Ryan Zimmerman keeps destroying baseballs (Roark done after six strong)

This is starting to get ridiculous. Ryan Zimmerman crushed a first-pitch homer off Aaron Harang with one out in the top of the first inning this afternoon, giving him eight homers in his last 10 games, and giving the Nationals a 1-0 lead. Eight of Zimmerman's last 10 hits have left the yard, which is just insane. More than a third of his 23 homers this season have come in the last week and a half. Zimmerman's 23rd homer now ties him with Jayson Werth for the team lead. This homer came on a first-pitch 88 mph fastball from Harang, and it flew out to straightaway center. It's been a strange road trip for Zimmerman, because as I noted earlier, his batting average and on-base percentage over the last couple of weeks haven't been too impressive. It seems like every time he reaches base, however, it's only for a split-second, as he then gets to casually go into a home run trot before grabbing a seat in the Nats' dugout. Update: Tanner Roark allowed a run in the bottom of the first on Daniel Murphy's RBI double, making it a 1-1 game. And now we'll have to wait to see if the Nats can respond. The tarp has been brought onto the field at Citi Field and the Nats and Mets will have to sit through a rain delay before the top of the second. This has to be frustrating for the two starting pitchers, who both took time before the game to get loose and now have to wait around with just an inning in the books. We'll keep you posted on the latest as it becomes known. Update II: The Mets have announced they're aiming for a 2:20 p.m. start time. We shall see. Update III: And we're back in action. MASN's cameras have shown a lot of water on the warning track just outside of the Nationals' dugout. Let's hope no one gets hurt in what are clearly less than ideal playing conditions. Update IV: Adam LaRoche didn't wait long to get back after Harang. LaRoche smoked Harang's third pitch after the delay just over the left field fence for a solo homer, and the Nats have a 2-1 lead. The play was originally ruled a double, as the ball came back into the yard and Eric Young threw it in to hold LaRoche at second. But after a delay of more than four minutes, umpires correctly ruled that the ball bounced off a bar just above the orange line atop the fence, making it a home run. It's LaRoche's 20th homer of the season, meaning the Nats just need a a Bryce Harper home run to have five players with 20 or more longballs this season. Oh, and they've also out-homered the Mets 11-0 in this series. Update V: A half-inning after the Mets knotted the game 2-2, Wilson Ramos clubbed his 13th homer of the season, a drive deep into the left field bleachers, to give the Nats a 3-2 advantage. This is Ramos' second homer of the series and it comes in his 20th straight start. The guy is apparently making up for lost time after missing so much action the last two seasons due to knee and hamstring injuries. The Nats now have 12 home runs this series. The Mets still have none. Update VI: Roark is now done after six strong innings, and if the Nats' bullpen can hold the score as it is, the rookie right-hander will improve to 6-0 on the season. He needed just 78 pitches to get through six today, allowing two runs on six hits with one walk and three strikeouts. Roark worked quickly, kept the ball down in the zone for the most part, and attacked Mets hitters. The Nats have a two-run lead going to the bottom of the seventh after Anthony Rendon's sac fly brought in LaRoche, who had doubled leading off the top of the seventh and then moved to third on a groundout. LaRoche has started to heat up on this road trip, batting .355 with two homers and three doubles over these 10 games. It's 4-2 Nats as Craig Stammen comes on.



Nats win 7-2, finish off four-game sweep of Mets
Roark back to the hill in series finale vs. Mets
 

By accepting you will be accessing a service provided by a third-party external to https://www.masnsports.com/