3-run 10th gives Nats the 8-5 win; Elijah Dukes with 2 HR's, 3 RBI
Ryan Langerhans pinch-hit homer off Mike Gonzalez in the 10th lifted the Nationals to the 8-5 victory. Washington would tack on two more runs to win their 10th extra innings game of the season.
One out after Langerhans homer, Cristian Guzman tripled to left. Omar Infante tried to make a diving catch on the sinking liner, but he came up empty and the ball went all the way to the wall.
Ryan Zimmerman followed with a double, which hit the chalk in right, scoring Guzman, giving the Nationls' a two run lead. Elijah Dukes fourth hit of the game scored Zimmerman, making it 8-5. Steven Shell pitched a perfect bottom of the 10th to pick up his second career save.
The Braves almost won the game in the bottom of the ninth, off Joel Hanrahan, but they got a bit unlucky when Kelly Johnson's double, to the gap in right-center, with the bases loaded, hopped over the wall. If the ball stays in the park, three runs score and the Braves win 6-5.
Hanrahan gave up a lead-off single to Kotchman before striking out pinch-hitter Omar Infante. Jeff Francoeur doubled to put both runners in scoring position. Pinch-hitter Greg Norton walked, setting the table for Johnson.
Only two runs scored, tying the game 5-5. After Hanrahan intentionally walked Chipper Jones to load the gases, Brian McCann hit a high chopper that Guzman scooped up and fired to first, getting the slow footed catcher by a stride, to end the inning.
Langerhans, the former Brave, jumped on a 1-1 curveball from the lefty Gonzalez and hit his second pinch-hit homer of the season, making a winner of Hanrahan.
The victory snaps the Nationals' two-game losing streak and their four-game road skid. Tim Redding, who didn't factor in the decision, tossed six solid innings. He gave up three runs, two earned, on five hits. He allowed three walks and struck out four. It was the fourth straight outing Redding has allowed three runs or fewer.
Washington hit four solo homers off Mike Hampton. The four home runs Hampton allowed were the most in a game in his 14-year career. He only gave up four long balls all season prior to tonight.
The Nationals jumped out to a 1-0 lead, in the second, on Dukes' first home run of the night. It was the 100th for the team this season. Atlanta scored twice in the bottom of the inning to take a 2-1 advantage.
Brian McCann led off with a walk. One out later Casey Kotchman singled to right. Dukes dropped the ball, allowing McCann to advance to third. His throwing error let Kotchman end up on second. Dukes was charged with two errors on the play.
Brandon Jones' sac fly scored McCann, tying the game 1-1. Gregor Blanco singled home Kotchman to give the Braves the one-run lead.
Willie Harris tied the game with one swing of the bat, hitting his 13th home run of the season. Two batters later, Ryan Zimmerman untied the game with his 12th dinger of the year, making it 3-2.
Dukes, who went 4-5, put the Nationals up 4-2 in the fourth, with his second homer. It's Dukes' second multi-home game of the season and his career. Dukes went deep twice against the Dodgers on August 28th at Nationals Park.
The Braves got a solo home run for shortstop Yunel Escobar in the home half of the inning to make it 4-3, but Anderson Hernandez gave Washington an insurance run in the seventh.
Hernandez, pinch-hitting for Redding, blooped a single to right, with the infield in, scoring Emilio Bonifacio. Bonifacio, hustling out of the box, reached second when Chipper Jones booted the grounder and ended up on second. Wil Nieves bunted Bonifacio to third setting the table for Hernandez.
Postgame Notes
With a third inning homer, Ryan Zimmerman extended his hitting streak to 12 games. He's hitting .408 during that span.
Final Linescore
Nationals 8-12-2
Braves 5-10-1
WP-Hanrahan (6-3)
LP-Gonzalez (0-2)
SV-Shell (2)
HR-Dukes 2 (10), Harris (13), Zimmerman (12), Escobar (9), Langerhans (2)
Pete McElroy's Live Gameblog
Braves scoring, 9th inning
Joel Hanrahan had a chance to nail down Tim Redding's solid outing and hand him his career-high, 11th win, but Kelly Johnson's bases loaded, ground-rule double tied the game 5-5, sending the game to extra innings.
Nationals scoring, 7th inning
Pinch-hitter Anderson Hernandez blooped a single to right to score Emilio Bonifacio, giving the Nationals a 5-3 lead in the seventh.
Bonifacio reached base on Chipper Jones' fielding error and hustled his way to second. Wil Nieves sacrificed him to third and scored on Hernandez's base hit.
Redding's solid night
Tim was lifted for a pinch-hitter in the seventh, not because he was pitching poorly, but Manny Acta wanted to get an insurance run. Redding gave up three runs, two earned, on five hits and three walks. If the nationals bullpen can hold on for the win, Redding will pick up his career-high, 11th win.
6 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 4 K, HR. 79 pitches, 45 strikes.
Braves scoring, 4th inning
Yunel Escobar hit the first pitch he saw from Tim Redding, in the fourth, and sent it over the wall in center field and the Braves' are within a run; 4-3.
Redding grooved a fastball to Escobar and he crushed it for his ninth homer of the season.
Nationals scoring, 4th inning
Elijah Dukes is making up for the two errors he committed in the Braves two-run second inning.
Dukes took Mike Hampton deep for the second time in as many at bats and the Nationals lead 4-2. All four Nationals' runs have come on solo homers.
Redding thru 3 innings
Redding had an easy first, throwing only seven pitches and getting Chipper Jones to ground into an inning ending double play. Two errors by Elijah Dukes extended the second, forcing Tim to throw 23 pitches and give up two runs. He only needed seven to retire the side in order in the third.
3 IP, 3 H, 2 R, ER, BB, K. 37 pitches, 24 strikes
Nationals scoring, 3rd inning
Willie Harris, not known as a power hitter, hit his 13th home run of the season, tying the game 2-2 in the third. Harris had seven career homer coming into this season. Mike Hampton hung a 2-2 cutter and Harris jacked it over the wall in right.
One out later, Ryan Zimmerman hit his 12th of the year to put the Nationals' back on top 3-2. The homer extends Zimmerman's hitting streak to 12 games.
Braves scoring, 2nd inning
Elijah Dukes committed two errors on one play and the Braves took advantage to take a 2-1 lead.
With Brian McCann on first, Casey Kotchman singled to right. Dukes dropped the ball, for one error and his throwing error allowed both runners to advance a base. Brandon Jones' sac fly tied the game and Gregor Blanco's single gave Atlanta the 2-1 lead.
Nationals scoring, 2nd inning
Elijah Dukes ninth home run of the year puts the Nationals' up 1-0.
Dukes hit an 0-1 fastball from Mike Hampton, that just cleard the wall in left-center. The homer was the 100th for Washington this season.
Starting Line-ups
Nationals
LF Willie Harris
SS Cristian Guzman
3B Ryan Zimmerman
CF Lastings Milledge
RF Elijah Dukes
1B Aaron Boone
2B Emilio Bonifacio
C Wil Nieves
P Tim Redding
Braves
CF Josh Anderson
2B Kelly Johnson
3B Chipper Jones
C Brian McCann
SS Yunel Escobar
1B Casey Kotchman
RF Brandon Jones
LF Gregor Blanco
P Mike Hampton
Game Preview
Nationals (54-88) at Atlanta (62-80)
Jason Bergmann was rocked for seven runs in 2 1/3 innings last night as the Braves thumped the Nationals' 10-5, handing them their second straight loss.
There were only three bright spots for the boys from DC last night. Ryan Zimmerman extended his hitting streak to 11 games; Roger Bernadina collected his first career RBI and Ryan Langerhans drove in the 100 and 101st runs of his career.
Washington gives the ball to Tim Redding tonight, who looks for his 11th win of the season, which would be a career high.
Atlanta turns to veteran lefty Mike Hampton to continue the Braves' two-game winning streak
Pitching Match-Up
RHP Tim Redding (10-8, 4.55) matched his career high in wins with a 7-4 victory over the Phillies last Sunday at Nationals Park.
Redding gave up three runs on two hits in 5 2/3 innings, but he walked three and hit two batters while throwing 106 pitches. The win was the fifth of his career against Philadelphia, the most vs. any team.
Redding is making the fourth start of the season against the Braves. He's 1-1 with a 6.60 ERA. In his last start vs. Atlanta, Redding suffered the loss in the Braves' 7-6 win at Turner Field.
After a 1-2-3 first inning, Redding gave up a two-run double to Brent Lillibridge and he needed 30 pitches to get out of the inning. The Nationals' tied the game in the third, but Redding was tagged for four in the bottom of the inning.
Redding loaded the bases with one out before Brian McCann cleared them with a three-run double. Two batters later, former Brave, Mark Kotsay singled home McCann for the 6-2 lead. Redding threw 32 pitches in the third, pushing his total to 70.
Outside of DC, Redding is 4-3 with a 4.18 ERA in 13 starts.
LHP Mike Hampton (2-2, 5.67), who is winless in his last three outings, is making only his ninth start of the season. Hampton started the season on the disabled list with a strained left pectoral muscle.
Hampton signed with the Braves in 2003. He had two decent seasons before getting injured in 2005, making only 12 starts. The 35-year-old lefty missed all of 2006 and 2007 with arm injuries and began 2008 on the DL.
The veteran southpaw has quality starts in his last four games, but he has only one win to show for his efforts. In his last start against the Marlins last Monday, Hampton allowed three runs on six hits in six innings. He threw 106 pitches, the most in a game since April 22, 2005.
Hampton, making his first start against the Nationals this season, is 1-1 with a 4.26 ERA in three starts at Turner Field. The last time he faced Washington was on May 31, 2005. He tossed four scoreless innings of five-hit ball.
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