The prize free agent signing of the winter, right-handed sinker-baller Jason Marquis no doubt hoped to turn his season around this time out after two less-than-impressive starts, but if that was his plan, it has to be considered a complete failure after the 31-year-old right-hander gave up 4 hits, 7 ER, 1 BB and hit two batters before being lifted from the game after having thrown 28 pitches, 13 for strikes, without recording an out. Right-handed reliever Miguel Batista took over on the mound and gave up an RBI single to Carlos Gomez, an RBI sac fly to the opposing pitcher Doug Davis and a two-out walk to Rickie Weeks to load the bases back up for Craig Counsell, who took a 90 mph cut-fastball from Batista deeep to right field and GONE, Grand Slam. 10-0 Brewers after one.
1st Inning: 10 R, 6 H, Single, Single, Single, HBP, BB, 1B, 1B, Sac Fly, BB, Grand Slam HR, K, BB, GO...10-0 Milwaukee.
Adam Kennedy's two-out double to right in the second inning scored Pudge Rodriguez to make it 10-1 after the Nats' veteran catcher had doubled to left off Brewers' lefty Doug Davis. Davis didn't make it through the fifth, as the Nationals hit five-straight singles and collected 3 ER before Davis recorded an out. Pudge's two-out single scored Cristian Guzman from third for the fourth run which chased Davis from the mound after 4.2 IP, 11 H, 5 ER, 1 BB and 5 K's. Washington rallied for two more runs in the seventh when Ian Desmond hit a two-run, two-out pinch hit double to left off Brewers' lefty Manny Parra, but Desmond got nailed at the plate in the next at bat when Adam Kennedy singled to center and Milwaukee center fielder Carlos Gomez threw a strike to catcher Gregg Zaun, who took the hit but got the out to stop any hope of a Nationals' rally. The Brewers added one in the eighth when Jim Edmonds hit a two-out double to center to score Casey McGehee from second after he'd hit his own two-out double off Nats' lefty Jesse English...
• Miss The Game? The DC Faithful Wish They Missed The First...
• Final Score: Brewers 11, Nationals 7.
Nationals now 6-6.
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• Game Notes.• Full Game Report.
BACKPAGE:
• Game Notes:
-- Three starts into the season, Jason Marquis has now allowed 18 H, 20 R, 19 ER, 6 BB, 3 HBP and is (0-3) with a 20.52 ERA in 8.1 IP.
-- The Nationals lost in spite of out-hitting their opponents for the first this season according to Nats' Skipper Jim Riggleman
-- Riggleman On Marquis From the Post Game Interview:
Jim Riggleman: "We gotta make some change with there with [Marquis], he's gotta make some change, and he's totally dissatisfied with what's happening, he's upset about it, and I tip my hat to him, you know, instead of just walking away from it, he says, 'Let me go throw some more in the cage, I gotta figure this out.' So, that's the only way it's going to get figured out, is work, but as far as anything that we would do differently with him as far as pitching on short rest or longer rest or skipping him a turn, I haven't really been able to think it through yet."
• FULL GAME REPORT:
1 - Rickie Weeks starts the game with a grounder deep in the hole at short. Ryan Zimmerman dives, but misses, Cristian Guzman gets there, but gets nothing on the throw. Craig Counsell lines a sinker over second, Weeks takes third. Ryan Braun drills a line drive to right, Weeks scores, 1-0 Brewers. Marquis hits Prince Fielder to load the bases before an out is recorded. A four-pitch bases loaded walk to Casey McGehee and it's 2-0 Milwaukee. Make that 3-0, after Marquis hits the second batter of the first, Jim Edmonds takes first, Braun's forced in. Gregg Zaun beats Guzman to the hole with an RBI single to left, and that's it for Marquis. 4-0 Brewers. NO OUTS. Miguel Batista takes over on the hill, and gets a grounder toward short out of Carlos Gomez, Zimmerman charges and has it bounce off his glove, Fielder scores. 5-0 Brewers. Sac fly from Doug Davis and it's 6-0, but there's finally an out. Batista walks Rickie Weeks to load the bases back up for Craig Counsell, who takes a cut-fastball deeeep to right field and GONE into the home bullpen, 10-0 Brewers. Batista gets Ryan Braun swinging for the second out of the frame and after a two-out walk to Prince Fielder, a groundout from Casey McGehee finally ends the top of the first...Willy Taveras K's looking at a full-count fastball. Cristian Guzman grounds back to the mound on a 1-2 curve from Davis. Ryan Zimmerman drives a single back up the middle, but Adam Dunn K's swinging and it's 10-0 Brewers after the first.
2 - Jim Edmonds grounds back to the mound, one down in the second. Gregg Zaun grounds out to Cristian Guzman at short and Carlos Gomez K's swinging, boy that seemed easy...Josh Willingham flies out to center, high enough for three Brewers to get under it. Pudge Rodriguez flies out to left, all the way to the wall, and Carlos Gomez drops it, Pudge in safe at second. One out. Justin Maxwell pops out to second base. Adam Kennedy beats Prince Fielder to the line with an RBI double that scores Pudge easily from second, 10-1 Milwaukee. Brewers' lefty Doug Davis gets Miguel Batista swinging (flailing?) to end the second.
3 - Doug Davis K's swinging to start the Milwaukee third, but Miguel Batista hits Rickie Weeks with the next pitch. Craig Counsell flies out to Willingham in left, two down. Ryan Braun flies to Maxwell in right, and it's another scoreless frame...Willy Taveras singles to center to start the Nats' third. Cristian Guzman hits a top-spin lob to center for the second-straight single. Ryan Zimmerman...grounds to Rickie Weeks, to Craig Counsell to Fielder at first, double play. Adam Dunn K's swinging to end the third.
4 - Prince Fielder grounds to Guzman behind second for the first out of the fourth. Casey McGehee continues to swing a hot bat, singling to left off Batista. Jim Edmonds takes a one-out walk to put two on for Gregg Zaun, who lines to left, but gets robbed by a diving Josh Willingham in left. Carlos Gomez grounds to second, 10-1 after three and a half...Josh Willingham pops out to the infield. Pudge Rodriguez takes a 2-2 fastball for a called strike three. Justin Maxwell K's swinging through a Davis' heater. 10-1 after four.
5 - Doug Davis' groundout to second starts the fifth. Rickie Weeks grounds to short, Guzman's throw almost reaches first from deep in the hole. Batista walks Craig Counsell with two down, but gets Ryan Braun swinging at a 2-2 fastball to end the top of the fifth...Adam Kennedy rips a single through second to start the bottom of the frame. Alberto Gonzalez comes on to hit for Batista, and strokes another single that bounces off and by Fielder at first. Willy Taveras bunts for a single, bases loaded for Cristian Guzman. Guzman gets down 0-2, works the count full and singles to center to score Kennedy. 10-2 Brewers. Ryan Zimmerman singles through short, two runs score, 10-4 Brewers. Adam Dunn grounds out to first, one out, second and third. Josh Willingham pops out to center. Two on, two out for Pudge. Line drive single through second, Guzman scores, 10-5 Brewers. Justin Maxwell walks to reload the bases and Davis is done. Claudio Vargas takes over for Milwaukee and pops up Adam Kennedy to end the rally with three runners stranded. 10-5 after five.
6 - Nats' right-hander Tyler Walker gets Prince Fielder to pop out to third. Casey McGehee rips a sharp grounder to third that hops past Zimmerman at the last second and is kindly scored a hit. Jim Edmonds K's chasing a fastball from Walker. Ryan Zimmerman charges a grounder from Zaun and throws to first, in time...Alberto Gonzalez grounds out to short to start the Nats' sixth. Willy Taveras does the same. Cristian Guzman rolls a dribbler toward first, Vargas makes the play. 10-5 after six.
7 - Carlos Gomez K's swinging and slams his bat into the dirt near home in frustration. Walker drops a cruel two-strike curve on the opposing pitcher. Rickie Weeks launches a two-out double off the left field fence. Counsell pops out to Pudge, 10-5 after six and a half. Stand up and stretch...Ryan Zimmerman works the count full and takes a low ball that's called strike three. Adam Dunn lines out to Fielder at first. Two down for Willingham. The Hammer singles to center, just in front of a diving Carlos Gomez. Pudge does it again, double off the left field wall, Hammer to second, Vargas done. Manny Parra on to face pinch hitter Ian Desmond. Desmond likes the first pitch he sees, and he drills it to left, two runs score, Desmond in at second. 10-7 Brewers. Adam Kennedy lines to center, Desmond takes off for home, Carlos Gomez comes up throwing, and nails Desmond, Zaun holds his ground, takes the hit, and the Ump punches Desmond out. 10-7 after seven.
8 - Cristian Guzman gets under a fly ball from Braun for Nats' lefty Jesse English's first out of the inning. Prince Fielder pops out to center, Willy Taveras calls off Guzman and makes the catch. Two down. Casey McGehee rips a line drive single by Zimmerman at third. Edmonds up with two down, line drive double to center, McGehee scores, 11-7 Brewers. English pops Zaun up to second to end the Brewers' eighth...Alberto Gonzalez grounds out to McGehee at third. Carlos Villanueva on for Milwaukee. Willy Taveras pops out to the infield. Guzman's K is complete after a throw to first.
9 - Brian Bruney takes over for Washington. Carlos Gomez flies out to Cristian Guzman in right, and Bruney sends both Carlos Villanueva and Rickie Weeks down swinging to end the top of the inning...Villanueva gets a groundout from Ryan Zimmerman before giving up a single to Adam Dunn, who's erased by Josh Willingham's groundout to second, but the Nationals remain alive when Weeks drops the sure DP ball on the exchange. Pudge Rodriguez is up when Willingham takes second, but the Brewers' reliever ends it there, groundout to short, ballgame.
Nationals now 6-6.