Nationals vs Phillies, Game 1

[PANatsFan]

RZ's thoughts on the slow start to the season (video): http://masnsports.com/2009/04/zimmermans-off-to-a-slow-start.html

Dukes' post-game comments (video): http://masnsports.com/2009/04/dukes-deserves-to-start.html

Pete McElroy at the MASN blog is really on the ball posting the daily videos of post-game interviews with players and coaches.

THE BEAST ESCHEWS FLEECE! HE'S DOWN WITH DOWN!

[hammondsnats]

tomterp I think I saw you today. Were you standing at the top of like section 112 during the bottom of the 9th?

i had some phillies fan friends that were standing @ 112 concourse ... i was gonna walk over there after i used the head, but that's when ryan howard hit a 3-run bomb and i said freak it.

also had a cute friend i was supposed to meet up with that i hadn't seen in a while (she was sitting 4 rows behind nats dugout) i didn't pick up her calls - we were losing every time she rang.

[sportsfan882]

Some other assorted notes from the game today:

-I must give Guz some props. Man is he just a hitting machine. wow. We are lucky to have him as our shortstop. What an under-appreciated player.

-Dukes is back to [AZ]Beast Mode[/AZ]. He's out of his slump and is playing like he did at the end of last season.

-Grissom was working extensively with Milledge prior to the game in the outfield on going back on fly balls and catching them.

-Dunn is a nightmare in LF. Constantly giving up extra bases because he is too lazy and slow to get to balls. He even let one bounce past him today. oh well, at least he draws walks and hits a few bombs.

-The Phillies fans were not as abundant as I anticipated. I only saw 1 get ejected. shocker.

-freaking drunk jerks that were fans of neither team sat behind me. losers. what's the point of getting so blasted at a baseball game? why can't you do that at home and save yourself the money and driving time?

-One of the "fan of the game" candidates was in the group sitting behind me. 25-30 year old female with huge knockers. A gap-toothed kid beat her out for "fan of the game". she was hot as crap though.

-sad about Kalas. I wasn't a fan of him but I respect his craft.

-Lannan was the only starter I saw jogging around the track prior to the game. I've heard that he likes to run a lot. that's what I like to see.

[KnorrForYourMoney]

-Dunn is a nightmare in LF. Constantly giving up extra bases because he is too lazy and slow to get to balls. He even let one bounce past him today. oh well, at least he draws walks and hits a few bombs.

-The Phillies fans were not as abundant as I anticipated. I only saw 1 get ejected. shocker.

-freaking drunk jerks that were fans of neither team sat behind me. losers. what's the point of getting so blasted at a baseball game? why can't you do that at home and save yourself the money and driving time?

-One of the "fan of the game" candidates was in the group sitting behind me. 25-30 year old female with huge knockers. A gap-toothed kid beat her out for "fan of the game". she was hot as crap though.

This whole thing had me in stitches.

[hammondsnats]

Some other assorted notes from the game today:

-I must give Guz some props. Man is he just a hitting machine. wow. We are lucky to have him as our shortstop. What an under-appreciated player.

Yeah he's a hitting machine, it's the best way to describe him.  He should be the leadoff hitter and there's no debating that (man, imagine if he drew more walks, his OBP would be sick).  His glove/range still a bit iffy.

-Dukes is back to [AZ]Beast Mode[/AZ]. He's out of his slump and is playing like he did at the end of last season.

He should be starting and batting fifth (or 2nd/3rd if manny gets the balls to shake up the line-up).  Dukes should be playing everyday either center or right ... I guess it depends who is hotter out of Milledge/Willingham/Kearns.

-Grissom was working extensively with Milledge prior to the game in the outfield on going back on fly balls and catching them.

Milledge had a good game defensively making those two plays.  Obviously, still needs to get better.

-Dunn is a nightmare in LF. Constantly giving up extra bases because he is too lazy and slow to get to balls. He even let one bounce past him today. oh well, at least he draws walks and hits a few bombs. 

Yeah that was pretty bad watching that right in front of me.  Soriano was an adventure in LF, but at least he ran to the ball.  Dunn was a mess today.  But again, he hits bombs, doubles and walks.  Still no excuse though.  (p.s. he made a good throw and Flores with a solid tag, in the 2nd inning on the Moyer sac fly ... should've been called out)

-The Phillies fans were not as abundant as I anticipated. I only saw 1 get ejected. shocker.

I was totally - TOTALLY - shocked at how quiet the Phils fans were (and how many Nats fans were there to shut them up).  Good showing by our crew, hopefully it continues and hopefully next time we have more reason to cheer.

-freaking drunk jerks that were fans of neither team sat behind me. losers. what's the point of getting so blasted at a baseball game? why can't you do that at home and save yourself the money and driving time?

Yeah I hate that.  I had a decent buzz going, I was more just pissed off ... repeating wow WE ARE 0-7.

-One of the "fan of the game" candidates was in the group sitting behind me. 25-30 year old female with huge knockers. A gap-toothed kid beat her out for "fan of the game". she was hot as crap though.

Saw that ... she was fan #2 right?  lots of talent out today.  wish i met up with my friend haha.

-sad about Kalas. I wasn't a fan of him but I respect his craft.

Wasn't a big fan, but boy was he great at his job.  Truly a loss for the game.

-Lannan was the only starter I saw jogging around the track prior to the game. I've heard that he likes to run a lot. that's what I like to see.

Hopefully he can get his crap together.

[Air Zimmerman]

Dukes' post-game comments (video): http://masnsports.com/2009/04/dukes-deserves-to-start.html

P.I.M.P.

[hammondsnats]

az i watched that, good stuff.  he should be playing everyday that's for sure.  whether it's CF or RF doesn't matter.

[DCFan]

-One of the "fan of the game" candidates was in the group sitting behind me. 25-30 year old female with huge knockers. A gap-toothed kid beat her out for "fan of the game". she was hot as crap though.

She'd have gotten my vote.   

[DCFan]

-The Phillies fans were not as abundant as I anticipated. I only saw 1 get ejected. shocker.

Jmad and I headed over to the big scoreboard area to catch the final inning and to be that much closer to the exit. There was one really drunk and obnoxious Philly fan sitting in the section right in front of the scoreboard. Drunk on his arse, cursing the ump over every ball and strike, freak this, loser that.

The funny thing was when people were streaming out up the aisle to leave he was cursing them and calling them losers. One of them was a Philly fan who took umbrage at her fellow Philly fan and was practically ripping her jacket off to show the drunk bozo her Phillies tee-shirt in an attempt to prove her bona fides.  That wasn't enough to satisfy him as he started to make fun of the bit of her belly that was exposed. 

[Kevrock]

The Philly fans seemed pretty quiet until they had the game in hand. I had the pleasure of sitting next to the two calmest, most reasonable Philly fans I had ever met. They knew baseball and we talked during the game. Good stuff. About five rows back was a bunch of drunk Philly fans booing every player we had.

What was going on in the Right-Center field outfield area? It seemed like the majority of the Philly fans were out there causing a commotion.

[tomterp]

tomterp I think I saw you today. Were you standing at the top of like section 112 during the bottom of the 9th?

Yes. I was wearing my road blues yesterday (but won't say I was feeling blue, for the obvious conclusions that might be reached erroneously. 

At the end of the 8th, I went with my parents down to the top of 112 to catch the final inning.  They move slowly, and it took a long time for the elevators, but we finally arrived as there were two outs in the top of the ninth, and stayed through to the end.  We then exited out the home plate exit towards our cars across So. Capitol. 

[tomterp]

he should've had a strike out on a 3-2 count that was called a ball and walked home a run - there was a phillies fan out in dead center - that told me that was one of the worst calls he'd ever seen (that it should've been a strike). 

I know, the thread is locked, but did this research before realizing the lock situation, and wanted to post it.

Here's the Gameday pitch tracking for the walk, and for sure Cabrera was not getting the benefit of any calls.