A Hot Night At The Ballyard
Well, I don't know if it was the late notice or the lack of desire to sit outside in 100-degree heat, but I never found any takers (friends or coworkers) for the spare Nats-Padres ticket last week. So I just went myself, figuring one shouldn't let excellent 3rd-base dugout box seats go to waste. Turned out to be a heck of a game. Adam "Get 'Er" Dunn graciously provided three fans in the left- and center-field bleachers with home run balls (a 3-run dinger and two solo shots); Ian Desmond later got into the act with a 6th-inning solo shot.
The game wound up being closer than one would have expected, given Washington lead 4-1 at the end of the 1st inning (thanks to Dunn's 3-RBI homer) and 5-2 after the 3rd. But our middle relievers (including the usually reliable Drew Storen) gave up a run in the 7th and two in the 8th, and closer Matt Capps gave up a solo homer to Tony Gwynn and put the tying and winning runs on base before inducing a game-ending ground-out. Final score: Nats 7, Padres 6.
It's a good thing the Nats had a decent night batting, because their defense stank. JD Martin misplayed two balls off the mound, barely getting the throws to first in time. Both times also allowed a runner on first to advance, one subsequently scored. A third misplay near the 3rd base line did allow a single and scored as an error. And on two occasions, with runners on first, Desmond fielded a grounder and opted for the play at first instead of the lead runner. I'm not convinced he didn't have a play at second either time.
But still, a win is a win, and I'll take any wins the Nats care to ring up.
The game wound up being closer than one would have expected, given Washington lead 4-1 at the end of the 1st inning (thanks to Dunn's 3-RBI homer) and 5-2 after the 3rd. But our middle relievers (including the usually reliable Drew Storen) gave up a run in the 7th and two in the 8th, and closer Matt Capps gave up a solo homer to Tony Gwynn and put the tying and winning runs on base before inducing a game-ending ground-out. Final score: Nats 7, Padres 6.
It's a good thing the Nats had a decent night batting, because their defense stank. JD Martin misplayed two balls off the mound, barely getting the throws to first in time. Both times also allowed a runner on first to advance, one subsequently scored. A third misplay near the 3rd base line did allow a single and scored as an error. And on two occasions, with runners on first, Desmond fielded a grounder and opted for the play at first instead of the lead runner. I'm not convinced he didn't have a play at second either time.
But still, a win is a win, and I'll take any wins the Nats care to ring up.
