Stars, Stripes and Slams

Happy Independence Day, America. Today’s blog focuses in on the nation’s capital, where Washington baseball prevailed over NL East opponent, New York. Ivan Rodriguez was the star of the day, and Francisco Rodriguez was possibly seeing stars after suffering the loss. The Mets’ four-time All-star closer, Francisco Rodriguez, blew a 5-2 lead as the Nationals capped a comeback in the ninth inning of Saturday’s 6-5 win. Matt Capps earned the win for Washington after keeping the Nats within a run in the ninth. The Mets pitted runners on first and second with nobody out in the top of the ninth before Capps recorded three consecutive outs. Washington bats came through in the bottom of the ninth, and a little patience at the plate paid off. Christian Guzman walked on four pitches from Rodriguez and scored on Adam Dunn’s one-out double to tie the game. Dunn’s drive merely missed going over the wall for a grand slam and instant replay was needed before the ruling was reduced to a double. Ivan Rodriguez singled in the winning run to right to lift the Nationals over the Mets in the middle of a three game set. It was Washington’s seventh win in eleven tries over the Mets.
Washington’s sizzling starter, Stephen Strasburg was scorched for four hits and surrendered two runs. Strasburg walked two Mets and fanned five in the five inning outing for the Nationals. New York was impressive against the rookie hurler, working Strasburg to a season-high pitch count. Jason Bay striped the ball to center in the top of the first to score Ike Davis from third base and give the Mets and early 1-0 road edge. Davis was on base three times Saturday in what continues to be a breakout year for the first baseman. The Mets surged to a 2-0 lead in the third when 30 year old backstop, Josh Thole, knocked in his first RBI of the season on a Strasburg fastball. Thirty-five year old, R.A. Dickey, toed the rubber for the visiting Mets. Dickey pitched seven innings of six hit ball. He allowed just two unearned runs with his tricky knuckleball. The Nats scored twice in the bottom of the sixth on a pair of base hits by Josh Willingham and Rodriguez. Ruben Tejada was charged with a fielding error, resulting in the two unearned tallies for Washington. The Mets got ahead of Strasburg early in the count and made the Nationals’ starter labor. The Mets reached base seven times against Strasburg. The right-hander needed 74 pitches to get through three innings, but never folded.
David Wright wringed a tie breaking RBI infield single to third during the Mets’ three run eighth frame. Thole torched a double to right and Tejada’s sacrifice fly scored the final run of the inning off the Nats’ bullpen. Adam Kennedy smoked a single to center in the eighth to score Dunn and put the home team within two runs before Rodriguez imploded in the decisive ninth. Kennedy’s run-scoring base hit came off reliever, Bobby Parnell.

Parting Points: Kudos to Andy Pettitte on win#10 and Brett Gardner on his grand slam during the 11 run third inning for the Yankees.

And another Williams’ sister wins another Wimbledon.

Let’s go Germany!