Nats win 9-8 on Dukes' walk-off walk in 10th
It took the Nationals' three hours and forty-six minutes and 10 innings to beat the Braves 9-8 and extend their winning streak to a season-high five games. It wasn't easy, as they trailed by four runs twice and needed a bases loaded walk to pick up the win.
Washington loaded the sacks on Vladimir Nunez, with nobody out in the 10th, on a two walks, one intentional, and a single. Nunez struck out Lastings Milledge and got Ronnie Belliard to line out to shallow center before Elijah Dukes walked, on a 3-2 pitch, to force in the winning run.
Steven Shell, who gave up a double and walk in the top of the inning, but didn't allow a run, earned his first Major League victory.
The Braves jumped out to a 4-0 lead on Jason Bergmann in the third with four doubles, three consecutive. Bergmann left the ball over the middle of the plate to Josh Anderson, Chipper Jones, Brian McCann and Omar Infante and all four hit doubles as Atlanta took a 3-0 lead. Martin Prado's single put the Braves up 4-0.
Bergmann lasted just 4 1/3 innings, giving up six runs on eight hits and three walks. He threw 87 pitches. Six of the eight hits were for extra bases; four doubles and two homers.
Washington got two runs back in the fourth on Anderson Hernandez's two run single. Hernandez, who went 3-5, with a walk and scored the winning run, raised his average to .462
Bergmann gave both runs back in the fifth. McCann led off the inning with his 23rd homer of the season. McCann leads all catchers in long balls. One-out later, Prado took Bergmann deep and the Braves had their four-run lead back, 6-2
For the second time in three games, the Nationals would score five runs in an inning; this time they would take their first lead of the night. Ryan Zimmerman and Milledge hit back-to-back singles to start the fifth.
Belliard's double would score Zimmerman to make it 6-3. After Dukes walked to load the bases, Jesus Flores emptied them with a 3-run double, tying the game 6-6. Two outs later, Hernandez gave Washington a 7-6 lead with an RBI single.
Belliard's second hit of the game, a run scoring single, would put the Nationals up 8-6 in sixth. Milledge singled, stole second and scored on the base knock.
Chipper Jones' home run in the seventh, his 20th of the season, got the Braves to within 8-7. Jones is just the second player in MLB history to begin his career with 14 straight 20-homer seasons. Eddie Mathews is the other player.
Atlanta tied the game in the eighth off Saul Rivera. Pinch-hitter Greg Norton singled and moved to second on Anderson's bloop base hit to left. Gregor Blanco then ripped a double to the gap in right-center, scoring Norton with the tying run. Anderson, trying to score from first, was thrown out at the plate on a perfect relay throw from Hernandez and a great block from Flores.
The Nationals go for their second consecutive series win Sunday afternoon as Collin Balester battles Jair Jurrjens.
Postgame Notes
The Nationals 5-game winning streak is their longest winning streak since winning 5 from September 1-5, 2007. it was Washington's 9th walk-off win and 12th in its last at-bat. The Nationals improved to 5-6 in extra-inning games, including a 5-2 mark at Nationals Park.
Each of the first 6 players in the Nationals lineup: Hernandez, Guzman, Zimmerman, Milledge, Belliard and Dukes posted a multi-hit effort. Hernandez, Guzman and Zimmerman had 3 hits each
Anderson Hernandez went 3-for-5 with career-high 3 RBI. With tonight's 3-hit effort, Hernandez has multi-hit efforts, three 2-hit contests and two 3-hit efforts, in 5 of 6 games with the Nationals.
Jesus Flores snapped an 0-for-21 drought and with the fifth inning with a bases-clearing 3-run double. At .375 (33-for-88), he leads the NL in batting with runners in scoring position. Flores paces Washington with 58 RBI, yet has started only 76 of 136 games; 56%.
Ryan Zimmerman is batting .347 (26-for-75) with 5 doubles, one triple, one home run, and 9 RBI in 19 games beginning August 10.
With 2 hits tonight, Ronnie Belliard has matched his career-high for hits, 36, in a single month. He also recorded 36 hits in September of '07. Belliard is hitting at a .396 (36-for-91) clip with 7 doubles, 2 home runs, and 14 RBI in August.
Cristian Guzman went 3-for-6 tonight with a stolen base, collecting his 5th consecutive multi-hit game and 6th in his last 8 games, four 2 hit contests, a 3-hit effort and a 4-hit performance. Over that span, he is batting .459 (17-for-37) with 2 doubles, one triple, one home run and 6 RBI.
Final Linescore
Braves 8-14-0
Nationals 9-16-0
WP-Shell (1-1)
LP-Nunez (0-2)
HR-McCann (23), Prado (2), C. Jones (20)
Pete McElroy's Live Gameblog
Give me love
Saul Rivera couldn't hold the Nationals lead in the eighth as Gregor Blanco's double tied the game 8-8.
Greg Norton's pinch-hit single got the inning started. Josh Anderson followed with a bloop base hit to left to put runners on first and second. Blanco doubled to the gap in right-center scoring Norton. Anderson, trying to score from first, was cut down at the plate on a great relay throw from Anderson Hernandez and block of the dish by Jesus Flores.
Take me home tonight
Chipper Jones solo homer off Charlie Manning in the seventh cut the Nationals lead to 8-7.
Jones' homer was the 20th of the season and it gives him 14-straight 20 homer seasons, tying him with Eddie Mathews as the only two players in MLB history to hit at least 20 in the first 14 seasons in the big leagues.
NeutRON Dance
Ok, that was a bit of a stretch, but the Pointer Sisters sang that song in the 70's. Cut me a little slack, would ya!!
The Nationals weren't satisfied with a one-run lead, so they added another in the sixth to lead Atlanta 8-6.
Lastings Milledge singled, stole second, his 19th of the year, and scored on Ronnie Belliard's RBI single, his second of the night.
Round and round
Washington's offense has Jason Bergmann's back. He can thank them later. Bergmann gave up six runs in four-plus innings and left the Nationals in a 6-2 hole. No worries, we'll get them back and that's just what they did.
Ronnie Belliard singled home Ryan Zimmerman, who led off with a single, his third of the night. Elijah Dukes walked to load the bases and Jesus Flores unloaded them with a three-run double to the gap in left-center, tying the game at 6-6; all with no outs.
Anderson Hernandez drove home Flores with a bloop single to center and the Nationals have their first lead of the game 7-6.
Should I Laugh or Cry
Every pitch Bergmann left over the middle of the plate was hit hard by the Braves batters. All eight hits were scorched and seven of them went for extra bases; four doubles and two homers. He has given up 14 runs in his last three starts, including four home runs. After giving up two long balls in the fifth, Bergmann was sent to the showers.
4 1/3 IP, 8 H, 6 R, 3 BB, 0 K, 2 HR. 87 pitches, 51 strikes.
Don't look back
The two runs the Nationals scored in the fourth were given right back in the fifth.
Jason Bergmann gave up solo home runs to Brian McCann and Martin Prado and the Braves lead 6-2. Manny Acta had seen enough and Bergmann was replaced by Marco Estrada. This is the first time in the last five games that the Nationals starter won't get the win.
It takes two
Washington, who stranded five runners in the first three innings, got a clutch base hit from Anderson Hernandez and the Nationals cut the Braves lead to 4-2.
Elijah Dukes led off with a single and stole second. Ryan Langerhans walked and both runners advanced on Jason Bergmann's first sac bunt of the season. Hernandez then delivered an opposite field single to score both Dukes and Langerhans.
Double Vision
Jason Bergmann gave up four doubles, three consecutive; in the third and the Braves lead 4-0. He threw 27 pitches in the inning. All of the hits were on pitches left over the middle of the plate.
3 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 2 BB, 0 K. 55 pitches, 32 strikes
Four Sticks
Larry Wayne Jones, better known as Chipper, put the Braves on the board with an RBI double in the third.
Josh Anderson hit a one-out double, high off the wall in right-center, and scored on Jones' two-bagger. Jason Bergmann tried to sneak a fastball on the inside corner on Jones, but he turned on it and pulled it down the line in right.
Brian McCann followed with a double of his own to chase Jones home for the 2-0 lead. Omar Infante got in on the action and doubled to left, scoring McCann for the 3-0 advantage. Martin Prado ended the double streak and hit an RBI single and the Braves lead 4-0.
One is the loneliest number
Jason Bergmann is still in search of his first hit of the season. He is 0-39 with 20 strike outs. If he goes the rest of the season with out a hit, he will join some elite company. Bergmann doesn't have to worry about the All-time record of 0-70 set by Bob Buhl of the Braves and Cubs in 1962. In the second inning tonight, Bergmann drove a ball deep to the gap in right-center but Josh Anderson chased it down.
Walk this Way
In keeping up with 70's night at Nationals Park, I'll do my best to stay with the theme and try to match a 70's song with the title of each entry. Jason Bergmann walked two batters in the first inning, but managed to get out of the inning with out giving up a run. He issued a free pass to lead-off hitter Josh Anderson on four pitches. Hopefully this trend doesn't continue.
Starting Line-Ups
Braves:
CF Josh Anderson
LF Gregor Blanco
3B Chipper Jones
C Brian McCann
SS Omar Infante
1B Martin Prado
RF Brandon Jones
2B Kelly Johnson
P Jo-Jo Reyes
Nationals:
2B Anderson Hernandez
SS Cristian Guzman
3B Ryan Zimmerman
CF Lastings Milledge
1B Ronnie Belliard
RF Elijah Dukes
C Jesus Flores
LF Ryan Langerhans
P Jason Bergmann
Game Preview
Atlanta (59-76) at Nationals (50-85)
Washington won their fourth consecutive game last night, beating the Braves 7-3, and in the process picked up their 50th win of the season.
Odalis Perez earned his sixth victory of the season by going 6 1/3 solid innings. He gave up three runs, two earned, all in the fifth. After the game Perez said he kept the Braves off balance by mixing up his pitches, something he and pitching coach Randy St. Claire worked on between starts.
The Nationals offense jumped out to a 5-0 lead and never looked back. Ryan Zimmerman and Lastings Milledge each had two RBI.
Tonight, the Nationals look to knock off Atlanta for the fifth straight game and try to win their fifth game overall, which would be a season high.
Pitching Match-Up
RHP Jason Bergmann (2-10, 4.56) is coming off another sub-par outing. Last Sunday, Bergmann gave up four runs on four hits and four walks in 6 1/3 innings against the Cubs in Chicago.
All four hits Bergmann allowed were for extra bases; two doubles and two home runs. Mark DeRosa led off the second with his 18th of the year. Two batters later, Geovany Soto connected with his 19th of the season, a 2-run shot, to put Chicago up 3-0.
Bergmann got past the third thru sixth innings before giving up a one-out double and being replaced by Steven Shell. Shell gave up a pinch-hit 2-run homer. He allowed another run to score; albeit unearned. Bergmann threw 112 pitches, 64 for strikes.
This is the first start against the Braves for Bergmann this season. He has two relief appearances vs. Atlanta and he's been roughed up in both. On April 12th, he gave up four runs on four hits, two homers, in just two innings. On July 18th, the Braves scored a run on two hits in two innings. Atlanta won both games, but Bergmann didn't factor in the decision.
Last year Bergmann faced the Braves five times, going 3-1 with a 2.64 ERA. He was 2-0 with a 3.07 ERA in two starts at RFK Stadium and 1-1 with a 2.25 ERA. In his career vs. Atlanta, Bergmann is 4-2 with a 3.68 ERA in 15 games, seven starts.
Bergmann is still looking for his first win at Nationals Park. He is 0-3 with a 5.30 ERA in 10 games, nine starts.
LHP Jo-Jo Reyes (3-10, 5.34) has been nothing short of brutal in his last nine starts. He is 0-6 with a 6.53 ERA. Atlanta is 1-8 in those games.
The worst of the nine starts came against the Nationals on July 20th. Reyes gave up six runs on seven hits and four walks while lasting just 2 1/3 innings, the shortest of the season.
Washington scored three times in the second when Reyes walked Felipe Lopez with the bases loaded. Two-outs later, Willie Harris singled home two runs for the 3-0 lead.
The Nationals chased Reyes with a three-run third. With one-out, Reyes walked Austin Kearns and allowed four straight singles before Bobby Cox came and got him.
Reyes is making his eighth start, ninth appearance, on the road this season. He's 1-5 with a 4.00 ERA compared to 2-5 with a 7.14 ERA at home.
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