Mets vs. Rockies

The Mets beat the Rockies 1-0 Tuesday night. This game featured a great pitchers duel between starters Mike Pelfrey and Ubaldo Jimenez. The only run of the game came in the bottom of the 7th. After walking Chris Carter to start the inning, Jimenez then gave up a double to Josh Thole to put men on second and third. A few batters later, Jose Reyes hit a sacrifice fly to right field to score Jeff Francoeur, who pinch-ran for Carter.

Pelfrey went 7 strong innings to get the win, giving up no runs and only four hits while striking out four.  Jimenez also went 7 great innings, but took the loss. Jimenez allowed one run on four hits while striking out eight. Francisco Rodriguez recorded his 25th save of the season for the Mets.

Marlins vs. Nationals

The Marlins took the series opener 8-2 Tuesday. Florida jumped to an early 2-0 lead in the 1st on an Dan Uggla home run. Uggla drove in two more runs in the 3rd on a double to left field to score Hanley Ramirez and Gaby Sanchez. Washington got on the board in the bottom of the 3rd after a field error by Wes Helms allowed Ivan Rodriguez to score. Florida added three more runs in the 5th with doubles by Sanchez and Helms. Logan Morrison singled in the 6th to score Ramirez, making it 8-1 Florida. Washington had the bases loaded in the bottom of the 7th, but could only get one run home to make it 8-2.

Anibal Sanchez got the win, going 6.2 innings and giving up two runs on five hits while striking out seven. Stephen Strasburg took the loss, going 4.1 innings and allowing six runs on six hits while striking out four.

Phillies vs. Dodgers

The Phillies fell to the Dodgers 15-9. Andre Ethier drove in Los Angeles’ first two runs of the game with a single in the 1st and a double in the 3rd. Ethier would score later in the 3rd on a single by Jay Gibbons. The Dodgers scored four more runs in the 4th to make it 7-0 Dodgers. Placido Polanco scored the Phillies first run in the bottom of the 4th. In the bottom of the 5th, Wilson Valdez scored on a ground out by Polanco. Ross Gload followed with a two-run shot t0 right field to cut the lead to 7-4. As soon as the Phillies made it a close game, they gave it all right back, giving up four more runs to L.A. in the top of the 6th. Domonic Brown homered in the 6th for the Phillies to make it 11-5. Los Angeles responded in the 7th with two more runs on a single by Matt Kemp. Philadelphia put up two runs in the 7th on a homer by Gload to make it 13-7.  In the top of the 9th, Casey Blake made it 15-7 Dodgers with a two run home run to left field. The Phillies fought back in the bottom of the inning, but were only able to add two runs on a double by Brown.

Vicente Padilla got the win, going 5 innings and giving up four runs on six hits while striking out two. Kyle Kendrick took the loss, lasting only 3.1 innings and giving up six runs on eight hits while striking out one.

Braves vs. Astros

The Braves beat the Astros by a score of 4-2. After entering the game for an injured Chipper Jones, Brooks Conrad scored the games first run in the 7th on a single by Troy Glaus. The Braves defense was sloppy in the bottom of the 8th, however, with errors by Alex Gonzalez and Omar Infante allowing Houston to take a 2-0 lead. Solo shots by Conrad and Glaus in the to of the 9th gave Atlanta the lead.

Braves starter Jair Jurrjens went 7.1 innings and got the no decision. He gave up two runs on six hits while striking out three. Jonny Venters got the win for Atlanta after facing just one batter. Houston starter J.A. Happ also got a no decision, going 6.1 innings and allowing one run on two hits while striking out six. Matt Lindstrom took the loss for the Astros. Billy Wagner  came in to pitch a 1-2-3 9th to get his 28th save of the season for Atlanta.

Mets vs. Phillies

The Phillies beat the Mets in a score of 7-5. In the first Placido Polanco doubled to score Raul Ibanez to put the Phillies on the board.  In the 3rd Jose Reyes singled scoring Jeff Francoeur to tie the game.  In the 4th Josh Thole singled scoring David Wright giving the Mets the lead.  The Phillies scored 6 runs in the 8th with hits from Ben Francisco, Carlos Ruiz, Jimmy Rollins, and Mike Sweeney.  The Mets fought back scoring 3 runs in the 9th when Mike Hessman hit a 3 run homer but it wasn’t enough.

Jon Niese pitched 7 innings giving up 4 hits, 1 run, and 7 strikeouts.  Joe Blanton pitched 7 innings giving up 7 hits, 2 runs, and 4 strikeouts.  Chad Durbin got the win pitching 1 inning giving up no hits with 1 strikeout.  Bobby Parnell got the loss while not retiring a batter and giving up 4 hits and 4 runs.

Marlins vs. Cardinals

The Cardinals beat the Marlins in a score of 7-0.  In the first inning Albert Pujols hit a 3 run home run scoring Felipe López and Jon Jay.  In the 3rd inning Matt Holiday doubled scoring Jon Jay.  In the 4th The Cardinals added 3 more runs when Brendan Ryan doubled scoring Aaron Miles, Jon Jay doubled scoring Brendan Ryan, and  Albert Pujols doubled scoring Jon Jay.

Adam Wainwright got the win after pitching a complete game shutout giving up just 2 hits with 7 strikeouts.  The loss went to Ricky Nolasco who pitched 5 innings giving up 10 hits, 7 runs, and 6 strikeouts.

Braves vs. Giants

The Giants beat the Braves in a score of 3-2. The Giants scored in the 1st when Aubrey Huff grounded out scoring Andres Torres.  The Braves tied it up in the 5th when Alex Gonzalez hit a solo shot.  The Braves took the lead in the 6th when Chipper Jones hit a solo home run.  The Giants tied it up in the 9th when Aubrey Huff scored due to an error by Chipper Jones.  In the 11th Pat Burell hit a sac fly to score Aubrey Huff.

Barry Zito pitched 7 innings giving up 4 hits, 2 runs, and 10 strikeouts.  Tommy Hanson pitched 7 innings giving up 3 hits, 1 run, and 3 strikeouts.  Javier Lopez got the win after pitching 1 inning giving up 1 hit, no runs, and 1 strikeout.  The loss went to Peter Moylan who pitched 1.2 innings giving up 1 hit, 1 run, and no strikeouts.  The save went to Brian Wilson who pitched a perfect 9th with 1 strikeout.

Nationals vs. Dodgers

The Nationals beat the Dodgers in a score of 6-3. The Nationals scored 3 runs in the 1st when Adam Dunn hit a 3 run homer scoring Ian Desmond and Ryan Zimmerman.  In the 3rd Adam Dunn hit another 3 run bomb scoring Desmond and Zimmerman making the score 6-0.   The Dodgers scored 3 runs in the 4th when Andre Either homered scoring Ryan Theriot and Casey Blake singled scoring James Loney.

John Lannan got the win and pitched 6 innings giving up 5 hits, 3 runs, and 2 strikeouts.  Clayton Kershaw got the loss and pitched 6 innings giving up 7 hits, 6 runs, and 9 strikeouts.  Drew Storen got his 1st save of the season giving up no hits with 1 walk.

Braves vs. Marlins

The Marlins beat the Braves 5-4 in 11 innings. An RBI single in the first by Brian McCann and a home run off the bat of Eric Hinske in the 3rd gave Atlanta a 2-0 lead. Florida got on the board in the bottom of the 4th, scoring four runs in the inning. Cody Ross drove in Hanley Ramirez with a single, followed by two more runs thanks to a triple by Wes Helms. Helms would score the 4th run of the inning on a single by Brad Davis. A sacrifice fly by Melky Cabrera in the 6th cut the Marlins lead to 4-3. Atlanta tied up the game in the 8th on a double by Chipper Jones. It would remain 4-4 until the bottom of the 11th when Ramirez scored the winning run on a walk-off single by Helms.

Chris Volstad went 6 innings, giving up three runs on five hits in his no decision. Jair Jurrjens got a no decision as well, throwing 7 innings and allowing four runs on six hits. Jorge Sosa got the win for Florida. Jesse Chavez took the loss for Atlanta.

Nationals vs. Brewers

The Nationals fell to the Brewers 8-3 Sunday. Milwaukee jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first on a single by Jonathan Lucroy and a wild pitch by Ross Detwiler allowed Prince Fielder to score. Milwaukee scored three more in the 4th thanks to a throwing error by Ian Desmond and a two run shot off the bat of Rickie Weeks. A sacrifice fly by Josh Willingham and an RBI single by Adam Dunn in the 6th got the Nationals on the board and cut the Brewers’ lead to 5-2. Nyjer Morgan singled home a run in the 7th making it 5-3. Milwaukee responded in the bottom of the 7th with a three-run shot off the bat of Casey McGehee.

Ross Detwiler took the loss in his first game back since undergoing hip surgery in February.  Detwiler lasted only 3.2 innings and gave up five runs on three hits. Dave Bush got the win, going 6 innings and allowing three runs on six hits.

Phillies vs. Rockies

Philadelphia beat the Rockies 4-3. The Rockies, Clint Barmes, drove in the game’s first run in the 1st.  The Phillies responded in the bottom of the inning with a two-run shot to left field off the bat of Ben Francisco. Ryan Spilborghs homered in the 4th for Colorado to give the Rockies a 3-2 lead. The Phillies came back in the 7th as Jimmy Rollins drove in and scored the Phillies’ 3rd and 4th runs.

J.A. Happ got a no decision, throwing 5 innings and allowing three runs on four hits.  Jeff Francis also got a no decision, going 5 innings and giving up two runs on six hits. Ryan Madson got the win for Philadelphia. Joe Beimel took the loss for Colorado. Brad Lidge recorded his 9th save for the Phillies.

Mets vs. Dodgers

The Mets fell to the Dodgers 1-0, finishing their road trip with a 2-9 record. Russell Martin doubled to left field in the 8th inning, scoring Casey Blake from first base for the game’s only run. The Mets threatened in the 5th, 6th, and 7th innings, but couldn’t break through against Dodgers starter Clayton Kershaw.

R.A. Dickey left the game after landing awkwardly while pitching to Martin in the 6th.  Dickey was pulled after pitching 5.2 brilliant innings, and giving up two hits.  Kershaw pitched 8 very good innings to get the win. He allowed seven hits and no runs. Pedro Feliciano gave up the winning run giving him the loss. Kenley Jansen recorded his 1st save for the Dodgers.

The life of a fan whose team is out of the money is sometimes pretty hard to bear. Sitting on the couch wondering what might have been while you stare bleary-eyed at out of towners all enjoying their minutes in the sun. Sometimes though, it’s actually not so bad. Last night was one of those times where I sort of felt safe in the confines of my living room watching games that don’t matter to me except to provide fodder for my blogging imagination. Last night, watching Matt Holliday drop that fly ball in left, I thanked the God of all that is holy that I wasn’t a Cardinal fan and that he wasn’t MY left fielder and that I didn’t just go down 2-0 to the Dodgers in the NLDS on a misplayed 3rd out that would have ended the game. Because if that was Fernando Tatis out there for the Mets dropping the 3rd out with K-Rod on the mound about to close out a beautifully pitched game by Johan Santana, I wouldn’t have come to work today. No, I’m pretty sure I’d be holed up in a bar on the Upper East Side cursing the sunlight right about now.

I wonder if Cardinal fans are as crazy as me, though. Something tells me they’re not. I know that they’re The Most Knowledgeable Fans In The Game (TM) and all that, and players just love getting dealt there so they can chat with these fans over the railing between innings about the suicide squeeze, wood bats and the works of Tom Robbins, but I have an inkling that fans all over Missouri got up today and went to work like normal people. Pissed, to be sure, but dignified. Just thankful to be here. Fully expecting to be back again if not next year, then soon thereafter. Because that’s what midwestern fans are like. Patient.

NL East fans just aren’t like that. Not in our DNA. We’re about triumph and tragedy. Highs and lows. Delight in the misfortune of others and unrepentant gloating at even the most routine of triumphs. Phillies fans booed Mike Schmidt, or so the story goes. As well as Santa Claus himself.

So watching last night as Ryan Franklin followed up Holliday’s error by walking Casey Blake, allowing an RBI single by Ronnie Belliard, throwing one past his catcher allowing the runners to advance, walking Russell Martin and finally giving up the game-winning run on a hit by the shell of a player that used to be known as Mark Loretta….I sat back and smiled. This didn’t happen to me this year. It may happen next year. In fact, I’m certain it will. Likely not in the post-season because the Mets aren’t making the post-season next year, but at some other time when I least expect it, they’ll pull the football away from me as I run up to kick it like Lucy did to Charlie Brown all those times in those Peanuts cartoons. But not this year. This year, it’s the Cardinal fans who get to eat the shit sandwich, and I tell you what, I don’t feel so bad about it.

That’s it from the underground today. Tonight I guess I’ll watch the Yanks and pray for a rain delay to screw up Burnett’s mechanics or something. I’m grasping at straws, I know it. This winter’s going to be very long indeed.

Not this time Jamie

The Florida Marlins made up for their dismal showing in Washington earlier in the week, but going into division leading Philadelphia and sweeping them.  Hanley Ramirez led the way going 4-6 with three RBI and three runs scored as the Marlins won 12-3 to complete the weekend sweep.  Chris Coghlan joined Ramirez while racking up four hits and Wes Helms evened his three RBI among a flurry of other Marlins with good days at the plate.  Ace Josh Johnson(11-2) went six inning allowing only four hits and one run while striking out six batters to pick up his 11th win this year.  Check out FishGuts for more happiness regarding the Marlins play this weekend.

Jamie Moyer(10-9) managed to get through five shaky innings in this game and only allowed two earned runs, but three overall but with eleven total hits.  Rodrigo Lopez put the game to bed though pitching two thirds of an inning and giving up a whopping six runs while allowing three hits and three walks.  Pedro Feliz contributed a two run homer for the Phils and Ryan Howard added a sacrifice fly for all their runs.  Phillies Phandom will have more information on this game and the Phillies for you.

Prado again

The Braves finished up a great weekend in Los Angeles this weekend, as they took three of four from the Dodgers winning Sunday by a score of 8-2.  The Braves went up early with single runs in the second, third and fourth on a Diaz homer, a Prado RBI single and an Adam LaRoche double play groundout.  Prado and Diaz added RBI singles in the ninth inning for insurance runs and added five runs in all in the frame.  Javier Vazquez(10-7) went eight innings of one run ball while only allowing five total hits, two walks and fanning seven.  Check out The Braves Baseball Blog for more.

Dodgers starter Eric Stults(4-3) had a solid start while going five innings allowing only three runs and five hits, but he was pulled after only 75 pitches.  The game stayed close until Ramon Transoco gave up four runs while recording one out in the ninth and Mota allowed the final run that inning.  Casey Blake had the only RBI for the Dodgers with a sacrifice fly and Matt Kemp grounded into a double play for the final run in the ninth on a bad offensive day for the Dodgers.

Santana has to do things himself

Johan Santana went into Sunday’s start likely realizing that to get a win, he had to do things himself on the mound and with the bat.  Santana(13-8) pitched eight innings allowing five hits and only one run on his way to a 5-1 victory.  Santana at the plate also went 2-3 with a run scored and an RBI as he helped himelf too.  Re-Metted Anderson Hernandez had two hits in his first start back along with Francouer, Castillo and Murphy to lead the Mets in hits.  Francisco Rodriguez worked the ninth inning and did not allow a run or earn a save, but this was good news for the Mets after two bad outtings.  The Real Dirty Mets Blog will have more information on the win and the Mets.

The Padres could not manage to get the fourth game of the series, even with a solid performance by Tim Stauffer.  Stauffer(1-4) went five innings and actually only allowed one run and was charged with the loss in this one, as the Mets tacked on late.  Chase Headley had the only RBI on the night for the Padres as he singled home Kevin Kouzmanoff  in the sixth inning.

Permanent?

The Nationals have now done what probably everyone that surrounds baseball thought was possible for them this year, win eight in a row and two series sweeps straight.  The Nats behind J.D. Martin’s first win, beat the Diamondbacks 9-2 on Sunday afternoon.  Martin(1-2) went five innings allowing only one run and on a solo home run as his only mistake.  Elijah Dukes contributed another three RBI game and Adam Dunn hit yet another home run in the first inning to lead the Nats on their way to victory and Jorge Sosa picked up his second save in as many days.  You have to wonder now if Jim Riggleman is looking more like a permanent solution at manager for the Nats.  Check out Centerfieldgate for more.

Yusmeiro Petit(2-6) had a rough day on the mound as he only lasted four innings allowing nine hits and three earned runs, four in total in taking this loss.  Trent Oeltjen and Mark Reynolds hit solo home runs to give all the run support they could to Petit on this day.

Nick Johnson with a blast

The Florida Marlins needed to get a win and get back on track, and luckily they were able to do that tonight.  They got all the runs they needed in the first two innings in Philly, but held on to win 3-2.  Nick Johnson homered in the first and was followed by a Dan Uggla RBI double later.  Cody Ross capped the Marlins scoring with a home run of his own in the second inning.  Starter Ricky Nolasco(8-7) continues to get back to last seasons form as he worked seven innings only making one mistake in giving up a two run home run and four hits total.  Leo Nunez worked the ninth and recorded his tenth save of the season.  FishGuts has more on the series and the Marlins for you.

Joe Blanton worked yet another solid start the Phils and they had a chance to win if they could have gotten to Nolasco.  Blanton(7-6) went 6.2 innings and allowed three runs on eight hits but as we mentioned, all in the first two innings.  The only offense the Phillies could muster against the Marlins was a seventh inning two run blast by new Philly Ben Franciso scoring Raul Ibanez.  Phillies Phandom is the place to go for more Phillies insight and info.

Yes, Zimm again

Break up the Nats!  The Nationals have now won six games in a row after snapping the Diamondbacks streak and extending their own on Friday night.  Elijah Dukes had a second straight big day as he finished with three RBI while going 1-3 with a sac fly and a double.  Josh Willingham added a two run single and Ryan Zimmerman had another home run, of the solo variety.  Colin Balester gave up five runs in the first two innings but got into the fifth only allowing those five on eight hits before being removed getting the first two outs.  Jason Bergmann(2-1) got the win while recording one out in relief in the top of the seventh.  Closer Mike MacDougal is on fire and recorded his 11th save while working 1.2 innings allowing two hits and a walk.  Centerfieldgate has more on the game.

The Diamondbacks had solo home runs from Mark Reynolds and Josh Whitesell to start the second inning and a three run shot by Stephen Drew to cap the inning.  That would be all of their runs until a sacrifice fly by Stephen Drew in the eighth to pull within one.  Jon Garland got a no decision working six innings and allowing four earned runs and five overall.  Juan Gutierrez(3-3) worked one inning allowing three hits and two runs and took the loss in this game for the D’Backs.

Church with his biggest hit as a Brave

Ryan Church had his biggest hit since joining the Braves, a three run home run in the twelth inning.  It came a few batters after Yunel Escobar singled in the go ahead run in the extra frame and was a three run shot to put the game away, 9-5.  Escobar and Church each had three hits and two runs scored, but Church had four RBI to Escobar’s one.  Jair Jurrjens only went 4.1 innings on a rare bad night for him, but as you can see the offense picked him up.  Peter Moylan(4-2) got the win in relief for the Braves, as they look to keep winning tomorrow, check out The Braves Baseball Blog for more.

Chad Billingsley went six innings allowing only two runs in this one, but the Dodgers relief just could not hold it.  Broxton received his fourth blown save of the season in this one with a run in his inning of work.  Ramon Tronsoco(0-1) only recorded one out but was charged with two runs in the loss on this one.  Casey Blake had the biggest blow for the Dodgers in this one, a three run shot.

Cabrera sends Pads home happy, Mets fans home sad as usual

The Padres went into the ninth inning last night down 2-1 and facing one of the best closers in baseball, when hes on his game.  Will Venable hit a double in the inning to score Kyle Banks tying the game at two, but they weren’t done there.  With the bases loaded and no outs, Everth Cabrera hit only his second home run of his career but made it a big one, a grand slam to send the Padres to a 6-2 win.  Heath Bell(4-1) working the ninth after Kevin Correia allowed zero earned runs but two unearned runs in six innings of work.  Chase Headley provided the first RBI for the Padres in the seventh, doubling home David Eckstein.

Oliver Perez turned in a great performance last night, as he went 6.1 innings and only allowed two hits, two walks and one run, a rarity for him.   Unfortunately the Mets offense didn’t come to play as they scored two in the first and that was it.  In the first, Angel Pagan scored on a David Wright single and Wright later scored himself when Correia threw a wild pitch, and that capped the scoring.  Francisco Rodriguez(2-3) didn’t record an out but gave up five runs in the ninth to blow his fifth save and his second in a row.  Check out The Real Dirty Mets Blog for more.

Rollins with a grand slam

The Phillies played a game on Saturday that entailed 29 hits and 20 runs, lucky for them, they had 14 of those 20 runs, winning 14-6.  Jimmy Rollins saved starter Rodrigo Lopez by hitting a grand slam in the bottom of the sixth inning.  The Phillies took an early 3-0 lead, but squandered it by the top of the sixth inning.  Lopez (3-0) worked six innings giving up three earned runs and four total in staying undefeated on the season.  Jimmy Rollins finished the day with a career high five RBI and Shane Victorino went 4-4 with three runs scored, three RBI and even added in a walk.  Check out Phillies Phandom for more Phillies info from this game and all others.

Cardinals pitching could almost have not been worse today.  Three pitchers combined to give up the fourteen runs, starter Kyle Lohse was let off the hook of a bad start by giving up three runs in only four innings of work as he left for a pinch hitter with a high pitch count.  Jason Motte(3-4) left after getting one out and giving up back to back home runs, one of them being the grand slam to Rollins.  New Cardinals Julio Lugo and Matt Holliday had good games again, going 6-9 with two runs scored and two RBI combined.

Blake gets the game winning RBI

In Los Angeles, Casey Blake saved the Dodgers from another possible loss to the Marlins.  With two out in the ninth inning, Casey Blake stepped to the plate and singled to drive home Rafael Furcal to win the game 4-3.  Blake had also scoredt he tying run in the sixth inning as the Dodgers came back from a 3-1 deficit to win this game.  Jonathan Broxton(7-0) got the win as he worked the top of the ninth for the Dodgers in this game and Andre Ethier and Orlando Hudson each had three hits for the Dodgers.

The Marlins as mentioned took a 3-1 lead in by the sixth with RBI singles from Cody Ross and Jeremy Hermida and an RBI double in the first by Jorge Cantu.  Besides that though, their bats couldn’t break Dodger pitching.  VandenHurk had a second straight solid start going five innings of one run ball and left in position for his second straight win, but the bullpen couldn’t hold it.  Renyel Pinto was charged with two runs in one third of an inning in the sixth and then Dan Meyer(2-1) took the loss in the ninth as he had put the baserunners on, even though Luis Ayala let up the final hit.  Check out FishGuts for more info on the Marlins.

Gallardo does it again pitching and hitting

The Brewers were able to rebound from a late loss to the Braves and their bats on Friday night, and sent their ace to the mound.  Yovani Gallardo(9-7) pitched 7.1 innings only giving up four hits and four runs and striking out six as the Brewers went on to win 4-0.  Gallardo helped himself with an RBI single in the fifth for the games first run.  Craig Counsell had an RBI groundout in the same inning and pinch hitter Casey McGehee had a two RBI single in the eighth for insurance.

The Braves sent previously undefeated Tommy Hanson to the hill on Saturday.  Hanson(5-1) took the loss even though he went seven innings and only gave up two runs because the Braves bats were silent.  Check out The Braves Baseball Blog for more on the Braves.

Niese pitches a gem

There have not been many days where I have been able to write about multiple story lines for the Mets.  Tonight you can take your pick, as the Mets won 10-3 against the Astros with a great performance from a rookie, a superb game from a newcomer and a home run from a player who hadn’t hit one all month.  Jonathon Niese(1-0) went seven innings giving up a single run on four hits and two walks to get his first win since last September on a day the Mets needed it.  Jeff Francouer also went 2-4 with a run scored and four RBI, three of them coming on a home run fifth inning, it was his second as a Met and seventh overall.  David Wright hit his sixth home run in the ninth inning and it was impressive because he hadn’t hit one this month.  The Real Dirty Mets Blog has more info on the Mets.

Russ Ortiz(3-5) started for the Astros and only lasted 4.1 innings while giving up six runs on five hits and four walks.  The Astros managed a run early on a Pudge Rodriguez RBI single and then nothing until the bottom of the ninth when they had a nine run deficit.  Hunter Pence hit a two run homer in the ninth off Francisco Rodriguez, but that was all they would get.

Adam Dunn hits a granny

The Padres and Nationals waited out an over three hour rain delay in the second inning of the game Saturday in Washington, it could have been local time for the San Diego fans.  The Nationals got two runs in the first on a Zimmerman homerun and never looked back after the rain delay in the second.  Off a new pitcher, the Nationals scored five more after the delay, on a Adam Dunn grand slam.  Zimmerman ended this game with three RBI and Dunn had five RBI as the Nationals won 13-1.  Tyler Clippard(2-0) worked four innings after the rain delay to qualify for the win in this game as J.D. Martin had to leave after two innings because of the delay.  Check out CenterfieldGate for more info on the Nationals.

Padres starter Tim Stauffer(0-2) didn’t come back after the rain delay and went one inning giving up three hits and two runs to take the loss.  Five more Padre relievers combined to give up eleven more runs to make this game way out of reach.  The two finish their series on Sunday afternoon in D.C.