Redemption hovered around RFK Stadium Sunday, a welcome visitor for the Nationals. It started with pitcher Jason Simontacchi, bounced around in his last outing. It continued with Chad Cordero, victimized by a three-run homer Saturday night. And it lasted all day for the Nats, half a day removed from a crushing defeat.
So here it went: Simontacchi pitched his best game of the season; Cordero closed the game in the ninth; and the Nats took two out of three from a contending team.
Washington beat Cleveland, 3-1, closing out their six-game homestand with a 2-4 record.
“We turned it around,” Nats first baseman Dmitri Young said. “The Tigers brought it to us and we played a great series against the Indians.”
The loss came with a price. Shortstop Cristian Guzman and reliever Jesus Colome were placed on the 15-day disabled list. Guzman sprained a ligament in his left thumb while Colome has a soft tissue infection of his right lower extremity.
The Nats (32-43) also activated Jason Bergmann, who will start tonight in Atlanta. They’re expected to purchase the contract of D’Angelo Jimenez today.
Meanwhile, Young helped the cause with two more hits, including a double, and scoring two runs. In his last 18 games, Young is batting .389 — and, a week from now, could be named to the All Star team.
“I haven’t thought about that at all,” Young said.
Simontacchi needed this outing after allowing 10 earned runs in three innings vs. Detroit on Tuesday. Manager Manny Acta said there was one big difference Sunday: Simontacchi wasn’t facing Detroit, the major league leader in runs scored and batting average.
“I probably caught the Indians off-guard,” said Simontacchi (5-5), who allowed four hits and one run in six innings, striking out six while pitching to his roommate, rookie Jesus Flores. Flores had a single and two RBI and also threw out a baserunner trying to steal second.
Said Acta, “[Simontacchi] has as good of stuff as anyone on our pitching staff. It’s just a matter of following the game plan and trusting his stuff.
“He’s a very positive guy, but he’s also a thinker and at times that can work against you; he overanalyzes things a little bit.”
That left it to Cordero, who walked one batter in the ninth but induced Jhonny Peralta to fly out to deep right to end the game for his 13th save.
“Ask and ye shall receive,” Acta said. “He bounced back like he’s done before. It was very important for him.”
