Rachel Levitin – We Love DC http://www.welovedc.com Your Life Beyond The Capitol Tue, 23 Nov 2021 21:57:50 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=5.9.9 Why we love sara http://www.welovedc.com/2015/04/08/why-we-love-sara/ Wed, 08 Apr 2015 12:00:41 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=98615 Nats Fall 2-1 to Giants in Historically Long Playoff Game, Giants lead 2-0 in the NLDS http://www.welovedc.com/2014/10/06/nats-fall-2-1-to-giants-in-historically-long-playoff-game-giants-lead-2-0-in-the-nlds/ http://www.welovedc.com/2014/10/06/nats-fall-2-1-to-giants-in-historically-long-playoff-game-giants-lead-2-0-in-the-nlds/#comments Mon, 06 Oct 2014 11:00:17 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=98419 Photo Credit: Rachel Levitin

Photo Credit: Rachel Levitin

All anybody could talk about before Saturday’s Game Two of the NLDS in Washington, D.C. was the pitching match-up scheduled to start the game – San Francisco’s Tim Hudson versus Washington’s Jordan Zimmermann. Six hours and twenty-three minutes plus eighteen innings later, the longest game in recorded playoff history wrapped up and the San Francisco Giants advanced to game three with a 2-0 lead in the five-game series by beating the Nationals 2-1.

Hudson – who is notorious for his successful and often dominant outings against the Nationals – was going to be a struggle for the Nats but Washington went into the game planning to be patient with him. On the other hand, Zimmermann was fresh and just six days removed from his historical no-hitter on the final day of the 2014 regular season. The match-up made the first nine innings what they were but the final nine innings played are the reason the evening’s game turned into the longest playoff game ever played.

The Nats scored first thanks to a RBI-single hit by third baseman Anthony Rendon off Hudson that sent second baseman Asdrubal Cabrera home in the third inning. That singular run was the only run scored by either team up until a possible rally formed after Zimmermann walked San Francisco’s second baseman Joe Panik with two out in the ninth inning.

Zimmermann threw 100 pitches and 69 strikes over 8 2/3 innings while striking out six, giving up three hits plus one run, and walking the final batter he faced. The plan at that point, according to Manager Matt Williams, was to replace Zimmermann with the team’s closer to finish the game. While it was a nice thought in theory, the execution is what failed the Nats.

Right-handed reliever Drew Storen entered the game in the ninth inning and proceeded to give up a single to the Giants’ catcher Buster Posey which moved Panik to second base. Then, with two on and two out, Storen gave up a double to third baseman Pablo Sandoval to tie up the game 1-1.

Since Washington’s offense was nearly as quite as it was the day before, they failed to score in the bottom of the ninth and took the game into extra innings. Neither team got the job done and went through nearly every available body on their rosters (sans additional starting pitchers) over the course of the next nine innings played.

Things got to a boiling point early for Washington in the tenth inning when Cabrera’s temper got the best of him and he unleashed his verbal fury and frustration on the home plate umpire over a couple of calls he disagreed with. Cabrera’s actions not only got him ejected but Williams’ protection of his player moment later got him ejected as well. So, the Nationals soldiered onward after the first batter of the tenth inning without their main skipper aboard for the ride and down a starting second baseman.

For what it’s worth, the Nats’ bullpen — for the most part — got their job done. They kept Washington in the game for as long as they could but a quiet offense will not win a tie playoff game in extra innings and the game would most likely go to the team who failed to make a mistake first.

Unfortunately, the team who created the first harmful blemish in regards to Washington’s playoff campaign was a leadoff homerun hit by San Francisco’s first baseman Brandon Belt off the Nationals’ right-handed starter turned playoff reliever Tanner Roark. Roark finished pitching his one inning of work in the eighteenth by striking out two batters and inducing a ground out but Washington’s offense couldn’t salvage the night and proceeded to fall 2-1 in the eighteenth inning against San Francisco.

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Nats Fall 3-2 in Game One of the NLDS to the Giants http://www.welovedc.com/2014/10/04/nats-fall-3-2-in-game-one-of-the-nlds-to-the-giants/ Sat, 04 Oct 2014 14:26:01 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=98409 Strasburg _ Game 1 _ NLDS

Photo Credit: Rachel Levitin

Despite their best efforts, the Washington Nationals fell 3-2 against the San Francisco Giants in game one of the NLDS at Nationals Park on Friday in front of a sellout crowd of 44,035. Right-handed starting pitcher Stephen Strasburg tossed the first playoff game of his young career and tallied eight hits and two runs (one earned) after throwing 89 pitches and 58 strikes in five innings of work plus two batters. Strasburg walked a batter, hit a batter, and threw two strikeouts.

Strasburg’s outing — while not terrible — was far from his best this season. The two strikeouts he tallied are the fewest he’s thrown in a start while pitching five or more innings in his career. On the up side, he extended his scoreless inning stretch to 22 innings pitched before allowing an unearned run in the third, but that didn’t salvage the game for Washington.

The Giants struck first while sprinkling their three runs over the course of the game. Outfielder Travis Ishikawa scored on single hit by second baseman Joe Panik in the third inning, giving San Francisco a 1-0 lead before outfielder Hunter Pence scored off a single hit by first baseman Brandon Belt in the fourth inning; Giants 2, Nats 0.

Then, in the seventh inning, Panik led off with a triple off right-handed reliever Craig Stammen and proceeded to score on a single hit by catcher Buster Posey; Giants 3, Nats 0.

What it boils down to is that Washington’s troubles came in the form of Giants right-handed starter Jake Peavy. Peavy held the Nats’ offense to two hits over five and two-thirds innings pitched while striking out three and walking three on 104 pitches and 62 strikes.

Washington garnered a small glimmer of a hopeful spark in the fifth inning when outfielder Bryce Harper singled off Peavy for their first hit of the day but a more significant and productive spark made its way into the bottom half of the seventh inning as Harper crushed a leadoff homerun that landed in the upper deck of Nationals Park (section 236 to be exact) against right-handed reliever Hunter Strickland to put a Washington run on the scoreboard; Giants 3, Nats 1.

Second baseman Asdrubal Cabrera kept the momentum going and followed Harper’s lead by knocking a solo homerun with one out into the home bullpen in right field bringing Washington within one run of the Giants; Giants 3, Nats 2.

“We hadn’t done much offensively till that point and [Harper] gave us a spark,” Manager Matt Williams said after the game. “[Cabrera] followed, and we had opportunities.”

The Nats’ offensive efforts in the seventh inning weren’t enough to get over the one run lead San Francisco held onto. Washington only managed a couple more singles in the eighth inning before being shut down for the night.

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Jordan Zimmermann Tosses a Historic Regular Season Finale, Nats Beat Marlins 1-0 in Team’s First No-Hitter http://www.welovedc.com/2014/09/29/jordan-zimmermann-tosses-a-historic-regular-season-finale-nats-beat-marlins-1-0-in-teams-first-no-hitter/ Mon, 29 Sep 2014 11:00:10 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=98396

A crowd of 35,085 witnessed history at Nationals Park during game 162 of the 2014 regular season when right-handed starting pitcher Jordan Zimmermann threw the first no-hitter in the Washington Nationals’ nine year history to beat the Miami Marlins 1-0 on Sunday afternoon. The complete game outing was one the two-time All-Star never thought would ever happen, but it did.

“Even when I first got called up I thought that were was no way this would ever happen,” Zimmermann said after the game. “My career numbers are something like one hit per inning so I figure if I can make it out of the first [inning], the hit’s coming in the second, but [Sunday] was one of those special days.”

It was a special day indeed. Zimmermann was drafted by the Washington Nationals in 2007 before going to play for the ballclub as their fifth starter in mid-April 2009. Later that year, he experienced elbow pain and was diagnosed with a torn ulnar collateral ligament, forced to undergo Tommy John surgery.

After time away from the club healing, Zimmermann re-entered the Nationals’ rotation in 2010 and has remained a cornerstone of the pitching staff ever since. But as Zimmermann was also quick to point out after his no-hitter, baseball is a team sport and the momentous occasion experienced in D.C. on Sunday would not have been possible otherwise.

“As much as this is me throwing a no-hitter,” he said, “those guys behind me play the defense and I know I had a lot of strikeouts today but I could’ve easily had a few hits in there and these guys were diving all over the place for me, so this is just as much them.”

He’s right. If it were not for the defense in the field, a no-hitter might not have occurred. Manager Matt Williams left his regular starters in for two solid at-bats in an effort to keep their routine and momentum heading into the playoffs. The majority of the Nats’ strongest defenders were then swapped out for younger faces throughout the third and fourth innings to wrap up the day and season. But it wasn’t until the ninth inning that left fielder Ryan Zimmerman was pulled to rest and replaced by Steven Souza Jr.

Souza will now go down in Nationals lore as the guy who saved Zimmermann’s big no-no. Souza made a diving catch with the sun blaring in left field on a September afternoon robbing Marlins outfielder Christian Yelich of a possible hit and keeping the no-hitter intact.

“I don’t think anyone in the stadium expected Souza to get that,” Zimmermann said, “and somehow he turned it up another gear and got it.”

The only blemish on Zimmermann’s day was a walk he issued in the fifth inning. “It still burns me a little but I guess we can live with that,” Zimmermann joked after the game. Otherwise, a solo homerun off the bat of shortstop Ian Desmond in the second inning against right-handed pitcher Henderson Alvarez was all the offense Washington needed to sneak past Miami and win the final game of their 96 win season 1-0 over the Marlins.

“It’s the perfect baseball day,” Williams said about game 162. “Eighty degrees and sunshine and the last day of the season. Lots of moves and some tense moments when it finally came down to it. So all in all, that’s probably the perfect baseball day.”

The 2014 MLB playoffs start up this Friday in Washington against either San Francisco or Pittsburgh.

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Nats Come Home to Beat Mets 4-2 http://www.welovedc.com/2014/09/24/nats-come-home-to-beat-mets-4-2/ http://www.welovedc.com/2014/09/24/nats-come-home-to-beat-mets-4-2/#comments Wed, 24 Sep 2014 11:15:09 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=98365

A crowd of 30,714 welcomed the Washington Nationals home for their first game since clinching the 2014 National League East crown on Tuesday night. And – as a “thank you” of sorts – starting pitcher Tanner Roark led his team to a 4-2 win over the New York Mets.

Roark threw 86 pitches and 58 strikes in 6 1/3 innings pitched while giving up two runs on five hits and striking out one batter in his fifteenth win of the season. The only trouble he truly encountered were the first three hits he gave up – they were all doubles.

New York scored first in the fifth inning off a pair of those doubles. Second baseman Wilmer Flores led off the inning with a double and proceeded to score off a one-out double his by outfielder Kirk Nieuwenhuis. But thanks to a hot-hitting Adam LaRoche, the Nats answered back in the bottom half of the inning.

Third baseman Kevin Frandsen led off the fifth with a single off Mets’ right-handed starter Bartolo Colon and moved to second on a sacrifice laid down by Roark. A double hit by rookie outfielder Michael Taylor – who replaced starter Denard Span in the third after Span made a miraculous catch in center field robbing outfielder Matt den Dekker of a hit and potential homerun – sent Frandsen home to put the Nats on the scoreboard. Outfielder Jayson Werth continued the rally’s efforts drawing a two-out walk before LaRoche continued to do  what he’s done off Colon all season – hit him. He jacked a three-run homerun to the home bullpen in right field to give the Nats the lead; Mets 1, Nats 4.

Washington maintained that lead despite a rocky seventh inning in which four pitchers took the mound. Roark was replaced with men on the base path – one of which would score – by left-handed reliever Ross Detwiler but Detwiler only lasted a third of an inning before being replaced by righty Aaron Barrett. Both Detwiler and Barrett gave up a walk but lefty Jerry Blevins took over to tally the inning’s much needed final out; Mets 2, Nats 4.

The rest of the night was smooth for the Nats. Manager Matt Williams went with right-handed relievers Tyler Cilppard and Drew Storen in the eighth and ninth innings respectively and the men did their jobs as expected. Clippard struck out one batter and gave up a triple while at work but that was a result of outfielder Bryce Harper flat out missing a ball in left field hit by catcher Travis d’Arnaud. Storen followed with two strikeouts and single hit by shortstop Ruben Tejada before closing it out for his tenth save of the season; Mets 2, Nats 4.

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Nats Fall 6-2 in Series Finale vs Braves http://www.welovedc.com/2014/09/11/nats-fall-6-2-in-series-finale-vs-braves/ Thu, 11 Sep 2014 11:15:58 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=98297

Wednesday evening was a tough loss to swallow for Washington as the Nationals fell 6-2 against the Atlanta Braves during the series finale of their recent three-game set. Washington took two of three in the series and are eight games ahead of their division rival with a magic number of ten.

The Nats remained in good spirits despite the loss but are aware of the challenges that still lie ahead as the stakes get higher. “It’s nice to be able to win a series, be able to come out strong [and] really play good baseball these past couple days,” outfielder Bryce Harper said after the game. “You’ve got to go in to win ball games. If you don’t win the ballgames then something could happen. If you win ballgames then what you want to happen happens.”

“We knew that in order to win the division you’ve got to beat them, so definitely it was a good series for us,” outfielder Denard Span said about the series. “We did what we wanted to do, which was win the series against them, and [now we’re] sitting pretty good.”

Things started well enough on Wednesday for right-handed starter Stephen Strasburg who tossed 99 pitches (67 strikes) in six innings played. Strasburg gave up three runs on seven hits while striking out eight, throwing one wild pitch, and hitting a batter. Strasburg wasn’t discouraged by the outing though. “I’m just trying to go out there and compete,” he said after the game, “[…] kind of what I’ve been doing all year, let the chips fall.”

Atlanta’s three runs scored off Strasburg came later on in the game. Outfielder B.J. Upton crushed a solo homerun in the fifth inning only to find that Washington would tie the game up in the bottom half of that same inning. Span scored on a passed ball at the plate with two out and outfielder Jayson Werth at-bat making it a 1-1 game. But the Braves answered back by tacking on a couple more runs in the sixth inning before Strasburg was pulled and the bullpen started muddling things up a bit. At the close of the sixth inning, the score was Braves 3, Nats 1.

A win did remain within the reach of either team but the trouble for Washington was starting right-handed pitcher Aaron Harang who pitched a clean seven innings and gave up six hits and one run to the Nats’ lineup while striking out nine batters on 94 pitches (65 strikes). Harang is typically hard on Washington but his appearance on Wednesday ensured he held Atlanta’s division rival in place, if only for the evening.

What blew things open for the Braves was the exit of Strasburg and the entrance of Washington’s bullpen. It wasn’t the end all of situations but the bullpen had a tough go at it Wednesday giving up an additional three runs in the seventh inning to make it a 6-1 ballgame in favor of Atlanta. Left-handed reliever Jerry Blevins’ 1/3 of an inning appearance turned into two hits, three earned runs, and a walk. Right-handed reliever Ryan Mattheus followed Blevins and proceeded to play stopper but not before giving up a double and walk (while striking out a batter) himself.

Reliever Rafael Soriano also entered the game to pitch the eighth and tossed a clean frame while giving up a pair of hits and striking out a batter. “I felt good today,” he said and he’s glad to be back in the game helping out where he can.

Washington attempted to come back after a clean inning tossed by right-handed reliever Blake Treinen in the ninth inning but their offense was shut down by the Atlanta bullpen. Harper launched a solo shot to the right field bleachers with one out in the ninth but Braves closer Craig Kimbrel tallied a couple strikeouts to end the game; Braves 6, Nats 2.

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Nats Squeak By Atlanta, Beat Braves 2-1 http://www.welovedc.com/2014/09/09/nats-squeak-by-atlanta-beat-braves-2-1/ http://www.welovedc.com/2014/09/09/nats-squeak-by-atlanta-beat-braves-2-1/#comments Tue, 09 Sep 2014 11:15:36 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=98291

The Washington Nationals squeaked by the Atlanta Braves in a 2-1 victory on Monday night as right-handed starter Doug Fister tallied his thirteenth win of the season. Fister threw 104 pitches and 74 strikes in seven innings pitched and gave up two hits and three walks while striking out three batters faced.

Washington took an early and necessary lead in the top of the first inning before the game turned into a pitching duel between Fister and the Braves’ left-handed starter Mike Minor. Third baseman Anthony Rendon scored on two-out single hit by shortstop Ian Desmond off Minor but the Nats wouldn’t score again until the seventh inning; Braves 0, Nats 1.

Catcher Wilson Ramos helped tack on some much needed insurance after Washington held onto a one-run lead through six innings played. Ramos led off the seventh inning with a single before reaching third base on a double hit by second baseman Asdrubal Cabrera. Manager Matt Williams decided to go with a pinch runner for Ramos thanks to the expanded September roster allowing Jeff Kobernus to pinch run and score for Ramos as he crossed the plate during Rendon’s at-bat; Braves 0, Nats 2

Atlanta nearly managed to make a comeback in the eighth inning against right-handed reliever Tyler Clippard when they scored a run off him but after Williams set-up a few pitcher-to-batter match-ups between left-handed reliever Matt Thornton versus Atlanta’s first baseman Freddie Freeman and right-handed reliever Craig Stammen verses Braves outfielder Justin Upton, Washington got the out they needed to hold the Braves to one run; Braves 1, Nats 2.

The Nats held on tightly as right-handed reliever Drew Storen entered the game during the ninth inning for his second save opportunity in two days. Thanks to the solid use of his change-up, in addition to his slider and fastball, Storen dominated the ninth by striking out all the batters he faced (two swinging, one looking) to secure his third save of the season and the Nationals’ 81st win.

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LaRoche Goes Long Twice in 3-2 Nats Win Over Philadelphia http://www.welovedc.com/2014/09/08/laroche-goes-long-twice-in-3-2-nats-win-over-philadelphia/ Mon, 08 Sep 2014 11:15:30 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=98275

Sunday afternoon’s game got off to a rocky start when the Washington Nationals committed two defensive errors in the top of the first inning against the Phillies but Washington went on to beat Philadelphia 3-2.

Left-handed starter Gio Gonzalez went six innings while giving up two runs (one earned) on five hits and striking out three batters on 105 pitches (67 strikes). The Phillies did score a run in the top of the first as a result of both outfielder Denard Span and third baseman Anthony Rendon committing a pair of consecutive throwing errors on a Grady Sizemore single hit to center field but Gonzalez bounced back and settled in allowing his pitches to work for him rather than against him after that; Phillies 1, Nats 0.

It didn’t stay 1-0 in favor of the Phillies for too long though. First baseman Adam LaRoche swung a big bat against Philadelphia’s left-handed starter Cole Hamles on Sunday, giving the Nationals a way to catch up against the Phillies’ early lead. LaRoche hit a leadoff, first-pitch solo homerun to the home bullpen in right field during the second inning; Phillies 1, Nats 1.

After retiring seven straight Phillies, Gonzalez gave up a leadoff double to catcher Carlos Ruiz in the fourth inning. A single hit by outfielder Marlon Byrd moved Ruiz to 3rd base before Ruiz scored Philadelphia’s second run on a sacrifice fly hit by first baseman Darin Ruf; Phillies 2, Nats 1.

Washington answered back in the fourth inning with a second leadoff solo homerun from LaRoche hit off Hamels to up tie the game again. From there, it was up to the respective lineups to see which team could aggravate the other’s starter more; Phillies 2, Nats 2.

A run scored by short stop Ian Desmond in the sixth inning put Washington ahead for the first time that day. Desmond led off the inning with a double before advancing to third base on a balk and scoring on a sacrifice fly hit by outfielder Scott Hairston off Hamels; Phillies 2, Nats 3.

Gonzalez gave up a single to Ruf in the seventh inning before right-handed reliever Aaron Barrett entered the game. Barrett completed a spotless seventh before right-handed reliever Tyler Clippard did the same with the eighth inning. That left the ninth to right-handed reliever Drew Storen who recorded his second save of the season with the afternoon’s 3-2 victory against Philadelphia.

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Zimmermann Solid Through Eight Innings, Nats Beat Giants 6-2 http://www.welovedc.com/2014/08/24/zimmermann-solid-through-eight-innings-nats-beat-giants-6-2/ Sun, 24 Aug 2014 16:12:02 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=98206

The Washington Nationals rebounded from Friday night’s lop-sided 10-3 loss that snapped their 10-run winning streak against the San Francisco Giants on Saturday by beating their visitors 6-2. Right-handed starter Jordan Zimmermann pitched a solid eight innings while throwing 107 pitches and 78 strikes. He gave up two runs on seven hits – including a Hunter Pence two-run homerun in the first inning – while striking out eight batters.

Washington answered right back after the Giants led off the game with a double hit by outfielder Angel Pagan and the two-run Pence homer; Giants 2, Nats 0. Outfielder Denard Span led off with a triple hit down the right field line off San Francisco’s right-handed starter Tim Lincecum. Third baseman Anthony Rendon followed by drawing a walk before Span scored on a single hit by outfielder Jayson Werth. First baseman Adam LaRoche proceeded to hit into a double play in his at-bat but his efforts sent Rendon around to score; Giants 2, Nats 2.

From the second inning onward, Zimmermann went to work and quieted the Giants’ lineup before left-handed reliever Matt Thornton came in for the ninth to shut things down. Washington’s batting order tacked on a few more runs while Lincecum remained in the game. Their efforts proved successful and they managed to rough Lincecum up enough for him to make an exit after two and two-thirds innings pitched.

Lincecum gave up six runs, four earned, while striking out two and walking four batters on 70 pitches, 39 strikes against the Nationals. Second baseman Asdrubal Cabrera scored in the second inning after drawing a one-out walk and advancing home on a Span single hit to left-center. A string of three-consecutive singles including Span’s initial hit contributed to the three runs tallied in that inning. Rendon reached on a single and advanced to second because of a throwing error made by Giants third baseman Pablo Sandoval before scoring on a single hit by Werth; Giants 2, Nats 5.

The Nats scored one more run in the third inning before Linececum was pulled and replaced by right-handed reliever Yusmeriro Petit. Cabrera launched a solo homerun into center field off the Giants’ starter making it Giants 2, Nats 6. Once Petit entered the game, Washington’s offense went quiet. Maybe it’s time for Petit to get a shot at a rotation slot? He pitched a solid four and one-third innings while striking out six batters.

Thornton shut down the game and held San Francisco to two runs when he entered to pitch for Washington in the ninth. He gave up a pair of singles to start but shut the Giants down allowing Zimmermann to tally his ninth win of the 2014 season.

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Nats Win Ninth Straight in 3-2 Walk-off Victory Against Arizona http://www.welovedc.com/2014/08/21/nats-win-ninth-straight-in-3-2-walk-off-victory-against-arizona/ http://www.welovedc.com/2014/08/21/nats-win-ninth-straight-in-3-2-walk-off-victory-against-arizona/#comments Thu, 21 Aug 2014 11:25:14 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=98166

Four walk-offs in five days, a nine-game winning streak, and first place in the National League East – that’s where the Washington Nationals currently stand after their 3-2 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday night. After a strong seven-inning shutout appearance from right-handed pitcher Tanner Roark for Washington, reliever Tyler Clippard blew the save, but the Nats came back in the form of an Anthony Rendon pinch-hit RBI-single in the bottom of the ninth with one out and two on base to win it.

“It’s a little stressful,” Rendon said of the situation, “[I’ve] probably got some grays coming in now but it’s actually [it’s] good to be on the winning side of these walk-offs for sure.”

Outfielder Bryce Harper scored the winning run for Washington in the ninth as Rendon sent a laser shot down the third base line off Diamondbacks reliever Evan Marshall into right field to make it a 3-2 ballgame. “[Rendon’s] been incredible all year,” he said of his teammate. “He’s a great hitter, one of the best out there right now, and sitting on third you kind of know he’s going to come through with it.”

Trust, grind, and heart are words the Nats and Manager Matt Williams have used this season to describe the team assembled in the clubhouse in 2014 and Wednesday night’s game was no exception. When it comes to the recent stretch of success found in a grand fashion – especially with all the walk-offs as of late – the Nats haven’t lost their focus and realize that these close games just mean they have to keep at it and win in order to fend off the Braves and Marlins.

What helped the Nats to start on Wednesday was the seven inning, five-hit shutout tossed by Roark who walked one batter while striking out two on 99 pitches and 63 strikes. “We’ve got a lot of heart, we don’t quit. We play hard until the game’s over. That’s what’s great about this team, [and why] it’s so much fun to be on this team. Nobody ever gives up. We always have a chance to win,” Roark said.

“We’ve kept battling and believe in each other,” third baseman Kevin Frandsen said as he echoed Roark’s sentiments after the game. Clippard might have blown the save and allowed for Arizona to tie it up in the eighth but, “[Clippard’s] been so awesome for us this year and, oh well, he gave up a homerun, who cares,” Frandsen said. “[Clippard’s] going to be in there tomorrow and the next day.”

Frandsen’s point in defense of Clippard’s blown save was that, “We continue to grind and if they tie up the game, we don’t give in.” That sounds about right given the past few days as an example.

Washington scored early by tacking on a run in the second inning. Shortstop Ian Desmond drew a one-out walk off Arizona starter Trevor Cahill. Desmond then advanced to second on a fielder’s choice before stealing third and heading home on a single hit by Frandsen. Another run came in the sixth inning when second baseman Asdrubal Cabrera and outfielder Jayson Werth hit back-to-back doubles off Cahill, sending Cabrera home; Diamondbacks 0, Nats 2.

Clippard struggle during his 1/3 of an inning appearance in the eighth when he gave up a two-run homerun hit by outfielder Ender Inciarte that sailed straight into the Nats’ bullpen but a strong one-two-three ninth inning appearance from closer Rafael Soriano plus some walk-off heroics demonstrated by the rally Harper, Frandsen, and Rendon generated left the Nats on the winning side to end it; Diamondbacks 2, Nats 3.

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Fister Remains Dominant, Nats Beat Mets 7-1 http://www.welovedc.com/2014/08/07/fister-remains-dominant-nats-beat-mets-7-1/ http://www.welovedc.com/2014/08/07/fister-remains-dominant-nats-beat-mets-7-1/#comments Thu, 07 Aug 2014 11:23:03 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=98081

The Washington Nationals showed the New York Mets what dominant pitching and a productive offense is capable of on Wednesday night when right-handed starting pitcher Doug Fister led the Nats to a 7-1 win over New York. Fister’s delayed start on the season may have slowed him up slightly in the beginning but he’s now 11-3 in 2014 with signs of slowing down.

Fister gave up six hits and struck out seven batters over seven and one-third innings pitched. He threw 101 pitches (69 strikes) and gave up one unearned run in the eighth inning after cruising through the rest of the game. Fister was so efficient on the mound that the game itself only lasted two hours and thirty one minutes. And these days, a sub-three hour game is rare, so that was a gem in and of itself as well.

Washington helped Fister’s case by scoring early with a three-run rally in the first inning. Leadoff man and outfielder Denard Span grounded out but the heart of the Nats lineup made their mark to make up for that. Third baseman Anthony Rendon hit a one-out double off Mets left-handed starter Johnathon Niese. He would then score on a shallow bloop single hit to right field by outfielder Jayson Werth before first baseman Adam LaRoche crushed his first homerun of the night to tack on two more runs; Mets 0, Nats 3.

The Nats would add three more runs in the sixth inning when the bottom half of the order – which has been slumping a bit as of late – including shortstop Ian Desmond, outfielder Bryce Harper, and second baseman Danny Espinosa all scored to give the Nats a 6-0 lead over New York. Desmond reached on a one-out single hit off Niese before stealing second with Harper at the dish. Harper proceeded to draw a walk before Espinosa hit a laser three-run homer adding to Washington’s shutout lead; Mets 0, Nats 6.

New York did end up scoring one run in the eighth inning when outfielder Juan Lagares scored off a single hit by second baseman Daniel Murphy off the newest Nats pitcher left-handed reliever Matt Thornton. Let it be said, though, that Thornton’s National League debut after being picked up off waviers from the New York Yankees was strong. He may have contributed to Fister’s one unearned run on the starter’s pitching line for the night but the power-lefty consistently hit 96-97 mph and is a solid addition to Washington’s bullpen; Mets 1, Nats 6.

To end the night, LaRoche went long one more time with a leadoff homer in the eighth in response to New York’s run. Left-handed reliever Ross Detwiler finished it off by striking out the leadoff batter in the ninth, giving up a single to Mets catcher Travis d’Arnaud, and then enducing a pair of pop outs to Steven Souza, Jr. in right field (Note: Werth started in right for the night but was removed in the seventh due to minor right shoulder soreness from a strange swing taken a week ago, he’s expected to be just fine); Mets 1, Nats 7.

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We Love Music: Filligar @ DC9 — 7/26/14 http://www.welovedc.com/2014/08/05/we-love-music-filligar-dc9-72614/ Tue, 05 Aug 2014 22:31:56 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=98074 Filligar Live at DC9 - 7/26/14

Filligar Live at DC9 – 7/26/14

When you’ve watched a band evolve over the span of a decade or more, it’s easy to be blinded by your own personal biases. But when it comes to Filligar, I often like to take a step back and remember the story from the beginning.

It’s only fair that I open this story with the fact that I’ve known Filligar – which is comprised of the Mathias brothers Johnny, Pete, and Ted and their life-long friend Casey Gibson – since I was a freshman at the Latin School of Chicago. It was the Fall of 2004 and I had recently started classes when I made friends with the guys who would become the band Filligar.

My first true introduction to them as a rock band was when we shared a billing at a battle of the bands in November 2004. I’ll never forget that day. It was the day George Harrison passed away. We all hung out in our school theater’s green room before the show talking about music and whatever else freshmen in high school talk about (though Johnny was in the 7th grade at the time). They went by the name Flipside back then and I’m pretty sure I have their first disc somewhere in my CD collection stored safely in a Chicago attic. But nostalgia aside, these guys have come a long way since the early days of the band.

Their live show is what makes them standout in an over-saturated music market and, on Saturday July 26, they showed the crowd at DC9 exactly that. Not only did the packed house demand Filligar play one more song before they agreed to a one-song encore but when they ended the show for the night, their devoted fans continued to chant for more music.

Never have I felt the floors of DC9 shake as they did that night. I worried for a moment that the ground beneath my feet was about to collapse while Filligar played their staple set-ending tune “Trepador,” which they’ve recorded a couple times between 2008 and 2013. But the floors didn’t collapse and the show ended on a high note. The sheer amount of energy they expel while performing live is infectious and that’s what the room was left with — energy.

The coolest part about being a band for as long as Filligar has is that it leaves opportunities for older material to be resurrected in a new way. Filligar’s got a knack for doing this, which speaks volumes of both their love of writing music together and how much they listen to and admire their fan base. Old gems including “The Observatory,” “Fruit Fly,” and “Apricot Jam” remain a part of the band’s live show despite having been released awhile back.

Now – it’s the steady pulse provided by Pete on percussion and Ted on bass that establishes the hardy heartbeat of Filligar’s tracks. That combined with Casey’s virtuoso comprehension of piano and keys plus Johnny’s strong yet rugged vocals and dynamic guitar solos makes for a live show fans consistently leave raving about. Their set at DC9 was no exception.

Fans didn’t want the show to end that night. They fought as loudly as they could with their words, hopefully chanting for more music. After a certain point, though, the night did have to end. The good news is that this band’s been together for a long enough time that no matter what’s in store for them next, they’ve produced a quality catalog of rockin’ tunes for fans to devour for years to come.

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Strasburg Bests Hamles in Pitching Duel, Nats Beat Phillies 4-0 http://www.welovedc.com/2014/08/04/strasburg-bests-hamles-in-pitching-duel-nats-beat-phillies-4-0/ http://www.welovedc.com/2014/08/04/strasburg-bests-hamles-in-pitching-duel-nats-beat-phillies-4-0/#comments Mon, 04 Aug 2014 11:20:10 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=98061

Two strong pitchers took the mound on Sunday for the final game of a four game series between the Philadelphia Phillies and Washington Nationals at Nats Park. Both left-handed pitcher Cole Hamels and right-handed pitcher Stephen Strasburg lasted seven innings but it was ultimately Philadelphia’s weak defense and Washington’s starter plus a clutch offense that won the Nationals the game 4-0.

Strasburg tallied ten strikeouts in his Sunday appearance. He gave up three hits and one walk on 99 pitches (69 strikes) to out duel Hamels and the Phillies. On the other end of things, Hamels gave up four hits and one unearned run while walking one batter and striking out six on 80 pitches (66 strikes).

What cost Philadelphia a shot at a win was their poor defense, most particularly in the in third inning. The Nationals’ catcher Jose Lobaton reached base with one out in the third inning when Philadelphia’s third baseman Cody Ashe made an error while fielding the ball Lobaton hit. Strasburg would lay down a sacrifice bunt to move Lobaton over before outfielder and leadoff man Denard Span hit a RBI-single to send Lobaton around to score; Phillies 0, Nats 1.

The pitcher’s duel continued but the Nats made it work for them once Hamels was pulled. A three-run rally in the eighth inning provided the necessary insurance runs for relief pitchers Tyler Clippard and Rafael Soriano to step in for the final two innings of work and do their jobs.

Clippard faced the minimum in the eighth while striking out two before the Nats added more runs. The top of the Nats’ order made that happen in the bottom half of the inning and it all started with Span taking a leadoff walk. Washington’s third baseman Anthony Rendon followed with a RBI-double sending Span around to score. Outfielder Jayson Werth kept the momentum going and hit another RBI-double to score Rendon; Phillies 0, Nats 3.

For whatever reason, the Phillies thought it was best to intentionally walk first baseman Adam LaRoche behind Werth. LaRoche didn’t end up scoring in the eighth but Werth did. A passed ball and wild pitch would bring Werth home before the rest of the Nats lineup struck out to end the rally; Phillies 0, Nats 4.

Soriano faced the minimum in the ninth when the Phillies’ two, three, four guys came up to the plate and tallied a backwards K against Philadelphia veteran first baseman Ryan Howard to end it and give the Nats the win.

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Nats Drop Series Opener to Phillies 10-4 http://www.welovedc.com/2014/08/01/nats-drop-series-opener-to-phillies-10-4/ Fri, 01 Aug 2014 12:33:39 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=98044

It was the Washington Nationals’ first game at home since July 20 on Thursday but, unfortunately for them, it didn’t go very well. The Philadelphia Phillies were in town and the night’s starters moved swiftly through the first three innings before the potential pitchers duel took a turn.

Both left-handed starters Cliff Lee and Gio Gonzalez didn’t make it very far in the Phillies’ 10-4 victory over the Nats but they both fled the game early for very different reasons. While a reoccurring strain of a left flexor pronator haunted Lee, Gonzalez was roughed up pretty bad in the fourth inning leading Manager Matt Williams to pull him. Gonzalez lasted 3 and 2/3 innings and gave up eight hits and five runs while walking one and striking out two on 77 pitches (47 strikes). That’s when the night’s game turned into a battle of the bullpens.

While the Phillies utilized six of their seven relief pitchers to help get Lee off the hook, the Nats weren’t far behind with four of seven. Blame it on their lengthy recent road trip or blame it on sloppy defense but no matter the reason, Washington couldn’t consistently hit the Phillies’ bullpen.

In the batting order’s defense, Gonzalez got roughed up quite a bit in the fourth inning when a five-run rally started by a leadoff double hit by outfielder Marlon Byrd put the Phillies up early. Once Gonzalez was forced out of the game, Philadelphia continued to tack on runs with a pair in the sixth and three more in the eigth.

Washington tried to fight back but came up short. Third baseman Anthony Rendon scored after drawing a leadoff walk in the fourth.  Outfielder Bryce Harper and first baseman Kevin Frandsen hit back-to-back singles to start the fifth and plated a couple runs. But the last bit of run support the offensive lineup could muster came in the seventh when Frandsen led off with a double and eventually scored.

It wasn’t an ideal night for Washington but perhaps this game was the wakeup call they needed in order to remember that any National League East foe is one they need to beat if they want to make it past September.

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We Love Music: A Q&A with Erin and The Wildfire http://www.welovedc.com/2014/07/25/we-love-music-a-qa-with-erin-and-the-wildfire/ Fri, 25 Jul 2014 11:30:33 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=98010 Provided by Red Dust Music

Provided by Red Dust Music

I’ll never forget the first time I heard Erin and The Wildfire live. I’ve always been a firm believer that the live music experience tends to trump any recording (within reason) and this band captured my attention from their very first song of their live set back in March 2014 at Iota Club in Arlington, Va. Since then, the band — featuring vocalist/multi-instrumentalist Erin Lunsford, guitarist Ryan Lipps, bassist Matt Wood, and drummer Nick Quillen — continues to make waves regionally and has a stop at Jammin’ Java planned for this Sunday night, July 27. They’ll be joined by Tim Jones and Zach Broocke as part of a Buncearoo Presents show in Vienna, Va.

Tell us a little bit about yourselves. How did you all get together to start this band and why? There’s got to be a story there!

Met through a student-run musicians’ collective called O Records. Erin needed a band for a frat party so we learned some terrible covers, took our shirts off, and the rest is history.

How would you describe Erin & The Wildfire’s sound to someone who’s trying to decide if they should come to a show?

“It’s a rock show.” Particularly, Irish mellow bog-punk. But seriously, soul + blues + funk.

The soul rock vibe runs deep with this band. Where do the songs come from, who writes them (is it a collaborative effort), and what musicians past or present influence what you write?

Erin typically conceives the first ideas to most of the songs, whether it be words, basic chords, or a melody. Once she has developed that seed enough, she’ll present it to the group and we collaboratively construct the final product by fleshing out details and hammering out the overall arrangement. Influences include Eva Cassidy, Grace Potter, Steve Gadd, Jimmy Page, and Paul McCartney.

After seeing the band perform live a few times and listening to your interview on The Circus Life podcast, I’ve got to say that this is quite a band of characters. What’s one of your favorite stand-out funny memories from a show (or even a rehearsal) while all together?

Erin: The bar gig where this drunk person snatched the mic off the stand (mid-song) and started belting out Johnny Cash.

Ryan: The time I mega-sneezed on Nick’s ride cymbal and he got really grossed out. This was also in the middle of the song and there was copious precipitation.

Nick: The fact that after 2 years together, I am still the reigning and undefeated billiards champion of the band.

Matt: During a show at Devil’s Backbone Brewery, I was grooving on stage and went to bust moves over by Nick’s kit. My cable got tangled around my legs and I nearly Shia LeBeefed into the drums.

You were recently signed to Red Dust Music. How does that feel and what’s on the horizon for you now that Red Dust is in the picture?

Red Dust kicks a lot off ass and we are stoked to be working with Heather!!! We’ve got shows on shows coming up and recording soon too which is awesome!

You’ll be headlining Jammin’ Java as part of Buncearoo Presents show on Sunday. How did you get involved with Buncearoo and drew you toward working with them?

Buncearoo is awesome, first of all. What’s up Cheryl and Bill! They came to see us at our first Iota show back in March and they’ve been in touch ever since! They really care about the music they are supporting. Ideal music people to work with!

Erin and The Wildfire will be at Jammin’ Java Sunday night, July 27 with Tim Jones and Zach Broocke as part of a Buncearoo Presents. Tickets are still available.

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We Love Music: The Morrison Brothers Band http://www.welovedc.com/2014/07/10/we-love-music-the-morrison-brothers-band/ Thu, 10 Jul 2014 11:19:03 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=97911 Pictured (L to R): Kevin Nolan, Matt Nolan, Willie Morrison, Dave Benson, and Truman Morrison.

Pictured (L to R): Kevin Nolan, Matt Nolan, Willie Morrison, Dave Benson, and Truman Morrison.

Washington, D.C. is a city internationally known as being the hub of American politics as opposed to it being the home of Country music but the home-grown Morrison Brothers Band has made D.C. their Nashville. Seven years ago, the current lineup of D.C.’s own Southern Rock band was set and now they’re headlining the 9:30 Club for the second time on Friday, July 11.

As their moniker points out, The Morrison Brothers Band does actually consist of two sets of brothers from D.C. including lead vocalist Willie Morrison and his older brother/guitar player Truman as well as drummer Matt Nolan and his younger brother/multi-instrumentalist Kevin Nolan. Then, to round out the group, there’s multi-instrumentalist Dave Benson and vocals from Alyson Gilbert.

Willie and Truman were college students away from home in Los Angeles at the same time when they originally started the band. They even ended up playing the group’s first show at the infamous Roxy. Upon graduation, Truman moved back to D.C. and started the migration of the band from California to its current D.C. home. During that summer, Willie and his big brother were introduced to drummer Matt Nolan (who was attending school in New Orleans) out of necessity and he seemingly passed the audition to fill a much needed void before casually mentioning that he knew a bass player and would bring him next time. That bass player ended up being Matt’s 12-year-old brother Kevin.

When asked what drew him to the initial meet-up and eventual collaboration as a band member, Matt said, “I knew the attraction immediately to playing with Willie and Truman was like, ‘Wow, this is my first opportunity to play with people that are actually writing songs, [and] good ones at that.’”

The Morrison Brothers Band spent a majority of their formative D.C. years rehearsing more than they played live. Their big breakout gig was in the summer of 2009 when they headlined and sold out The Birchmere in Alexandria, Va. “I guess the tone of everything sort of changed at that point,” Matt said. “At first it was a Summer thing [but] then, after [The Birchmere show] it kind of became a 365 thing, another year after that it became a touring thing, and now we [want to] go all those different directions as thoroughly as we can.”

The good news is, the guys are well on their way to that.

Within the past year alone, the band has opened for Country legend Merle Haggard as well as Country stars Frankie Ballard and Maggie Rose and have found success among those diverse crowds of fans. At the Merle show and even Frankie’s, the band observed that it was a mostly over 50 crowd. But when it comes to shows like the ones they play at the 9:30 Club and subsequent equivalents, it’s an under 50 crowd turning up to rock live. They’ve got a diverse appeal and are grateful for the support.

For example – when they opened for Frankie Ballard, a mother of two young girls approached the band after the show and said, “You know, I brought my two daughters out to see Frankie and I loved the way you guys played, you reminded me so much of Little Feat.” That comment in and of itself pretty much made Matt and the band’s life that much better. Why? While the band’s a huge fan of Little Feat, Matt admitted that Little Feat has been his “favorite band with no exceptions basically forever.” The fact that somebody could hear that influence in their music just knocked him over.

In just seven years together, the band has worked to co-write all of their material as a group with each member spearheading their own song projects. As a result of that hard work, the tunes have a commercial appeal that leaves listeners feeling reminiscent of groups like the Zac Brown Band (who just happens to be a band The Morrison Brothers crew would love to play a show with one day). Their tracks have found airplay on D.C.’s Country station WMZQ and has are even in rotation at smaller stations in the South and Midwest.

“I think we’re really coming into ourselves and people are starting to recognize that,” Willie Morrison said.

What’s next for The Morrison Brothers Band after their celebratory 9:30 Club show on Friday? Two shows in Dewey Beach, Delaware and then it’s off to the recording studio in Beltsville, Maryland to lay down 2-3 tracks for their next EP.

“We just want to get to a place where we can be touring more,” Willie said. “We don’t get to tour as much as I think we’d all like to.” That’s a definite goal for the band moving forward and releasing more material is part of how they’d like to go about it. Travel from city to city and town to town and make new fans as much as they can, that’s the plan.

The Morrison Brothers Band will be playing live with Amy Wilcox at the 9:30 Club on Friday, July 11 in Washington, D.C. Tickets are still available for $20.

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Nats Squeak By Cubs in 2-1 Victory http://www.welovedc.com/2014/07/07/nats-squeak-by-cubs-in-2-1-victory/ http://www.welovedc.com/2014/07/07/nats-squeak-by-cubs-in-2-1-victory/#comments Mon, 07 Jul 2014 11:05:29 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=97879

Hours before being named to the 2014 National League All-Star team for the second time in two years, Washington Nationals right-handed starting pitcher Jordan Zimmermann threw a tough game against the Chicago Cubs and went on to win 2-1 on Sunday afternoon. Right-handed relief pitcher Tyler Clippard ended up with the official win but Zimmermann’s strong efforts helped ensure Chicago’s low run count.

Zimmermann gave up seven hits over six innings while striking out five and walking one batter on 105 pitches (76 strikes). While the majority of Chicago’s 10 hits on the day came off of Zimmermann, the soon-to-be-announced All-Star pitcher and his defense held the Cubs in place.

Washington scored early and held on tight to a one-run lead for the majority of the game. Leadoff man and outfielder Denard Span started the day with a double off of the Cubs’ right-handed starting pitcher Jake Arrieta and then scored on a ground out hit by outfielder Jayson Werth; Nats 1, Cubs 0.

It took a few innings for the Cubs to catch up but Chicago tacked on a run to tie the game in the seventh off of right-handed reliever Drew Storen. Pinch hitter Chris Coghlan hit a leadoff single to start the seventh inning before scoring on a sacrifice fly hit by shortstop Starlin Castro; Nats 1, Cubs 1.

The Nats answered back as quickly as they could come the eighth inning when Span leadoff with yet another double, this time off of right-handed reliever Pedro Strop. Span would score on a two-out single hit by third baseman Ryan Zimmerman to give the Nats a late 2-1 lead. Then, Washington’s right-handed closer Rafael Soriano entered the game and faced the minimum to secure his 21 save of 2014.

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Nats Fall 7-2 to Cubs on Independence Day http://www.welovedc.com/2014/07/05/nats-fall-7-2-to-cubs-on-independence-day/ Sat, 05 Jul 2014 14:31:26 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=97874

A strong pitching performance from Chicago Cubs right-handed starter Jason Hammel stifled the Nationals’ attempt at a Fourth of July victory in Washington on Friday afternoon. Chicago beat Washington 7-2 and Nats right-handed starting pitcher Tanner Roark didn’t look quite as sharp as he had earlier this season.

Roark pitched seven innings while giving up four runs and one homerun on nine hits. He walked one batter and struck out five on 87 pitches (61 strikes). Chicago came swinging right out of the gate with a pair of singles off Roark to start the game. Leadoff man and outfielder Chris Coghlan scored on a ground out hit by Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo giving Chicago their early 1-0 lead.

Nationals’ outfielder Jayson Werth answered back in the bottom of the first with a crushed solo shot off Hammel to left field tying up the game at 1-1. Unfortunately for Washington, Hammel’s strong pitching performance dominated their attempts at hitting the ball and scoring runs.

Chicago outhit Washington fourteen to seven and took advantage of Roark’s appearance by tacking on singular runs in the second, third, and fifth innings making it a 4-1 game. Roark held the Cubs in place for a couple of innings before being pulled for the day and the Nats tacked on a run in the bottom of the seventh as they tried to force a comeback.

Second baseman Anthony Rendon scored off a single hit by catcher Wilson Ramos off Cubs reliever Neil Ramirez but that seventh inning rally was all Washington could muster; Cubs 4, Nats 2.

Left-handed reliever Ross Detwiler entered the game to pitch the eighth inning for the Nats in Roark’s place. Detwiler got out of the eighth inning with just one hit – a double to Cubs shortstop Starlin Castro – given up but the ninth inning proved to be troublesome for Washington. Chicago was already up 4-2, leaving a glimmer of a chance for the Nats to make a late-game comeback, but the three extra runs scored by the Cubs in the ninth inning created a big enough gap for Washington’s visitors to win 7-2 in the end.

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Nats Sweep Colorado with 4-3 Win Over Rockies http://www.welovedc.com/2014/07/03/nats-sweep-colorado-with-4-3-win-over-rockies/ Thu, 03 Jul 2014 11:40:47 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=97855

It was a hot and humid one in D.C. on Wednesday night but the Washington Nationals braved the swamp-like elements to complete a three game sweep of the Colorado Rockies with a 4-3 victory. Starting pitcher, right-hander Doug Fister had just one blemish on an otherwise efficient outing which came in the form of a three-run homerun in the second inning for the Rockies.

“[It] was a constant battle all night,” Fister said. “[The keys were] guys played defense. They came out and played well, sacrificed a lot whether it was diving or just sacrificing themselves to make a play. That was big.”

Fister pitched seven innings and struck out five batters while giving up seven hits and three run. He threw 80 pitches, 56 strikes on the night.

Washington tied the game up in the fourth inning making it a 3-3 game with time to still secure a win. Outfielder Jayson Werth hit a two-run homerun off the Rockies’ starting rookie pitcher, left-hander Tyler Matzek with nobody out. Then, with two-out, outfielder Bryce Harper landed in scoring position thanks to a hard-hit double off Matzek. Shortstop Ian Desmond followed Harper in the batting order and watched as Harper took third base on a wild pitch. Then, Harper scored on a RBI-single hit by Desmond to tie up the game.

Desmond came through with a big clutch hit again in the seventh inning when a questionable homerun gave the Nats their 4-3 lead over Colorado. The Rockies had just replaced Matzek with right-handed reliever Matt Belisle and Desmond took advantage of that situation. He crushed a ball that bounced in such a way off the silver railing in right-center field that the chief crew took the play under review.

After the crew determined the hit was in fact a homerun and not a triple, Desmond trotted his way toward home knowing he gave his team the lead.

“[The season’s] been a grind,” Desmond said, “but I want to be that example, you know, like ‘Hey, you can fight back’ and I’ve done it before and I hope to do it again this year.”

Thanks to Desmond’s timely clutch hitting, Washington was able to finish Colorado off with their desired eighth and ninth inning pitching selections. Right-handed relievers Tyler Clippard and Rafael Soriano got the call and finished out the night with a collective of three strike outs, one walk, and two hits. Soriano had a pair of base runners with two out after walking Colorado catcher Michael McKenry and giving up a single to second baseman DJ LeMahieu, but managed to secure his twentieth save of the season and wrap up the sweep for Washington.

“He’s a guy that you know he’s going to be ready every day whether we’re playing a double-header, [it] doesn’t matter, he’s ready for every game and no matter what it comes down to we’ve got confidence in his abilities and what he does and know that he’s going to get out there and get the job done,” Fister said of Soriano, and that’s exactly what he did.

The Nats proceeded to beat Coloraro 4-3 and complete the series sweep before taking Thursday off and coming back on Friday for a Fourth of July match-up against the Chicago Cubs.

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Nats Beat Rockies 7-3 with Opening Day Lineup Back Intact http://www.welovedc.com/2014/07/01/nats-beat-rockies-7-3-with-opening-day-lineup-back-intact/ Tue, 01 Jul 2014 11:40:31 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=97824

The  night was almost overshadowed by the fact that outfielder Bryce Harper was back in the Washington lineup for the first time since April  25 but, instead, a five-run rally in the sixth inning against the Colorado Rockies highlighted what the Nationals are capable of if their starting nine stay off the disabled list.

Washington faced rookie Rockies pitcher Yohan Flande in his second career start and struggled to make any offensive noise against him as they settled in during the early innings. On the other hand, the Nats’ starting pitcher Jordan Zimmermann held command of the game while waiting for his team’s hitting to cut through somehow. Zimmermann threw six innings and gave up two runs on seven hits while striking out five and walking a batter. He threw 87 pitches and 60 strikes.

Zimmermann would go on to earn his sixth win of the season but not before Colorado stirred up a little trouble. Washington took an early one run lead in the fourth inning when third baseman Ryan Zimmerman scored on a two-out single hit by Harper but that minuscule lead didn’t last long.

In his final inning of work, Zimmermann gave up three straight hits (two doubles and a single) allowing Colorado to take a 2-1 lead. Zimmermann closed the inning without surrendering anymore runs but the question remained – would the Nats bounce back or would they drop the first game of this series?

The flood gates broke open for Washington in the bottom half of the sixth inning and the game took a turn. A five-run rally in which the Nats batted around their order was exactly what they needed to win just as long as they could hold on to the lead. In that half inning alone, Washington managed to tally those five runs on three hits, three walks (one intentional), and a hit batter.

Zimmerman, who went 3-for-4 on the night, spearheaded the rally with a RBI-double that tied up the game. Colorado proceeded to intentionally walk Harper, thereby bringing shortstop Ian Desmond to the plate with the teams tied 2-2. Desmond has a spectacular night and was even named player of the game for his offensive work in the sixth. Desmond started with a double and proceed to steal third before reaching home on an infield fielder’s choice play which, according to Manager Matt Williams, was the most impressive part of the entire string of plays Desmond was a part of that inning.

Both Colorado and Washington would tack on one more run before the end of the game but a strong offensive outburst in the sixth inning was what it took to secure win number forty four of the season; Nats 7, Rockies 3.

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