Nats blanked again, 6-0; Sheets tosses 5-hit gem
Last night it was CC Sabathia; tonight it was Ben Sheets who shutout the Nationals, 6-0. It's tough to say who had the better outing, but I would guess the Nationals would say they were equally as good.
The Nationals have now been held scoreless in 22 straight innings. The last time they scored was in the fifth inning of the second game of the doubleheader against the Rockies on Thursday night.
Sheets allowed five hits, three singles and two doubles, didn't walk a batter and struck out six. The only inning in which the Nationals looked like they might break the scoring drought was the eighth, but Sheets settled down and kept Washington off the board.
Ronnie Belliard led-off with a single and moved to third on a double by Willie Harris, but pinch-hitter Ryan Langerhans lined out to first, Emilio Bonifacio struck out and Cristian Guzman grounded out.
Tim Redding didn't have a quality outing, giving up five runs on seven hits and four walks in just five innings. Three of the seven hits were home runs and Redding needed 105 pitches, 48 of which were balls.
Milwaukee scored twice in the third on an RBI single by Gabe Kapler, who replaced an injured Ryan Braun, and a sac fly by Corey Hart.
The Brewers hit back-to-back homers in the fourth to extend their lead to 4-0. Ray Durham hit his fourth of the year to right and J.J. Hardy followed with his 17th. Hart took Redding deep in the fifth to dead center to put the Brewers up 5-0.
Steven Shell pitched the sixth and seventh, allowing a single and striking out two. Luis Ayala came in to pitch the eighth and gave up double to Jason Kendall and an RBI single to Sheets. It was the 12th career run batted in for Sheets.
Postgame Notes
Ronnie Belliard went 2-3.
This is the third time this year the Nationals were shutout in consecutive games. The Dodgers, July 26 & 27, and the Diamondbacks, May 31 & June 1 also blanked Washington in back-to-back games.
The Nationals have been shutout 17 times this year.
Austin Kearns, who went 0-4, is now hitless in his last 12 at bats
Final Linescore
Nationals 0-5-0
Brewers 6-10-0
WP-Sheets (11-5)
LP-Redding (8-7)
HR-Durham (4), Hardy (17), Hart (17)
Pete McElroy's Live Gameblog
Brewers scoring, 5th inning
Cory Hart's 17th home run of the season, to deep center field, puts the Brewers up 5-0.
Tim Redding struggled thru five innings, throwing 105 pitches, and his night is over. Pete Orr pinch-hit for Redding in the sixth and doubled to left. It was just the second base hit for the Nationals and first extra base knock in the series.
Redding's short night
From the first pitch to his last, Tim Redding was all over the place. He threw 105 pitches, only 57 for strikes, walked four Brewers, one intentionally and gave up three solo home runs. He was never able to settle into any kind of rhythm and Milwaukee took advantage. Redding was rarely ahead in the count, thus the near 50/50 ball to strikeout ratio.
5 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 4 BB, 3 K, 3 HR, WP.
Brewers scoring, 4th inning
Milwaukee hit back-to-back homers off Tim Redding in the fourth to take a 4-0 lead.
Ray Durham hit a 2-out blst to right, his fourth of the season. Five pitches later, J.J. Hardy hit a laser to left, his 17th of the season and the Brewers lead is now 4-0.
Ben Sheets is following in CC Sabathia shoes. Sheets is mowing down the Nationals with ease thru four innings. Washington has just one hit.
Redding thru 3 innings
Tim Redding just doesn't have it tonight. He's thrown 71 pitches, 38 for strikes and walked four batters already. Redding is consistently falling behind Milwaukee hitters and doesn't seem real confident, The Brewers left the bases loaded in the second and two more runners in the third.
3 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 4 BB, 3 K.
Brewers scoring, 3rd inning
Tim Redding is struggling to find a comfort zone and it may cost him a short lived evening.
Redding has thrown 71 pitches thru the first three innings and has just as many balls as strikes; 33 to 38. Gabe Kapler, who replaced Ryan Braun who left the game with tightness in his lower back, singled home a run to make it 1-0. Corey Hart's sac fly made it 2-0.
Brewers injury
Left-fielder Ryan Braun left the game after the top of the third with tightness in his lower back. Gabe Kapler replaces Braun, batting third and playing in left.
Pitchers update
Ben Sheets has faced one over the minimum thru three innings. Ronnie Belliard singled to lead-off the third, stole second, but was stranded there.
Milwaukee loaded the bases in the second, but Sheets popped out to second to end the threat. Tim Redding has walked the lead-off batter in each of the first two innings and he's thrown 39 pitches so far.
Starting Line-ups
Nationals
2B Emilio Bonifacio
SS Cristian Guzman
3B Ryan Zimmerman
RF Austin Kearns
CF Lastings Milledge
C Jesus Flores
1B Ronnie Belliard
LF Willie Harris
P Tim Redding
Brewers
2B Ray Durham
SS J.J. Hardy
LF Ryan Braun
1B Prince Fielder
RF Corey Hart
3B Russell Branyan
CF Mike Cameron
C Jason Kendall
P Ben Sheets
Game Preview
Nationals (44-72) at Milwaukee (65-51)
Prior to Friday night, the Nationals' offense was on a roll, scoring 42 runs in their previous seven games and winning six of those contests.
Last night, CC Sabathia shutout Washington 5-0, scattering five hits, striking out nine and walking just one, during his complete-game shutout.
Tonight, Tim Redding, who was hit by a ball during batting practice on Thursday, will look to shut down the Brewers and get the Nationals back on track.
It won't be an easy task, as Milwaukee sends Ben Sheets to the hill, looking t extend the Brewers' three-game winning streak.
Pitching Match-Up
RHP Tim Redding (8-6, 4.44) had a scare on Thursday when he suffered a right quadriceps contusion after getting hit by a line drive during batting practice. He's expected to make the start against the Brewers.
Redding wasn't very sharp in his start last Monday against the Rockies, but good enough to pick up the win in the Nationals 9-4 victory. He gave up four runs, three in the first, on six hits and three walks in five innings. Redding struck out six while throwing 112 pitches.
Colorado's first four batters reached base before Redding registered an out. He gave up a single, walk, RBI double and 2-run single to fall behind 3-0. The Nationals' offense bailed him out with a single run in the second and four in the third.
The win snapped a three game losing streak and was his first on the road since May 14th at Shea Stadium. Redding is making his 12th road start of the year. He's 4-2 with a 4.06 ERA.
In his career vs. Milwaukee, 15 games, Redding is 5-5 with a 4.55 ERA and he's 2-4 with a 5.67 ERA in nine games at Miller Park. Last year, Redding beat the Brew Crew 7-2 on July 8th at RFK Stadium. He gave up two runs on five hits in six innings.
RHP Ben Sheets (10-5, 3.14) looks to snap a five-start winless streak in which he's gone 0-3 with a 4.60 ERA and two no-decisions.
In his last outing, against Atlanta last Sunday, Sheets suffered the loss in the Braves' 5-0 win. He allowed only two earned runs in six innings. He threw 97 pitches, 68 for strikes, but struck out only four while walking three and he couldn't get past the sixth inning for the fifth time in six starts.
Sheets will make his second start of the season against Washington. He received a no-decision on May 26th. Sheets gave up two runs on seven hits in six innings in the Brewers' 4-3 win at Nationals Park.
He is 2-3 lifetime against the Nats with a 4.21 ERA.
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