Jordan Zimmeramann didn't have his breaking ball, but he kept on throwing it--to his detriment.
Willie Harris missed a grounder right at him, that took a wicked bounce, right into where it counts the most--sending Our Number 22 down and eventually allowing two Colorado Rockies runners to score in the bottom of the 4th. A frame in which JZ should have been out of trouble. Dave Jageler on WFED saying--from experience with talking to Willie before--Harris does not use the protective cup.
His loss now--as well as ours.
Our Washington Nationals again not hitting in the clutch with runners in scoring position and less than two out in the 5th, 6th & 7th innings.
Austin Kearns while attempting to steal in a tie 4-4 game, gets picked off 1st base in the 8th inning, but Colorado's First Baseman Todd Helton, drops the ball. No matter--Austin Kearns falls down while running and is tagged out to end the inning.
Our Defense was just terrible this evening. Harris with that crucial 4th inning error. Cristian Guzman with a booted grounder to his right in the 7th that he literally kicked into centerfield--when Our Number 15 didn't get himself in front of a routine play to his right hit by Troy Tulowitzki.
And after Julian Tavarez walked two straight Colorado Rockies batters in the bottom of the 8th with one out--Joe Beimel came on and induced a perfect back to the box one hopper--easy inning ending double play. The result--Cristian Guzman doesn't cover 2nd Base and Willie Harris catches the high throw which is too late on a relay to 1st. Not one single Rockie was retired on a sure out on that play.
Unbelievable.
Of course, Clint Barmes follows with a routine fly to centerfield that scores Carlos Gonzalez with the eventual game winning 5th run for Colorado.
A three run homer clouted by Ryan Zimmerman in the top of the 3rd (his 14th)--wasted. As well as a solo shot by Josh Willingham (his 10th). On another night in which Our Washington Nationals out hit an opponent--they lost again. The Colorado Rockies won this evening at Coors Field because DC's Team beat themselves with Some Rally Bad Baseball.
Having to be up early tomorrow--this one is just not worth recounting any more.
Final Score from Coors Field where Our Team missed all the lessons of baseball fundamentals this evening--The Colorado Rockies 5 & Our Washington Nationals 4. How fitting that Alan Embree garnered the win without throwing a single pitch. He picked off Kearns to end the 8th and won when Tavarez and Beimel & Guzman combined to let another game slip away for DC. Losing by simply being beaten is tolerable. But, giving the game away is inexcusable. As wonderful as last's night's 1-0 loss to Colorado was respectable--this defeat (number 57 in 81 games) was very hard to watch.
Major League Baseball was not played by Our Team this evening.
Just a really poor showing. An awful game to watch.
Tonight's InGame Photo--David Zalubowski (AP)
Seriously, I think the following players should be sent to Syracuse after the showing today (I know there are rules about who can be DFA'ed, but I'm talking more about sending a message about the type of play that will be tolerated):
ReplyDeleteAustin Kearns
Cristian Guzman
Julian Tavarez
At least these guys need to be benched. For a while. I don't mind when my guys lose. But when they appear to not even be trying, I've got SERIOUS issues. I've seen better effort from my co-ed slow pitch softball team in a beer league.
The trio of Z-Man, Nick Johnson, and the Guz have 30 errors; but Guz also have another 10 or so mental lapses, where he doesn't cover second and such: his inability to go to his left, and now, two instances where he hasn't gotten the glove down going to his right, make him seem like such a liability. Guz is a puzzle - he continues to hit over .300, a true miracle in light of his dismal hitting in 2005, yet he doesn't seem a good fit anywhere in the line-up, due to his either jumping on the first pitch of a reliever in trouble with runners on, or taking a third strike with runners on - weird. He seems so much less valuable than one would presume from our lone All-Star in 2008 and a candidate this year to return to the game per the fan's vote.
ReplyDeleteNick Johnson looked back twice and ended the inning being thrown out at third. He too is a miracle, few thought that he would return to form after devastating injury and glacier like recovery time; yet, he plays with seemingly less value than his offensive numbers suggest, too, often failing to produce in key situations. And, while his fielding lately is better, up until then, he had virtually no range, and some mental mistakes to boot. Z-Man of course still spectacular at times in the field, but his air-mailing and taking so many called third strikes and 14 double play outs has reduced some of his effectiveness, overall, this year. And, since the streak, he has hit about .250.
Boz suggests that Nats keep the first hitter, newcomer Nyjer Morgan, the 3-4-5 hitters (Z; Dunn; and Willingham) intact, along with Flores (6th?), and essentially trade-off Johnson, Guz, and Harris & Belliard (!) for prospects. Guz might fetch something, but not much, I would think; and Harris should fetch next to nothing. (Belliard was on a WS team in 2006, Boz points out - so what is WM Pena's value with that Red Sox ring?!) It is clear that Red Sox, Mets, and Giants are willing to part with less value than Johnson probably worth, despite his relatively low $5.5 m salary this year. Boz thinks that one or more of these players can bring a true reliever at least. Red Sox already laughed at Riz suggested deal of Johnson for Delcarmen straight-up. I think that Nats are going to wind-up not trading Johnson. Ironically, Guz may go instead, as he can hit, and someone in the running may lose their regular shortstop.
Otherwise, players stay, and Gonzalez and Hernandez play more regularly, with Guz played at second occasionally as an experiment, perhaps. Tavarez next to be DFA - he has run out of gas.
Boz talks about Nats acquiring "wheels" but that is not bound to happen via trade. It is a true shame, as I have pounded on before, that they didn't jump on Tori Hunter and Orlando Hudson over the past few years - what a difference those two players would have made to this team for a total of less than $15m per year!! Both clutch, clutch hitters and class guys.
Nats need wheels - but they are not getting here this season, Boz...Actually, with play, Gonzalez and/or Hernandez have potential to become part of a core group.
Trust in the darkness before the dawn. And it beginning to dawn on Manny - Not being Manny. All prospective.
Incidentally, since All-Star break 2005, four full seasons, Nats have played overall .398 or about 64-98 for what would be the average season total. Four years is a long run, even for an expansion team, to play under .400 ball, but probably not unexpected when team relocated by experts, as the franchise was completely depleted. Other than Zimmerman, no one has played over the course of this span. (Guz and Johnson out prolonged periods with injuries.)
ReplyDeleteIt isn't a question, as Boz puts it, of a "re-set" button, so much as a "set" button being pushed for the first time, signifying that there is sufficient undergirding and infrastructure now for a team to be constructed.
Have yet to see another team offer up anything substantial for one of the Nationals' prospects - that is when you really know that the foundation is set - unless you consider Milledge a prospect. He once was - but that was with the Mets.
SBF- you can keep the title of this for the rest of the season and just substitute the date.
ReplyDelete