(Photo of TV by Nationals Enquirer Staff. Willie Harris pays tribute to MJ moments after getting hit in the *cough* *cough* on a bad hop in the 4th inning.)
"It's not going to be easy to go to bed. I just lost the game because you just want to do nothing but help the team. By going out there and walking those two guys, it's kind of tough, but it goes away. It doesn't go away right away, like now, but later on it will."
(Julian Tavarez, via Nationals dot com, 7/8/2009)
Unbelievable. Loss #57 takes the cake.
Rockies 5, Nuts 4: This one had it all: bad/goofy defense (3 more errors), bad pitching, bad/goofy base running, bad situational hitting.
Just when you think you've seen everything...and the scary thing is, with another 81 games to go, they may yet invent new ways to lose.
Julian Tavarez deservedly takes the loss, walking two in the 8th; LA Joe Beimel botches easy DP ball by throwing to... the wrong guy.
The lasting images from this game: Austin Kearns falling down after getting picked off base in the 8th (can't they just leave him in Denver?), and Willie Harris' falling down after taking a bad hop to the groin. Oh, the pain.
And yes, it's another mixed bag from the All Star, Mr. GIDP Ryan Zimmerman.
Ham Solo: Josh Willingham's 10th HR, yes, is another solo HR.
Alan Embree gets the win, throws 0 pitches.
All I could think about while watching the game was how much I was looking forward to the post this morning. Creep star Rob Dibble even did some soprano in the booth for us! Today should be fun.
Posted by: Big Oil | July 08, 2009 at 10:18 AM
I'm thinking sometime in the second half the Nats will score too many runs in a game in the rain rather than try to get out after building a lead and the game will be cancelled in the bottom of the 4th the Nats up like 34-1.
That would be great.
Posted by: Harper Gordek | July 08, 2009 at 11:17 AM
Should be "no situational hitting", not "bad situational hitting". There's a difference.
Posted by: Willie Willie | July 08, 2009 at 11:23 AM
@Willie Willie: no, bad, whatever; same thing as far as we're concerned.
Posted by: The Nationals Enquirer | July 08, 2009 at 01:18 PM
How'd they win 5 of 9 from the Yanks, Sox, and Jays? That short spell of respectable baseball is endangering the glorious march to infamy. We might not make the 62 Mets (sigh) afterall, but 'ought 4 Senators, here we come. Embrace the bad! Looks like the real Nats are back! Still new and inventive ways to lose almost every night!!
Posted by: DMan | July 08, 2009 at 01:19 PM
@Harper: in the spirit of Willie Willie's comment, not "great"; that would be "Awesome"!
Posted by: The Nationals Enquirer | July 08, 2009 at 01:20 PM
@DMan: I was hoping you'd check in today. Embrace the bad, indeed! I wonder what they have in store for us this afternoon?
Posted by: The Nationals Enquirer | July 08, 2009 at 01:22 PM
@Nationals Enquirer: I'll take mediocrity
Posted by: Big Oil | July 08, 2009 at 02:48 PM
Yes, "Embrace the bad" is certainly better than "Nats Town". Wow, it doesn't get any better than this. Poor Willie's willy!
Posted by: El Rey | July 08, 2009 at 05:27 PM
@Big Oil: We can only dream!
@El Rey: Yes, DMan's "Embrace the bad" philosophy is something we're really trying to take to heart nowadays. Come to think of it, Manny Acta might be a follower, too...
Posted by: The Nationals Enquirer | July 08, 2009 at 09:47 PM