This Is Really Difficult

Nats320
Home Game after Home Game, Sohna and I dutifully attend. Now, its become a great burden to show up at RFK and watch our awful Washington Nationals. The Nationals are just not competitive. What in the world is this management thinking?? The worse we get, to build for the future--is this really going to build the fan base?? This team stinks. And, its only going to get worse.

In tonight's 5-1 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies, Washington slept right threw the game. Even Screech was in an odd mood tonight. There was NO FUN AT RFK TONIGHT for the announced crowd of 24,438 on a rainy night.

Here's the Cliff Notes on what occurred, as I need to get up a 4AM tomorrow morning.

With Ramon Oritz on the mound in the 3rd, retiring the first two hitters on the inning, Jimmy Rollins hits a grounder to Jose Vidro's left, Vidro amazingly dives for the ball--AND THE BALL ROLLS UNDER HIS LEFT ARMPIT!! Completely missing the ball. If you are diving for the ball, why is the ball going UNDER YOU!!. Then, with Shane Victorino at the plate, Rollins takes off, well before Ortiz goes into his windup. With Rollins already halfway to second, Ortiz delivers the ball to the plate for a ball. Then proceeds to yell at Nick Johnson at first. Totally shaken by his own stupidity, Oritz then walks Victorino. And on the very next pitch, Chase Utley hits a grounder to Vidro's right that he dives for AGAIN, and IT GOES UNDER HIS BODY AGAIN!! Rollins Scores easily 1-0 Phils.



Ryan Howard steps to the plate, after a visit to the mound from Randy St.Claire. Ortiz throws three straight balls. There are 2 outs. Go ahead and walk him to bring up Pat Burrell. A better chance for an out. Instead, Frank Robinson allows Ramon to pitch to Howard, and Ortiz throws it over the plate, Howard drilling it over Ryan Church's head for a 2 run double. How can you NOT WALK RYAN HOWARD IN THE SITUATION! Frank then proceeds to WALK Pat Burrell to get to Jeff Conine. The Howard at bat WAS THE GAME!! Insane baseball. Insane decision making.

Later, the Phils would score an unearned run in the 6th when Burrell would drive a deep fly ball to left center that Church had all the way, only to see Alfonso Soriano try to catch it at the last second. It bounces off both their gloves and the wall for a 2 base error. No one took charge. Typical of a bad team. Burrell would score on a high chopper fielders choice by Abraham Nunez. 4-0.



In the bottom half of the 6th and 1 out, Zimmerman would drill a 2 strike fastball up the middle for a single and Nick Johnson with a deep opposite field drive down the left field line that Pat Burrell fielded cleaning and threw to Jimmy Rollins as the cutoff man. For some reason, Nats Third Base Coach, Tony Beasley sent Z home where he was gunned down by Rollins. Its appeared that Zimmerman might have jumped over the tag, but, still, there was NO REASON to send Ryan with 1 out. Runners would be on 2nd and 3rd. Kearns coming up. Why Kill The Rally? Beasley continues to be a terrible 3rd base coach. The crowd was just STUNNED that Z was sent home. No one could believe it. Even when the Nats have a chance to be successful, either a player or coach makes a poor decision. They are very consistent.

The Nats only other excitement for the crowd was Alfonso Soriano BLASTING a first pitch fastball from Cole Hamels in the 8th into the Mezzanine Level below Section 453. Its was HAMMERED! It was also the only fun for the night.



Later, Ryan Wagner would come on when Jon Rauch got into trouble in the 9th, the Phillies had scored on a bases loaded sacrifice fly by David Delucci, highlighted only by the fact that Soriano turned on the ball, first to his left, then to his right before jumping back to his left, catching the ball at the warning track backpeddling. It was very funny to see. Then with runners on 1st and 3rd, 2 outs, Wagner continued his decent pitching of late, coming on in a tough situation and getting Jeff Conine to line out to Vidro. The ball was hit right a Vidro. He couldn't miss that one.

Its very sad watching the 2006 Washington Nationals. Lifeless bunch, and as September nears, there could not be a playoff contender that does not want to play us. Our pitching gets us down early in games, and we can never fight back consistently. 19 more home games to go. And, unfortunately--COUNTING!!