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Nationals second baseman Felipe Lopez throws to first after forcing Milwaukee's Rickie Weeks (23). The Nationals completed a double play on the ball hit by the Brewers' Ryan Braun in the first inning.
PABLO MARTINEZ MONSIVAIS/ASSOCIATED PRESS
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Nationals' bats come alive just in time
Nationals 5, Brewers 1
Date published: 5/24/2008
BY RICH CAMPBELL
WASHINGTON-- The Washington Nationals' offense has been riddled with so many shortcomings this season that it's impossible to pinpoint the most detrimental.
Surely the outfield's collective .205 batting average entering yesterday is as abhorrent as any stat you could throw out there. But there's another deficiency that has been instrumental in holding the Nationals back.
Dig deep enough into the splits, and you'll find that Ryan Zimmerman, the team's entrenched No. 3 hitter and the cornerstone of the franchise, began yesterday with the worst batting average on the team with runners in scoring position. The gruesome number: .160.
So forgive Zimmerman for showing a bit of emotion after he slid safely into second base in the sixth inning last night. His RBI double keyed a decisive four-run rally that gave the opportunistic Nationals a 5-1 win over the Milwaukee Brewers in front of 28,007 at Nationals Park.
"In those type of situations is when we need a guy like him," manager Manny Acta said. "With the game on the line, we need our main guy to carry us."
The Nationals managed only three hits the entire game, but they made them count. Wily Mo Pena hit his first homer of the season, and Jesus Flores helped the Nationals capitalize on a costly error by Milwaukee shortstop J.J. Hardy with a two-RBI double that capped the rally in the sixth.
"Hits don't win ballgames," Acta said. "Hits with runners in scoring position win ball games."
Zimmerman can attest to that. He has struggled in those situations this season, particularly with his pitch selection. Too often during the first month of the season, he would chase pitches out of the strike zone.
"I think sometimes they're not going to let me drive the runs in," Zimmerman said. "That's part of the process of taking some pitches, and if they're going to walk me then it's OK for the guy behind me to drive the runs in to. That's part of the process where I have to grow up and mature as a hitter."
Zimmerman got his perfect pitch with runners on in the sixth. It was all made possible by Hardy's gaffe.
Date published: 5/24/2008
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