Gorzelanny masterful in 2-0 victory over Giants
Military Appreciation Day couldn’t have come at a more opportune time Monday night at Nationals Park.
Good timing extended to the field as well on Monday, as the Nats got stellar pitching from Tom Gorzellany and bunched their few hits efficiently in a 2-0 victory over the San Francisco Giants.
With the left-handed Gorzellany (1-2) allowing three hits and no walks in eight innings, the Nats (14-14) reached .500 in taking three of fouW games against the defending World Series champions.
“I tried to go with the same game plan I have every night — work quick and try to throw strikes,” Gorzelanny said. “I felt good from pitch one.”
It was the Nats’ second shutout of the Giants (13-15) in four games. Jason Marquis pitched a five-hitter Friday night. Jordan Zimmermann was strong Sunday afternoon, allowing two runs in six innings.
“We played clean, made plays,” Nats manager Jim Riggleman said. “We just had a good series. That’s a good ball club over there.”
San Francisco left-hander Madison Bumgarner (0-5) was nearly as good. He retired the first 12 batters and allowed just four hits in seven innings. But three of them came consecutively as the Nats’ patchwork lineup again found a way.
The seventh-inning uprising came with two out and began in non-threatening fashion. Wilson Ramos’ bouncer went under the glove of third baseman Miguel Tejada for an error, then Ian Desmond sent a broken-bat looper to right for another hit. Michael Morse’s single up the middle scored Ramos. Jerry Hairston followed with a double to right center, which plated Desmond.
Morse and Hairston’s clutch work came after they struck out in the fifth inning, leaving Ramos on third.
“We picked each other up,” Hairston said. “You gotta believe you’ll get a second chance. But if we weren’t positive, we wouldn’t have come through.”
Meanwhile, Gorzellany was mowing down the Giants. Of the four batters he fanned, the biggest came in the eighth inning after Cody Ross singled. Gorzellany froze pinch-hitter Eli Whiteside with a third-strike fastball on the hands.
Gorzellany also escaped a jam in the first inning after Aaron Rowand (2-for-3) ripped a double off the wall in left. After Freddy Sanchez sacrificed Rowand to third, Gorzellany induced ground outs to third from No. 3 and No. 4 hitters, Buster Posey and Pat Burrell.
With Rowand leading off the ninth inning, Nats manager Jim Riggleman sent rapidly emerging closer Drew Storen to the mound. The 23-year-old notched his sixth straight save in as many attempts, pitching a hitless ninth as the game wrapped up in 2 hours, 2 minutes.
Notes: Members of the U.S. military and their families were admitted free … Third baseman Brian Bixler (four assists) and centerfielder Rick Ankiel (six putouts) sparkled in the field … The Nats play at the Phillies Tuesday night in the first of a three-game set. Livan Hernandez (3-2) takes on Cole Hamels (3-1).
