WASHINGTON 6 St. Louis 3 (CBS Sportsline Boxscore)
If you thought 3B Ryan Zimmerman was experiencing a sophomore jinx early this year, you were not the only one. However, since July 2, he has hit .342. As Capital Punishment notes, he isn’t the only Nat hitting well of late.
One day after his first two homer game, Zimmerman went 3 for 5. In his last at bat, he won the game when he singled after three consecutive (wasn’t it four?) fouled off pitches with the count 0-2. St. Louis reliever Ryan Franklin had this to say (AP/CBS Sportsline):
“And again he gets a hit, so I can’t do anything about that. I can’t hang my head and say I made a mistake or anything,” Franklin said. “We’ll see how long that lasts — see how long that they keep getting broken-bat hits and ground balls in the hole. It will even out.”
I ask, just who is Ryan Franklin to rain on the parade? Bitter much?
Matt Chico didn’t have his best outing, going only 5 innings and giving up three runs, including two on pitcher Adam Wainwright’s homer in the fourth that justifed his spot at 8th in the batting order. Chico did contribute with the bat too, sending Ryan Church home with an infield single RBI in the second.
The bullpen held the Cardinals scoreless for four innings. Chad Cordero got a 1-2-3 save with Austin Kearns snagging a hot shot to right to end the game.
Nats Complete Sweeps Week – The Post
Nats win all six in homestand – The Wash. Times
Have people over-valued Brian Schneider’s catching prowess (The Wash. Times) because of his anemic batting average?
Next up are the Giants in San Francisco with Barry Bonds sitting on career homer #755. Many expect Hank Aaron’s record to fall with the Nationals in town (The Wash. Times), but the Nationals have on occasion defied expectations. Rookie John Lannan gets the ball tonight and has been told not to fear the embattled slugger (The Post). Thom Loverro of The Wash. Times agrees and notes few will remember the pitcher who serves up #756 anyway.
Kearns is wondering what he should do (The Post) if he gets the #756 ball. If I were him, I’d throw it to home plate and have the catcher “tag” Bonds out.
I don’t actually have any strong feelings on Bonds and I think Bud Selig deserves having to sit through this in agony. The commissioner did nothing of substance for years and years on performance enhancement and now he has to deal with the poster boy for cheating (allegedly) breaking one of the three most hallowed records in the sport. I think Selig has made all of 2½ decisions in 15 years (cancel the 1994 season, call off the All-Star game; moving the Expos to D.C. was only half a decision because it was so half-assed). Hank Aaron doesn’t deserve it of course, but in the end, his legacy may be improved.
Saturday:
WASHINGTON 12 St. Louis 1 (CBS Sportsline Boxscore)
Did you even see this game? MASN, owned by Peter Angelo$, screwed up the broadcast (again) (The Post) for just about everybody. Stan Kasten SMASH! (The Wash. Times). Angelo$ just has a way of screwing up everything he touches having to do with baseball. Of course, since he is such a vindictive coward this can be expected. Note to Kasten: you can buy more time for The Plan by publicly and ruthlessly taking away Peter Angelo$’ dignity sometime. I’m just saying.
Zimmerman had his first two homer game (The Wash. Times) in a 12-1 rout.
Zimmerman, Nats Extend Win Streak – The Post
Nationals win fifth straight – The Wash. Times