Thank you once again, and we wish you all a wonderful night from all of us at VAVEL USA!
It was a good game all night long, and we thank you for joining us. Next week, the Cardinals visit the Pirates on Sunday Night baseball.
The winner is Jordan Zimmermann (7-5, 3.04 ERA), and the loser is George Kontos (2-1, 1.74). Drew Stroen gets his 25th save if the season.
Back to the box, and Storen gets the final out at first. The Nationals win 301 and sweep the three-game series. The Nats are 4.5 games up in the N.L. East, and the Giants remain 4.0 games out in the West.
Crawford bounces it back to the box. Storen looks to second but gets the easy out at first. Runner at second with two outs for Gregor Blanco.
Posey draws a one-out walk, bringing the potential tying run to the plate in Brandon Crawford. He homered in the fourth.
Buster Posey is 1 for 3.
Belt (0 for 2, BB, K) swings at a ball in the dirt for strike three. 1 away.
Drew Storen is coming in for the save. He will face Belt, Posey, and Crawford.
Strike three called to end the inning. The Nationals get one on two hits. After eight, they lead it now 3-1.
Ian Desmond (0 for 3) looks overmatched on the first two pitches. He chased two outside.
Strike three swinging for the second out.
Second-deck but foul down the right-field line. That might have put this game out of reach with the lack of offense the Giants have had.
Closer Drew Storen is up in the Nationals' bullpen.
Espinosa is 2 for 3 with a walk and a stolen base -- good night for him.
Ramos drives Harper home with a base hit into center field. The play of Pagan allowed Harper to get into scoring position earlier. 3-1 Nats.
Moore drives Blanco to the right-field warning track. The out is made, but Harper tags and moves over to third with one out. Productive out for Tyler Moore.
Tyler Moore is pinch hitting for Robinson. That move brought in the righty Strickland.
Harper at second with no outs for Clint Robinson.
Pitching change: Hunter Strickland will replace Lopez.
Pagan played it non-chalantly, and Harper, often criticized for lack of hustle, took advatage.
Harper lines the first pitch into the left-center-field gap, and he hustles his way to a lead-off double.
Harper will face Javier Lopez to lead it off. Duffy stays in the game at third base, removing Arianza.
Bottom 8: Nationals lead off with Harper (1 for 2, BB), Robinson (o for 3), and Ramos (1 for 2, HR).
Joe Panik is 0 for 3. Hot shot at the shortstop Ian Desmond, ad he steps on second for the force out to end the inning. Nationals lead 2-1 after 7 1/2!
Line drive into left and a diving catch by Michael Taylor to rob Pagan of a hit and a possible RBI. If it gets by, Pagan could have had threee, maybe four, bases and a run scores easily. 2 dwon.
SFG's George Kontos goes 1 2/3 innings: 1 R, 2 H, 1 HR.
Pitching change: Matt Thornton replaces Carpenter. Pagan will switch sides and hit right-handed.
Duffy shoots one into right field for a base hit. 1 on, 1 out for the lead-off man, Angel Pagan, who is 1 for 3.
Matt Duffy pinch hits for Kontos.
Line drive, and a very nice leaping catch for the 6'5" Clint Robinson behind the first-base bag. 1 away.
Carpenter came to Washington from the Yankees a few weeks ago via trade. The Yankees DFA'ed him.
Adrianza leads it off. He is 0 for 2.
The new pitcher is David Carpenter (4.07 ERA in 24.1 innings).
Final line for Jordan Zimmermann: 7 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 8 K. He now has an ERA of 3.08 -- one of the Nationals' tough starters.
Top 8: SFG has Adrianza, pinch hitter, and Pagan due up.
Grounder to short, and Crawford makes the very easy play. nothing doing for the Nats in the seventh, but they still lead 2-1.
Escobar is 0 for 3, reached on an error in the first.
Denard Span (0 for 3) grounds out to Posey, unassisted. 2 down.
Uggla bounces out to third, Arianza to Posey for the first out.
Uggla has bounced arround for the past few years. He was once a big threat in the lineup for the Marlins.
Dan Uggla is pinch hitting for Jordan Zimmermann to lead off the bottom of the seventh.
Bottom 7: Nats have Zimmermann (pinch hitter?), Span, and Escobar due up.
Susac chops it to short, and Desmond charges in to make the play to retire the side. 1-2-3 go the Giants in the seventh. Nats lead 2-1.
Gregor Blanco rips a viscious one-hopper to third, and Yunel Escobar, playing in for the bunt, snags it and throws across for the out. 1 dwon.
Foul tip for strike three. A little outside, but he went after it. 1 away.
Crawford homered in the fourth. He steps in now.
Top 7: Giants will send up Crawford (1 for 2), Blanco (0 for 2), and Susac (0 for 2).
Taylor chases one WAY outside to end the inning. The Nationals get the lead on Ramos's home run. It is 2-1 afer six!
Kontos will pitch to Taylor (1 for 2) with the pitcher on deck and first base open. It looks more like a pitch-around.
Line drive and a DIVING grab by Joe Panik to rob Desmond of an RBI single -- shades of World Series Game 7. 2 down.
Espinosa steals second, and the throw nearly gets into center field. Runner now at second with one out for Desmond.
Looper into center for a base hit, his second of the night. 1 on, 1 out for Ian Desmond (0 for 2 -- correction).
Espinosa turns around to hit right-handed. He laid down a bunt single his last time up.
It was a hanger that Ramos just did not miss. It is his eigth home run of the year.
Wilson Ramos takes Kontos over the right-field wall for a home run! The Nationals lead 2-1!
Osich: 1.1 IP, 1 K -- nothing else. Nice job by the youngster.
Kontos has a 1.59 ERA in 33 appearances.
Bruce Bochy was also ejected with Vogelsong for arguing balls and strikes in the fifth.
Pitching Change: George Kontos replaces Osich.
Popped foul to Adrianza at third for out number 1.
Bottom 6: Robinson (0 for 2), Ramos (0 for 1, BB), and Espinosa (0 for 1, BB) are up.
Posey is 1 for 2. He bounces it to short for an easy third out. We are still tied at 1-1 going to the bottom of the sixth.
Belt (0 for 2) draws the walk. He started to swing and waited for the call before heading to first. It was well outside, but that's the kind of strike zone they have had all night.
Joe Panik (0 for 2) lofts it into center, and Span takes a few steps tp make the grab. 1 down.
Pagan pops it foul down the left-field line, and Taylor comes int omake the grab for the first out.
Pagan is barking at another low call, but this one looks like it hit the zone according to the graphics on the screen: ESPN's K-Zone. 2-2 the count.
Top 6: Pagan, Panik, and Belt are the hitters for the Giants.
The rough part for the Giants is that they have to go to the bullpen in the fifth inning of a 1-1 game. Vogelsong threw the ball well, but noe Bruce Bochy has to play every inning like the eighth and ninth from here on out.
Bryce Harper drills one right at Posey at first base. He takes it unassisted to retire the side. Tied at 1 after five.
Yunel Escobar grouns to short, and Crawford makes the play. 2 down.
Strike three called -- borderline, could have gone either way.
Osich inherits a 2-2 count on Denard Span. Play has resumed.
Lefty Josh Osich is making his season debut and second MLB appearance.
Volgelsong's final line is 4 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 2 K. However, if Osich completes the walk, then that will go to Vogelsong. A strikeout or anything else would go to Osich.
Vogelsong is out, and Josh Osich is coming in.
Span takes a ball low, and Vogelsong and his manager are jawing with the home plate umpire. Vogelsong is out of the game. The count is 2-2, and Vogelsong was looking for strike three. The Giants have been called out on pitches further out of the zone than that. Vogelsong had a beef.
Bottom 5: Top of the order for Washington -- Span (0 for 2), Escobar (0 for 2), and Harper (1 for 1, BB).
Vogelsong takes strike three, but this one was in the zone. Zimmermann strikes out the side and now has seven on the night. 1-1 after 4 1/2.
Adrianza takes strike three called, and he also has a complaint. It was well outside!
Susac goes down swinging on a high fastball. 1 away.
Due up for SFG in the fifth are Susac, Adrianza, and Vogelsong. All are 0 for 1.
High pop fly to left center, and Belt is there to make the play. 1 hit, no runs, and we are tieds at 1-1 after four.
If nothing else, the pitcher is out of the way for the next inning.
Strike three called on Desmond. 2 down, 1 man on for Zimmermann.
1 on, 1 out for Taylor (1 for 1, RBI in the second).
Desmond lines it into the gap in right center ----- PAGAN MAKES THE DIVING CATCH, and Espinosa has to return to first.
1 on, 0 out for Ian Desmond, who fanned his first time up.
GREAT bunt to the first baseman Posey off the bag, and Voglesong could not get to the bag in time. Base hit on the bunt for Espinosa.
Danny Espinosa leads off the fourth. He drags a bunt, and he beats the play without a throw.
Bottom 4: Espinosa, Desmond, and Taylor are the first three men.
Blanco grounds out to short on the first pitch to reture the side. The Giants get the tying run on the home run from Crawford, his 12th of the year. We head to the bottom of the fourth tied at 1.
Crawford lanuches one intio right field. It is high, far, and GONE! Home run for Brandon Crawford, and the Giants have tied the game at 1.
Brandon Crawford (0 for 1) steps in with the bases empty and two out.
Posey swings and misses for strike three and out two.
Buster Posey is 1 for 1.
Fly to left and an easy play for Michael Taylor. 1 out.
Brandon Belt is 0 for 1 as he leads off the fourth.
Next Sunday night, we have the St. Louis Cardinals at the Pittsburgh Pirates in an N.L. Central showdown. It is the last game before the All-Star break.
Top 4: San Fran will send up Belt, Posey, and Crawford.
Line drive right at Belt in left. Inning over. 1-0 Nationals after three.
Ramos walked and scored the game's only run in the second inning.
Wilson Ramos batting, and Harper steals second base on the first pitch.
Robinson pops it up on the first pitch. EASY for Gregor Blanco. 2 down.
Ball four puts Harper on first. That's his ninth time on base in 11 plate appearances in the series. That's getting it done!
Bryce Harper singled in the first: 1 for 1.
Hard grounder to Brandon Crawford, who makes the throw to first. 1 away.
Escobar JUST MISSED an opposite-field home run -- foul.
Escobar is o for 1. He reached on an error in the first.
Bottom 3: Escobar, Harper, and Robinson are due up for the Nats.
Panik bounces softly to Robinson at first base to retire the side. No score heading to the bottom of the third.
Strike three called. Pagan disagrees, and that pitch looked high!
Pagan is 1 for 1. He singled to open the game.
Vogelsong takes strike three for the first out. 1 away for the top pf the order.
The USA Women's National Soccer team has won the Women's World Cup with a 5-2 victory over Japan! Way to go, USA!!!
Volgelsong is hitting .125. He leads off the third.
Top 3: Giants have Vogelson, Pagan, and Panik due up.
Span drives the first pitch right at the left fielder Belt. Side retired, but the Nationals get on the board. 2 walsk, 1 hit, and 1 run. After two, Washington leads 1-0.
Taylor advances to second, and Zimmermann is on first via the fielder's choice. 2 down for the top of the order and Denard Span.
Ripped right at the third baseman Adrianza. Desmond is caught between third and home, and he is now out.
Jordan Zimmermann is 4 for 30 (1 2B) on the year.
BASE HIT for Michael Taylor on the first pitch. Ramos scores, and Espinosa stops at third. 1-0 Nationals.
The pitch was eye level, and Susac had to stand up for it.
Swing and a miss for strike three. It gets away, an both runners advance. Desmond is out because of the runner on first. 1 away.
Ian Desmond (.215, 7 HR, 24 RBI -- and 18 fielding errors) steps in.
Ball four puts two men on with nobody out. Two walks to open the inning is NOT what Vogelsong wants. He is already over 30 pitches with 0 outs in the second.
Espinosa is full, and he is fouling off pitch after pitch.
Ramos draws a lead-off walk. 1 on, nobody out for Espinosa. (.253, 8 HR, 24 RBI)
The Mets beat the Dodgers 8-0 today. The Mets had not scored eight runs all week.
Ramos (.261, 7 HR, 36 RBI) leads off the bottom of the second.
Bottom 2: Nationals will send up Wilson Ramos (.261), Danny Espinosa (.253), and Ian Desmond (.215).
High fly to center, and Span is right there. Three up, three down go the Giants in the top of the second. No score.
2 down, bases empty for Ehire Adrianza (.316, 3 HR, 15 RBI).
Hard grounder to short, and Desmond makes the play for Out #2.
Susac: .258, 2 HR, 8 RBI
Blanco (.319, 2 HR, 17 RBI) flies out to center field. EASY play for Denard Span. 1 away.
Buster Posey and Bryce Harper are N.L. All-Star starters. Harper led all of the National LEague in votes.
Top 2: Gregor Blanco, Andew, Susac, and Ehire Adrianza are due up for San Francisco.
Ground ball double play: 4-6-3 to retire the side. Two hits but no runs, just like the Giants. After 1, no score.
Anthony Rendon, Ryan Zimmerman, and Jayson Werth could all return to the Nationals at some point in July.
Panik's error was his second of the year.
Robinson has played a lot of first base of late for the Nationals with Ryan Zimmerman out.
Runners at the corners with one out for Clint Robinson: .273 4 HR, 15 RBI.
First-pitch single into right center. Escobar to third with one out.
No star-spangled bat for Harper, but he swings a pretty one every night. That was a beautiful bat he used on Indepdence Day, though.
Ground ball right through the legs of Joe Panik for an error. Escobar is aboard for Harper.
Escobar (.318, 4 HR, 27 RBI) steps in.
Span grounds to short, and Crawford makes the easy play -- 1 away.
Span leads off, hitting .310, 5 HR, 22 RBI. Bryce Harper leads the Majors in slugging and OPS.
Bottom 1: Nationals have Denard Span, Yunel Escobar, and Bryce Harper leading off.
2 hits but no runs for the Giants as we head to the bottom of the first.
Crawford (.265, 11 HR, 48 RBI) flies to center. Denard Span runs it down on the warning track to retire the side.
Posey singles into left on the first pitch. Pagan stops at third. Runners at the corners with 2 outs for Brandon Crawford.
Brandon Belt strikes out swinging, but Pagan steals second base on the pitch. 2 down, runner at second for Buster Posey.
Jordan Zimmermann is working very slowly to start this one.
Panik slaps it into left, and Taylor makes the over-the-shoulder catch. Pagan retreats. 1 on, 1 out.
The ball landed just out of reach of the shortstop Desmond and left fielder Taylor -- in between them.
Pagan pops it up into left, and it drops in for a lead-off single. 1 man on.
Leading off is Angel Pagan (.269, 19 RBI, 26 R, 4 SB).
Top 1: Due up for the Giants: Angel Pagan (.269), Joe Panik (.308), Brandon Belt (.273).
We are only minutes away from the first pitch, scheduled for 8:08 EDT.
UPDATE: The Nationals have placed starter Stephen Strasburg on the 15-day disabled list with a strained left oblique. Taylor Jordan is coming up from Triple-A to take his roster spot and should join the team tonight.
Keys to the game: The Giants need a win. They have lost six of their last ten, but they are still close in the N.L. West. There is little weakness in the Nationals’ offense, defense, or pitching, so the Giants need to play flawless baseball. If they can give Vogelsong some run support, then they can win this one, but beating Zimmermann is not easy.
The Nationals just need to keep playing the same top-notch baseball they have played since their slow start but very strong second half of June. They have very good offense, defense, and pitching, so avoiding mistakes should lead them to another win and a series sweep.
The Nationals’ starting lineup:
1. Denard Span, CF
2. Yunel Escobar, 3B
3. Bryce Harper, RF
4. Clint Robinson, 1B
5. Wilson Ramos, C
6. Danny Espinosa, 2B
7. Ian Desmond, SS
8. Michael Taylor, LF
9. Jordan Zimmermann, P
The Giants’ starting lineup:
1. Angel Pagan, CF
2. Joe Panik, 2B
3. Brandon Belt, LF
4. Buster Posey, 1B
5. Brandon Crawford, SS
6. Gregor Blanco, RF
7. Andrew Susac, C
8. Ehire Adrianza, 3B
9. Ryan Vogelsong, P
Nationals’ starting pitcher
Jordan Zimmermann (6-5, 3.16) has had another very solid season so far. He has made 16 starts and allowed 40 runs (35 earned) in 99 1/3 innings while compiling a WHIP of 1.27. He has stayed consistent all season so far and has averaged going into the seventh inning. In his last start, Zimmermann pitched 7 2/3 innings, allowing no runs on six hits in defeating the Atlanta Braves on June 30.
Giants’ starting pitcher
Ryan Voglesong (6-6, 4.19) is unheralded but very steady. He has made 14 starts and two relief appearances so far, allowing 40 earned runs in 82 innings while compiling a 1.37 WHIP. In his last start, he allowed four earned runs on seven hits in 6.0 innings in losing to the Miami Marlins on June 30.
Meanwhile, the Giants do not ht for much power, but they get on base and score runs. The Giants rank fourth with 345 runs scored. Buster Posey has driven in 57 runs to lead the team and rank fifth in the National League. He also leads the team with 14 home runs, and he is hitting .304.
The Nationals are second in the National League in runs scored (355), and Bryce Harper is fourth in the league with 60 RBI. He also has a career-high 25 home runs in just 75 games (81 team games), which ranks him second. He is tied for first with 57 runs scored. Harper is in the running for N.L. MVP.
The Nationals’ Stephen Strasburg left Saturday’s game early with tightness in his left side. At this point, he does not need the disabled list.
San Francisco starters are ninth in the National League with a 4.08 ERA. They have used the same five men in all of four games so far this season. The bullpen has really pitched well throughout June and currently has a 3.60 ERA, ninth in the National League. Santiago Casilla has had a little trouble, but he is a solid closer. He is 20 for 24 in save opportunities.
As play began on July 5, The Nationals’ starting rotation was sixth in the National League with a 3.71 ERA, but they have been lights out for the last few times through the rotation. The bullpen ERA is 3.43, seventh in the league. Drew Storen is 24 for 26 in save opportunities with a 2.97 ERA and 0.97 WHIP in 31 1/3 innings spread over 32 games. Max Scherzer threw a no-hitter (a near perfect game) on June 15, and the entire rotation has been nearly unhittable since.
Following this three-game series, which concludes tonight, the Giants will return home for a six-game home stand with the New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies beginning Monday and taking them into the All-Star break. Washington hosts the Cincinnati Reds for three starting Monday and then visits the Baltimore Orioles for their final three games before the break.
This three-game series began Friday night with the Nationals winning Game 1 2-1 behind Gio Gonzalez and Clint Robinson. Saturday’s Game 2 saw the Nationals homer twice in the first on route to a 9-3 win over Madison Bumgarner take a 2-0 series lead. Tonight, the Nationals look to sweep the series. Washington has won the first two meetings on the season so far, and the two teams will meet again for four games at AT&T Park from August 13-16.
Entering play on July 5, the Nationals find themselves beginning to open up a lead in the N.L. East as they now sit 4.5 games ahead of the second-place New York Mets. Meanwhile, the Giants are in second place in the N.L. West, 4.0 games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers. They also trail the Chicago Cubs for the second wild card spot by 2.5 games. These 2014 NLDS opponents rivals square off Sunday night as Ryan Vogelson (6-6, 4.19) takes the mound for San Francisco while the Nationals counter with Jordan Zimmermann (6-5, 3.16).
The San Francisco Giants are having some trouble so far defending their 2014 World Series championship as they enter Sunday’s action just two games above the .500 mark at 42-40. Meanwhile, the Washington Nationals have played the kind of baseball of late that they and their fans have expected as they have posted a 46-36 record to this point.