Nationals rally late for the win, Zimmerman leaves with injury
With a late-inning rally the Nationals were able to pull past the Rockies last night to win 6-4 and improve their season record to 8-7.
The Nationals dug themselves an early hole as starting pitcher John Lannan struggled early. The Rockies led off the game with two hits before getting a sacrifice fly from Jason Giambi (.000 WPA) to make it 1-0. Shortstop Troy Tulowitzki then grounded into a fielders choice to drive in another run (.017 WPA). Brad Hawpe decided to add insult to injury in the third with a one-out solo home run (0.86) to bring the score to 3-0 and give the Nationals a game low 22.9 win expectancy.
Then the top of the Nationals order got their second chance. With Morgan and Zimmerman on base, Adam Dunn doubled (.175 WPA) to right to score them both. The next at bat, Josh Willingham drove in Dunn on a single (.095 WPA) tying the game at 3- 3 for the Nationals and giving the club a 55.9 win expectancy. The Nationals received some luck to end the inning as Willingham would score on a Clint Barmes error (-.103 WPA) off the bat of Adam Kennedy.
The next inning Barmes would make amends as he led off the top of the fourth with a single to left. Following a sacrifice from Hammel, Carlos Gonzalez drove in Barmes on a single to left (.099 WPA), tying the game 4-4. The game would remain tied until the eighth inning when with two runners on Wil Nieves doubled to center scoring one (.241 WPA). The next at bat, a pinch-hitting Ivan Rodriguez hit a sacrifice fly (.016 WPA) to left to drive in Adam Kennedy and finalize the score at 6-5.
Matt Capps would come on an strike out the side, despite allowing batters on a single and a walk.
Notes:
-Tyler Clippard pitched two innings of one-hit baseball, recording three strikeouts and earning his third win of the season. His ERA now stands at 0.77.
-Matt Capps earned his seventh save of the season. At this pace he is set to record 75.6 saves this season...
-Despite only allowing four runs, Lannan let up 11 hits and a walk on the night. It seemed his velocity was down from an average fastball of 92.2 to 89.8, and he was not getting pitchers to swing and miss.
-Ryan Zimmerman left the game with an injury to his right hamstring. This is not the hamstring he lost time for last week, that was his left. He said this one feels different, more "crampy" than anything else.
-Nationals set another all-time low in attendance. Lets go Caps?
