Nats drop eighth straight, 8-5
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The Nationals' best pitcher, Tim Redding, was supposed to put an end to the seven-game losing streak. It didn't happen and the streak is now at eight, one shy of their season's longest, as the Phillies beat Washington, 8-5, their fourth straight win.
After giving up two first-inning runs, Redding settled down in the next three frames, only to have the wheels fall off in the fifth.
Leading 3-2, Redding gave up a lead-off single and walked opposing pitcher Jamie Moyer. Jimmy Rollins doubled to the gap in right-center, scoring Carlos Ruiz and tying the game at 3-3.
Shane Victorino followed with a single to score Moyer and Rollins and the Phillies led 5-3. Chase Utley's 27th home run, a 2-run shot, gave the Phils a four-run cushion.
Trailing 2-0 after half an inning, Willie Harris led-off with his eighth homer of the season to make it 2-1. It was the first lead-off home run on the season for the Nationals and first since Felipe Lopez hit a lead-off shot against Milwaukee on May 8, 2007.
Two outs later Austin Kearns doubled to left. Jesus Flores then ripped a 2-run shot, his seventh, to put the Nationals in front 3-2.
After the Phillies took an 8-3 lead in the fifth, Harris hit a 1-out double and advanced to third on an error by right-fielder Geoff Jenkins, but Washington failed to get him home.
Steven Shell, who replaced Redding in the fifth, pitched three innings of one-run ball. The lone run came on Victorino's lead-off homer in the seventh. It snapped Shell's scoreless inning streak at 15. It was the longest streak by a Nationals reliever this season.
Brad Lidge gave up a double to pinch-hitter Ryan Langerhans, but left him stranded, and picked up his 26th save.
Final Linescore
Phillies 8-12-2
Nationals 5-10-1
WP-Moyer (10-6)
LP-Redding (7-6)
SV-Lidge (26)
HR-Harris (8), Flores (7), Utley (27), Victorino (9)
Postgame Notes
Tim Redding, who has lost his last three starts, may be moved prior to Thursday's 4:00 p.m. trade deadline. If you look at what he did on Wednesday night, you may think he is staying with the Nationals. Redding knows you don't look at one outing, but what a player has done over the course of the season.
Tim Redding talks with reporters about the trade deadline
Willie Harris passed his career total for home runs with his eighth of the season. Harris had a total of seven big league bombs in his seven seasons prior to this year. He went 3-5 with an RBI and two runs scored.
With a home run and single, Jesus Flores is batting .368 with two homers and 11 RBI in his last 12 games.
With three first-inning runs, the Nationals scored at least three for only the third time this season. The last time they did it was on April 18th at Florida. The most they have scored in the first inning was five, on April 3rd at Philadelphia.
The loss drops the Nationals to 38-69, 31 games under .500. They have lost four straight to the Phillies and fall to 5-18 in July.
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Phillies scoring, 7th inning
Shane Victorino led-off with his ninth homer of the year, seventh of the month, to put the Phillies on top 8-3. Victorino extended his hitting streak to 10 game with a first inning single. He has driven in three runs on the night.
Redding's short night
Redding didn't retire a batter in the fifth and his night was over almost as soon as it began. The Phillies put up a 5-spot and lead 7-3. He faced five Phillies and all five scored. If there was a chance he would be traded by tomorrow's 4:00 p.m. deadline, he certainly didn't help himself with tonight's outing.
4+ IP, 10 H, 7 R, BB, K, HR. 73 pitches, 47 strikes.
Phillies scoring, 5th inning
Redding never retired a batter and the five he faced, ended up scoring. After Carlos Ruiz led-off with a single, Redding broke a cardinal rule by walking opposing pitcher Jamie Moyer. Jimmy Rollins doubled home a run to tie the game 3-3. Shane Victorino singled to plate two more, giving the Phillies a 5-3 lead. Chase Utley followed with his 27th home run, a 2-run shot, and Redding was sent to an early shower.
Redding thru 3 innings
Redding has settled down since the four-hit, 2-run first. He needed 20 pitches to get out of that inning, but just 21 to get get thru the next two. He's retired the last five Phillies.
3 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 0 K.
Nationals scoring, 1st inning
Trailing 2-0, Willie Harris led-off the home half of the inning with his eighth home run of the season. It was the Nationals' first lead-off home run of the season. Two outs later, Austin Kearns doubled to left and scored in front of Jesus Flores's 2-run shot to left, giving the Nationals a 3-2 lead after one inning.
Phillies scoring, 1st inning
Tim Redding gave up four consecutive singles, with one out, and the Phillies took a 2-0 lead. Pat Burrell's bases-loaded single to left scored Shane Victorino and Chase Utley. Redding got Geoff Jenkins to ground into a 6-4-3 double to end the inning and avoid further damage.
Starting Line-Ups
Phillies:
SS Jimmy Rollins
CF Shane Victorino
2B Chase Utley
1B Ryan Howard
LF Pat Burrell
RF Geoff Jenkins
3B Eric Bruntlett
C Carlos Ruiz
P Jamie Moyer
Nationals:
LF Willie Harris
CF Lastings Milledge
3B Ryan Zimmerman
RF Austin Kearns
C Jesus Flores
2B Ronnie Belliard
1B Paul Lo Duca
SS Felipe Lopez
P Tim Redding
Game Preview
Philadelphia (57-49) at Nationals (38-68)
The Nationals' anemic offense snapped a 26-inning scoreless streak on Tuesday night, but the lone run wasn't enough as they lost 2-1, their seventh straight game.
Lost in all of this was Collin Balester's solid outing. He gave up two runs in six innings.
In those seven games, Washington has scored a total of 10 runs and managed just 42 hits. That's 1.4 runs and six hits per game.
The Phillies, who lost three of their first four to the Nationals, have won three straight overall and three in a row against Washington, all at Nationals Park.
Tonight, Tim Redding looks to remain unbeaten against the Phillies this season while Jamie Moyer goes for his second consecutive win against the Nationals.
Pitching Match-Up
RHP Tim Redding (7-5, 3.98) is making his 23rd start of the season and 13th at home. He is 4-3 with a 4.14 ERA at Nationals Park and opponents are hitting .281 off him. Redding picked up his first win on July 11th after nine consecutive no-decisions, but has lost his last two starts.
Redding is making his third start against the Phillies this year and second at home. He's 2-0 and has dominated the defending NL East champs. Redding hasn't given up a run and the Phillies have just eight hits in 13 1/3 innings.
In his last start against the Phils on May 19th, he scattered seven hits in 6 1/3 innings in the Nationals 4-0 win. On April 2nd in Philadelphia, Redding tossed a seven-inning one-hitter and earned the win in Washington's 1-0 victory.
In his career against the Phillies, eight starts, Redding is 4-2 with a 2.34 ERA.
LHP Jamie Moyer (9-6, 3.96) may be 45-years-old, but he has been amazing for the Phillies this season. He's making his 22ns start and 12th on the road. Moyer is unbeaten in his four July starts, going 2-0 with a 2.36 ERA.
The crafty lefty is making his third start against the Nationals this year and looks to improve to 2-0. Moyer is 1-0 with a 2.79 ERA, giving up three runs in 9 2/3 innings. He beat Washington, 12-2, on May 21st at Nationals Park, tossing six scoreless innings.
Moyer gave up seven hits and allowed at least one hit in every inning except the fourth, but stranded seven base runners in his first four innings. He retired eight of the final nine Nationals he faced and left the game leading 12-0.
In his career against the Phils, 20 games, 19 starts, Moyer is 9-4 with a 2.90 ERA and he's 5-3 with a 2.93 ERA in 11 games outside of Philadelphia.
The last couple of years Mike Mussina of the Yankees has had injuries and just a bad time in the pinstripes. Any chance that the Yankees will unload him and would the Nats pick him up? We need pitching and only a few people have seen or batted against Mussina. Does anyone feel that the Moose still has it in a changed atmosphere?