|
luck turns for perez, offense
|
Odalis Perez had three hits and two RBIs and pitched into the seventh inning to earn the win yesterday.
Nick Laham/Getty Images
|
New York's Moises Alou reaches for home plate to score as Washington catcher Jesus Flores waits for the ball.
Nick Laham/Getty Images
|
Nationals at Mets
Date published: 5/13/2008
BY RICH CAMPBELL
NEW YORK --Odalis Perez's smile in the clubhouse after last night's 10-4 victory over the New York Mets was as wide as it's been since he joined the Washington Nationals in spring training. Maybe that's because he couldn't decide what he was happier about: Earning his first victory of the season, or his three singles and two RBIs that helped him get it.
Perez wasn't in top pitching form, but he finally got the offensive support that had been missing in his previous eight starts. He survived a rocky first three innings, then reaped the benefits of an offensive breakout on a cold, windswept night at Shea Stadium.
"Baseball sometimes is crazy because sometimes you pitch and pitch and pitch and you get hit hard, they score six runs but your team scores 10," Perez said. "Sometimes you [give up] one or two runs and your team don't help you. I'm not worried about seeing these guys score 10 runs in a game. I know we are able to do it because the ability we have. We have great talent. I just need to do my job."
The Nationals snapped a three-game losing skid and won for the second time in seven games.
Perez's 0-3 record entering last night was more a reflection of his bad luck than the quality of his pitching. He had given up more than three runs in only one of his previous eight starts this season, but he simply hadn't gotten the necessary run support to build his win total on the stat sheet.
Over Perez's 44 innings entering yesterday, the Nationals scored a total--yes, total--of 13 runs while he was in the game. His run-support average of 2.62 per nine innings ranked 93rd in the National League.
Through it all, though, he maintained his cool and never publicized any frustration at the lack of run support.
His luck finally changed last night as the floodgates opened for Washington's offense. The Nationals' 10 runs were three more than they scored in the previous three games combined.
"We know he's going to come out and give us quality starts," center fielder Lastings Milledge said. "All we need is a couple runs, and he's going to go out and do the rest."
Date published: 5/13/2008
|
Star Directory
