Nats 6, Braves 3
The Nats returned home and snapped a modest two-game losing streak on Tuesday night. Check out our game story here. Not a bad way to start a six-game homestand. Busy day on South Capitol Street with news on Stephen Strasburg, John Lannan and a few of the organization’s other pitchers rehabbing injuries in the minor leagues, including Ross Detwiler.
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Livan Hernandez escaped a 41-pitch first inning with just one unearned run allowed. The Braves let the crafty veteran off the hook and he took advantage, pitching into the sixth inning to up his record to 4-1 with a pretty .99 ERA. Find me someone – anyone – who predicted that kind of start for Hernandez, even within the front office itself. The Nats bullpen continues to get the job done. Tyler Clippard hasn’t allowed a run in 12 2/3 innings now. Matt Capps converted his 11th save in a row to start the season – with a hat tip to Ryan Zimmerman and Adam Kennedy for their role in a 5-4-3 game-ending double play. And Sean Burnett is rounding into form, too. He relieved Hernandez and pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings while getting out of trouble in the sixth.
Nats shortstop Ian Desmond was 2-for-4 with a single, a home run, a run scored and two RBI. He’d entered the night in a 9-for-40 rut with just two walks since April 19th. So the 24-year-old called up his hitting coach at Double-A Harrisburg last year – Troy Gingrich – and had him send along some video of Desmond from last spring when he was scorching hot while playing for the Senators.
“I saw some differences,” Desmond said. “I was fortunate enough today to make those adjustments. You go through stretches like that where you lose yourself. You’ve just got to adjust. It took me, unfortunately, a little longer than I expected.”
Hernandez got little help from his right fielder, Roger Bernadina, in the first inning when a line drive smacked off his glove and fell to the ground. That resulted in an unearned run. But Bernadina made up for it later with a spectacular diving catch of a Troy Glaus line drive. That play saved a run, caused Hernandez to shout and throw his hands up on his head and then compare Bernadina to a Hall-of-Famer. Even if he wasn’t exactly sure who he was talking about for a moment. Seriously.
“I watched it all the way and see the ball slide to the right and he made the slide – like the guy from Cincinnati who slide so hard…Pete Rose? He looked like Pete Rose on the dive and he made that catch. I put my hands on my head and said ‘Unbelievable’….it was a great catch and saved another run.”
The Nats got their first look at Braves phenom Jason Heyward – the Stephen Strasburg of hitters, as the Washington Post’s Adam Kilgore called the 20-year-old earlier today. He didn’t disappoint. Not sure how many players with less than 90 big-league at-bats get intentionally walked. But the Nats gave Heyward a free pass in the fifth inning with a runner at second, two out and first base open. He had already battled Hernandez to a tough walk in the first inning and crushed a home run to deep center in the fourth. That pitch, according to Hernandez, was a sinker left over the middle. Later, Heyward roped a seeing-eye single past Adam Dunn at first base. That was the only hit Clippard would allow. I’ll have much more on Heyward in Thursday’s Cheers & Jeers column.
Noteable Quoteable
Nats 1B Adam Dunn on his recent hot streak:
“I feel good. I’ve been feeling good all year and haven’t done jack. I’m hoping to come in one day and feel terrible.”
Manager Jim Riggleman on Livan Hernandez keeping his cool despite a long first inning:
“He barely broke a sweat in whatever that was – 200 pitches he threw.”
Hernandez on his 123-pitch outing, including 41 in the first:
“I’ll let you know tomorrow if it’s a problem.”
