team signed Brad Lidge to be their closer, Myers moved back into the rotation and he has been brutal. The Phillies are 4-14 when he starts and they have lost six straight.
The Nationals beat Myers 4-0 on May 19th. In his career vs. Washington, Myers is 7-8 with a 4.89 ERA and four saves in 28 games, 18 starts.
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