Nats at Dodgers

[Jollay]

For a three-game set. Tonight it's John Lannan (2-5, 5.63 ERA) versus Clayton Kershaw (10-6, 2.94 ERA). Kershaw was pretty solid against the Nats in DC on April 24th (my birthday) but he was definitely hittable and somewhat wild (eight hits, three walks, and two earned runs allowed in six innings). He is a pitcher who very well might be a Cy Young candidate very soon.

Nyjer Morgan is now on the 15-day DL, and JD Martin was moved to the 60-day DL. The Nats have not announced who will take Morgan's spot yet.

It does mean Michael Morse will get a chance to shine against righty and lefty pitchers. The Nats had better be able to create some runs without Morgan, however, because home runs don't always cut it, as evidenced by the four solo shots last night.

[Jollay]

Adam Dunn smashes his league-leading 29th and 30th homers off Clayton Kershaw to account for all the Nats' runs in a 6-3 win. This guy is murdering pitchers right now and is setting himself up for a big payday. Only question is whether it'll be from the Nats or not. Even though Kershaw is one of the best left-handed pitchers around, Dunn owns him. Career he's like 7-10 with three homers off him.

Lannan was okay, giving up three runs, one unearned, in six innings. At this point I guess we should be happy with similar performances (ala Craig Stammen) that just give the Nats a chance to win. Congrats to Drew Storen for his first career save of what should be many.

In Nats' transactions, they called up the poster child for steroids, Kevin Mench, who was batting a whopping .246 with three homers at Syracuse. I believe Adam Kilgore of the Post (think it was him) tweeted that Dunn told Mench "If you're here, we must be giving up."

I assume he was joking. I assume.

Livo goes against the vastly overpaid Hiroki Kuroda (15 million) today. Still no word on who will be sent down or stashed in the pen to accomodate the coming of Marquis (Sunday) and Strasburg (Tuesday), although it was relayed that Scott Olsen will pitch Wednesday. I suppose that means he might hold his spot.

[craig01]

Good to see Strasburg mending so well.

[Jollay]

2-2 in the ninth, game two. Jonathan Broxton walks Josh Willingham to lead off the inning, and Michael Morse then proceeds to hit into a double play.

If Morse can't bunt, Willie Harris probably should be inserted in that spot, but I guess with Mench, Maxwell, and Gonzalez already in the game, Riggleman wanted to keep Harris back in case the game goes on.

The DC runs came on a Ryan Zimmerman two-run shot in the first inning, after which Kuroda sat something like 17 Nats down in a row. The Dodgers' runs came on a long flyout by Matt Kemp withe bases loaded that Morse made a great play on at the wall. That was a sac fly, but unfortunately the cutoff man, Adam Kennedy, then winged the ball to first base with no one there for his amazing ninth error of the season as a part-time guy. That tied the game.

Livo was good, Doug Slaten was good, and now Joel Peralta seems about able to close out the Dodgers in the ninth and send it to extra innings.

[Jollay]

Dodgers win 3-2 in the tenth. Sean Burnett, who has been outstanding lately, is terrible in the frame, giving up a walk to fat Ronnie Belliard to start the inning and then a single to Scott Podsednik. James Loney singled two batters later to win it.

Marquis versus Ted Lilly in a battle of ex-Cubs today. I can hardly watch.

[craig01]

At least the Nats are still hanging in there....in their quest to win 75.

[Jollay]

At least the Nats are still hanging in there....in their quest to win 75.

LOL. Good use of the ...

Well Jason Marquis has picked up where he left off, giving up four runs to the Dodgers in the first. I'd blame some of that on the typical error the Nats committed, except it was Marquis that committed it...

[Jollay]

Dodgers finish the job 8-3. Solo bombs by Morse and Maxwell were just about it for the Nats.

A once promising road trip finishes poorly as the Dodgers take the last two. Nats are now 49-63 and 15.5 back of the Braves.