Just got back a little bit ago. Stayed for the whole thing, boy was it wet! Just a few observations off the top of my head, because I am pretty tired. I was sitting on the right field wall right next to the bullpen for most of the game, but then moved to the front row next to first base for the later innings because there was literally no one left at the park.
- I watched Zimmermann warm up, great pitching motion. From where I was sitting, it looked like the ump wasn't giving him any benefit of the doubt, but there was certainly some pitches that should have been called strikes. Zimmermann looked great on the mound except for the first few innings, where he was getting knocked around a bit.
- I was right behind Francouer and got to heckle him all game, which was fun. He gave me plenty of fuel for the fire, after striking out to our rookie and then slipping on the one play at second. That alone made the game worth it for me.
- Joe Beimel! What can I say, he had a sportscenter top 10 play in the pouring rain. Easily becoming one of my favorite players on the Nats.
- Dukes covers a lot of space in the outfield, which is badly needed when Willingham/Dunn are out there. With Dunn, it isn't a lack of effort, but I could clearly tell from the right field wall that he has trouble reacting to balls and even judging them. I was yelling to him at one point to move left because he had a shot at one ball (he had to have heard me, I could hear people talking from across the field), but he just sort of sat there like a deer in headlights.
- I had a great time, despite the fact that it was raining and there were two other people in my whole section at the end of the game, which in a weird way put the game on a more personal level. I gave Randy Knorr a shout out for leading the P-Nats to the championship and he gave me a thumbs up. The Nats have now won every game I have been to since Acta took over, I'm thinking about attending tomorrow as well...
