PATTERSON, ZIMMERMAN STAR IN NATS 13-6 DRUBBING OVER ASTROS
[March 26th] -- Forget everything I said in my Saturday post about how horrible the Nationals' offense is. Maybe I was wrong.
Nah, I wasn't wrong. That said, Sunday's game was a lot of fun to listen to.
Alfonso Soriano, given Saturday off to spend with his family, repaid manager Frank Robinson's kindness by launchng Brandon Backe's first pitch of the game deep over the left-center field fence to tie the game at 1-1. From that moment on, the game resembled little more than batting practice for the Nationals. Jose Guillen and Ryan Zimmmerman hit two homers and drove in four runs a piece. Michael Tucker had a pinch-hit, two RBI triple off of the Astro's all-world reliever, Brad Lidge. The team amassed fourteen hits against the Astros.
John Patterson continues to show that he just might be the best pitcher on the Nationals right now.
In 5.1 innings of work, Patterson gave up just two runs on four hits, striking out seven while walking only one. In twenty innings of spring work, Patterson has given up only eleven hits and three walks while striking out twenty (11 k's per 9 innings).
The only sour note on Sunday was Gary Mejewski's ongoing spring problems and Soriano's shaky fielding in left. In just two-thirds of an inning, he gave up four runs on three hits and two walks. He now has an spring ERA of 29.70. We can only hope that his problems come as a result of not being used regularly during the WBC.
Soriano sprinted towards the line trying to catch slicing ball off the bat of Lance Berkman, but he didn't read the ball's spin properly, and had to leap at the last moment to try to catch the ball, but it went over his head and rolled to the wall, scoring Willie Taveras all the way from first.
All in all though, a great game. Great offense, great defense, and (other than Majewski), great pitching. Can't ask for much more than that.
Then he imploded.
A few spring games does not a season make.
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