Shutdown Offense

No one took a walk.

No one could figure out another Milwaukee Brewers Starting Pitcher.

And for the second straight night--Our Washington Nationals were shutout.

Big Righthander Ben Sheets getting the honors on Saturday. Like his Lefty Teammate C.C. Sabathia last evening--Sheets would go the distance, and was never threatened.

If fact, this game was never in doubt at Miller Park.

Ben Sheets would pitch nine shutout innings and throw 113 Pitches.

Our Washington Nationals Tim Redding lasted just five innings and threw 105 Pitches--three of which landed over the outfield walls for Milwaukee Home Runs. Ray Durham, J.J. Hardy and Corey Hart all taking Our Number 17 Deep.

That was the difference. And that was This Ball Game.

Final Score from still hopping and Sold Out Miller Park--where Playoff Fever Is Ramping Up--The Milwaukee Brewers 6 and Our Washington Nationals Zero--Zip--Nada. A Shutdown Offense--having now gone 18 Straight Scoreless Innings in Wisconsin.

The 17th Time in 2008 that Washington has been shutout. Easily, the most in The Major Leagues.

No one getting on base, everyone swinging--sometimes seemingly again--without a game plan.

Time to Re-Group and come back against Brewers Lefthander Manny Parra Sunday Afternoon. Parra may be good, but he is no where near the quality of talent that Sabathia and Sheets both possess. Maybe, with John Lannan on the mound, Our Washington Nationals will have a better chance.

Not much more to say about Loss Number 73 of 2008.

Except for the very fact that Lastings Milledge made a terrific catch off the left centerfield wall in the bottom of the 2nd inning. A clubbed shot by The Brewers Corey Hart that found Our Number 44 running hard to his right toward the jutted and odd corner of the ballpark and running nearly face first into the padded outcropping. But still MAKING THE CATCH!! J.J. Hardy would score from third base on a sacrifice fly, but Lastings Milledge had produced The Defensive Play of This Game and hard to believe, he didn't hurt himself in the process. It was a very fine catch.

Tonight's InGame Photo--(AP) Ben Smidt

PS--Charlie Slowes & Dave Jageler on the radio got into this hilarious discussion involving IHOP's Louisiana Banana Foster Pancakes. A regular sponsor on 3WT for Our Washington Nationals--Charlie had just finished reading the IHOP 15 Second Ad Spot live on the air--so quickly and smoothly--that Dave openly praised him for the effort. One remark led to another between these two--the conversation getting so animated that finally an attempt was made to see how quickly Charlie could repeat Louisiana Banana Fosters Pancakes over and over again. They were laughing so hard--it was downright funny. Those guys are great. Even when the game is boring or out of hand--Slowes and Jageler make listening to baseball on the radio--ENJOYABLE. Charlie kept chuckling about the incident for another full inning.

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