A Slobbaknocka. 19 hits. The Nationals fans gave up in the 8th when they threw out the conciliatory empty bottle of Yeigermeister near Willy T. in center. The Nats gave up an inning earlier when they threw out Sunny Kim.
It was a game until the 6th when Frank Robinson sent Sunny Kim to the mound. 10 hits, 8 runs. Prior to that the Astros had a 4 to 0 lead on a 2 run homerun in the first that MoBerg pulverized. Lane, who had a very good 4 for 4 night, knocked in a run. The Nats rookie catchers? foolish throw through with 2 outs and Clemens up in the 6th on the double steal of home to make it 4-0 was a harbringer of disasters to come for the Nats.
Clemens went 6, wearing himself out by striking out 10 and giving up 3 hits, dropped his ERA to 1.40. One hit was a broken bat flair to right, one wriggled under Berkman?s glove and then Rocket, too busy in Greenville to read NYCU where Guillen says he can?t hit the outside pitch, came in on Guillen. Geez Rocket.
The inning that illustrates the Astros changing fortune was the 7th. Speedy leads off with what JD called a ?Thing of Beauty?. Said that Taveras leads the league in ?ToB?, which is a blooper, a looper, a dink, or a doink. Dropped in to right. Then Elvis scoots one through the 1b spot if the 1b hadn?t been holding Speedy. Mo bangs a liner off the leaping 3bs glove and The Train?s 4th hit, a 2 run double, kicked up chalk down the left field line. 4 runs in the inning.
In the 8th Clank knocked the right fielders glove over the right field fence, 3 run homer.
Scraps rotated 4 relievers out that possibly needed some work off a mound.
Backe eagerly awaits his chance at the National Park v. Tony Armas
