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Redding, Cain toss complete games, but Nats fall in 1-0 shutout
STATS: By Inning | Box | Matchup | Nats Stats | Giants Stats
Pete McElroy's Nats Blog:
Estrada released to make room for Milledge [link]
Tim Redding pitched arguably his best game of the season, if not his career, and ended up with the loss in the Giants 1-0 win. With the loss, the Nationals get swept by San Francisco, not only in this 3-game series, but in all seven games on the season.
Redding pitched an eight-inning, complete game, seven-hitter, but the Giants Matt Cain was even better. Cain tossed a complete-game shutout to earn his sixth win of the season.
Cain was left out to win or lose the game in the ninth when he put runners on second and third. Willie Harris reached base on an infield single and advanced to third on Cristian Guzman's double to left with one out.
Ryan Zimmerman lofted a shallow fly to right that Harris thought about trying to score on, but didn't. He might have scored because Randy Winn's throw was up the line. Austin Kearns had a chance to be the hero, but he flew out to right to end the game.
The Giants used small ball to score the only run of the game in the eighth. Steve Holm led-off with a single, his second hit of the game. Holm was replaced by pinch-runner Eugenio Velez. Cain laid down a perfect sac bunt to get Velez into scoring position.
Veteran Dave Roberts stepped in and singled up the middle, on a 1-2 pitch, scoring Velez for the eventual game winner.
Cain retired the first 11 nationals before Zimmerman broke up the perfect game with a double in the fourth. The only other hit Cain surrendered, prior to the ninth, was a single by Redding in the sixth.
Redding's longest outing prior to today was 7 2/3 innings.
After the game, the Nationals released catcher Johnny Estrada to make room for center fielder Lasting Milledge, who will come off the disabled list and join the team in Los Angeles on Friday.
Final Linescore
Nationals 0-4-0
Giants 1-7-0
WP-Cain (6-8)
LP-Redding (7-5)
Postgame Notes
Ryan Zimmerman extended his hitting streak to 12 games with a fourth-inning double. He is batting .383 during the streak.
Willie Harris has hit safely in his last six games, going 12-26 (.462).
The Nationals head to Los Angeles for a 3-game weekend series with the Dodgers beginning Friday night.
Pete McElroy's Live Gameblog
Giants scoring, 8th inning
San Francisco played small ball to get the first run of the game and take the lead entering the ninth.
Steve Holm singled to lead-off the inning. He was replaced by pinch-runner Eugenio Velez. Matt Cain sacrificed him to second on a perfect bunt. Dave Roberts singled up the middle to score the speedy Velez easily and put the Giants up 1-0.
Redding's afternoon
Tim Redding was solid in his eight innings, giving up a run in the eigth. He was in control all afternoon and very efficient with his pitches. He scattered seven hits and didn't walk a batter. He just may be the hard luck loser who tossed a complete game and lost 1-0.
8 IP, 7 H, R, 0 BB, 5 K. 97 pitches, 66 strikes.
Cain thru 7 innings
Cain has been just as good as Redding, allowing just two hits, one by Redding. He's thrown 80 pitches to this point and hasn't been in any trouble all day.
7 IP, 2 H, K.
Redding thru 6 innings
Redding is in complete control after six innings. He has retired eight straight and thrown 66 pitches to this point. Redding has nine groundouts and five flyouts and hasn't walked a batter.
6 IP, 4 H, 4 K.
Cain thru 4 innings
Cain was perfect thru three innings and retired the first two batters in the fourth befrore Ryan Zimmerman doubled. Cain struck out Austin Kearns looking to end the inning.
4 IP, H, 0 BB, 2 K.
Redding thru 3 innings
Redding got out of a jam in the third by striking out Randy Winn with runners on the corners. A single, sac bunt and an infield single gave the Giants a chance to get a run, but Redding did his job and got out of the inning unscathed.
3 IP, 3 H, 0 BB, 2 K. 40 pitches, 27 strikes.
Lo Duca's mental mistake
Paul Lo Duca was thinking double play on pitcher Matt Cain's sac bunt attempt, but he didn't get an out. With Steve Holm on first, Cain attempted to bunt him to second. Cain popped the ball up and Lo Duca, instead of catching the ball, let it drop because Cain wasn't running and he had an easy double play. The problem is, the ball fell in fair territory and spun foul. On the next pitch, Cain did get the bunt down and moved the runner over to second. I understand what Lo Duca was trying to do, but in that situation you need to get an out and not let the runner move into scoring position. Luckily it didn't come back to haunt Redding.
Starting Lineups
Nationals
CF Willie Harris
SS Cristian Guzman
3B Ryan Zimmerman
RF Austin Kearns
C Johnny Estrada
1B Paul Lo Duca
2B Felipe Lopez
LF Ryan Langerhans
P Tim Redding
Giants
LF Dave Roberts
2B Jose Castillo
RF Randy Winn
CF Aaron Rowand
1B John Bowker
3B Rich Aurilia
SS Emmanuel Burriss
C Steve Holm
P Matt Cain
Game Preview
Nationals (38-63) at San Francisco (42-58)
Luis Ayala couldn't hold a 4-3 lead in the eighth last night and the Nationals dropped their second straight to the Giants 6-4. Collin Balester pitched five innings of six-hit, three-run ball, but settled for a no-decision.
Tim Redding looks to snap the Nationals two game losing streak and salvage the series finale. Matt Cain aims for the sweep in the 3-game series and the season series.
Pitching Match-Up
RHP Tim Redding (7-4, 4.17) suffered his first loss in 12 starts last Friday. He gave up six runs on six hits and three walks in four innings in the Braves 7-6 win. After retiring the side in order in the first, Redding struggled through the next three innings.
He gave up a 2-run double to Brent Lillibridge in the second to fall behind 2-0. After the Nationals tied the game in the top of the third, Brian McCann hit a 3-run triple and Mark Kotsay drove in a run to put the Braves up 6-2 and hold on for the one-run victory.
Redding has never beaten the Giants in his career; seven games, five starts. Last season he faced San Francisco twice and lost both games, giving up seven runs in 12 innings. Redding gave up two homers and walked eight.
This is the 10th start outside of DC for Redding. He's been pretty solid, going 3-1 with a 4.21 ERA on the road. In 50 games, 38 starts, after the All-Star break, Redding is 10-17 with a 4.44 ERA in his career.
RHP Matt Cain (5-8, 4.08) is looking to snap a three-game winless streak. He's 0-2 with a no-decision. Cain has encountered control problems in his last four starts, walking at least three in each game and five in his last outing.
Cain suffered the loss in the Brewers 9-1 win on July 18th. He gave up four runs, three earned in six innings walking as many as he struck out, five.
Earlier this year, Cain snapped a four-game winless streak when he beat the Nationals 3-2 on June 9th. He scattered eight hits over 6 1/3 innings and gave up one run to earn the victory. Washington's lone run came on Jesus Flores' sac fly in the fourth.
In his career against the Nationals, five starts, Cain is 2-2 with a 3.00 ERA. He's 3-5 with a 4.22 ERA at AT&T Park this season and 13-15 with a 3.31 ERA in 38 starts since the All-Star break.
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