Nats at Orioles

[Jollay]

Let's hope the day off woke up the Natsbats.

JD Martin starts tonight against Jake Arrieta, who is 2-1 with a 5.06 ERA. For some reason the Nats are starting Willie Harris over Roger Bernadina (Harris in left, Willingham DH, Morse in right).

Harris has been ICE cold anytime he's played the last month or so.

Nats are seven under .500 and nine back. After the Orioles, they go to Atlanta and host the Mets, the two division leaders, so they can either stay close, or essential end their season the next two weeks.

I'm going to provide a midseason assessment of the entire team this weekend...

[Jollay]

Nats lead 4-0 in the fourth. Nyjer Morgan is 3-3 with a stolen base, two runs scored, and an RBI to spark the offense.

On the flip side, JD and the Nats have been extremely fortunate to have given up no runs. O's loaded the bases in the second (thanks partially to an error by Guzman) and got nothing (double play on grounder to Zim). A PHENOMONAL catch by Morgan helped in the third, but the O's still got two runners on and Luke Scott almost went yard.

[Jollay]

Ian Desmond commits two errors in the fifth alone, and the O's have cut Washington's lead to 6-2.

Three errors for the worst fielding team in the majors tonight. JD Martin is out of the game in the fifth--Doug Slaten in with 1 out and runners still on second and third to face Luke Scott.

The one out the Nats do have was on another nice catch by Morgan at the track. He's having a silly game.

[Jollay]

6-3 after five. Slaten gets Scott but Adam Jones gets a cheap swinging bunt off Batista to score a run.

[Jollay]

Orioles get two in the eighth on a two-run shot by Scott Moore off Tyler Clippard.

6-5 Nats.

[Jollay]

Clippard gives up two more hits, and its now tied. Patterson just stole second on a pitchout and a crappy throw by Pudge.

Man on second, one out. No movement on Clippard's stuff--right over the plate.

[Jollay]

Nats lose in the ninth. Clippard puts two men on and gets one.

Capps comes in and gets a double play ball, which after Desmond goes to Guzman, Guzman throws the ball into the dugout. Runner from second scores, O's win 7-6.

Two errors each for Desmond and Guzman. Pathetic.

[Jollay]

Orlando Hudson has two errors while Guzman and Kennedy have 11 combined at second now. Just saying.

[Jollay]

Link to Morgan's incredible catch...play of the day on Sports Center.

http://washington.nationals.mlb.com/new ... p&c_id=was

Livan versus Brad Bergesen today. Bergesen gave up 11 hits and six runs in five innings against the Nats last month at the Park.

[craig01]

Riggleman was quoted after the game about putting a better defensive team on the field, and Riggleman said "it's not football" meaning he can't put out his best defensive squad and expect to score runs.

Actually, maybe he should.....the way the Nats had been hitting of late.

A team has to be strong defensively up the middle.

[Jollay]

Riggleman was quoted after the game about putting a better defensive team on the field, and Riggleman said "it's not football" meaning he can't put out his best defensive squad and expect to score runs.

Actually, maybe he should.....the way the Nats had been hitting of late.

A team has to be strong defensively up the middle.

I heard that. I think he is limited in his options, though. The Nats are committed to Desmond and giving him a couple of years to flourish. They'll live with his errors as long as he progresses. If not, Danny Espinosa (at AA, in Futures Game) can have a shot in a year or two.

I thought the Nats should have signed Hudson over Kennedy, but Kennedy's generally been known as a competent second baseman.

To Riggleman's quote though, it would be hard to not play Guzman somewhere. Especially against lefties, against which he's batting .372.

It's such a shame. Early on, it looked like they had improved their defense significantly. Now they lead the league in errors.

[Jollay]

Nats lead 5-0 in Game 2, and lose again by a run, 6-5.

Not much to say as the Nats fall to 33-42. The Braves and Mets series' coming up could end the season.

Atilano goes today for the Nats versus Jeremy Guthrie.

[Jollay]

3-0 Nats through half of five.

Kennedy is starting today as Guzman complained of a sore neck this morning. Not really a lineup change to improve the defense or part of a trend, or so it would seem.

Bernadina has been good today, homering to the opposite field and gunning out Miguel Tejada trying for a double.

[Jollay]

Well, now its tied up.

3-2, runner on first and second for the Orioles with one out. Lugo (I believe) chops it to Zimmy who throws to Adam Kennedy, and GUESS WHAT HAPPENS?????

Yup. Kennedy throws the ball into the dugout. Another error costs the Nats.

At least Scott Moore took out Kennedy with the slide to some extent unlike two days ago. But Kennedy was an idiot to even throw the ball.

Wish Orlando Hudson was here.

[Jollay]

Nats lose 4-3 and are swept by the worst team in baseball.

Clippard gets the loss again. Bright spots? Not many. Atilano was solid again, going seven innings and giving up only three. One of those was on the error by Kennedy though, and I believe was unearned.

Orioles bullpen owned the Nats. No runs scored after the fourth for the Nats in the series.