Nationals Sweep Weekend Series Vs. Red Sox At Fenway Park

Now I'm not a betting man (wink, wink, nod, nod) but if I was, I'd say put some money on the Washington Nationals before everyone else in the gambling world does the same. They probably won't win a World Series in the next year or two but after seeing them up close this weekend in Boston (on TV), they have the look of a serious contender in the near future (Tampa Bay Rays style slew of young talent).

The Nationals (35-23, 17-13 away) left Fenway Park with a 4-3 win this afternoon against the going nowhere Red Sox (29-31, 14-19 home).

Washington swept the three-game series and as a result, they are still firmly in control of the powerful NL East. Conversely, Boston has fifth-place in the AL East locked down and it doesn't appear to be getting better anytime soon since all the other teams in the division are winning games-the key to not being in last place.

Boston has lost six of its last seven games to fall a season-high six games back of the Rays in the AL East.

It was tied 3-3 headed into the ninth inning but Alfredo Aceves (0-4) couldn't keep it that way. Roger Bernadina (2 hits, stolen base) drove in pinch hitter Bryce Harper with an RBI double. When will MLB managers learn that closers almost never have a clean inning when they don't come into a save situation?

Working in his third straight save-situation, Nationals closer Tyler Clippard had to throw 25 pitches but he still managed to close it out by striking out the side for his eighth save of the season.

The most impressive aspect about the three games for Washington is that they were all close and yet they found a way to win them all. They won by three runs on Friday night, two runs yesterday afternoon and two runs today. That points to three main winning ingredients: enough timely offense, solid outings and reliable bullpens.

Jordan Zimmermann got a no-decision but he had an acceptable start. He went seven innings, allowing three earned runs on seven hits with seven strikeouts and two walks. Tom Gorzelanny (2-1) pitched a scoreless eighth to get the win.

Jon Lester had the same result as Zimmermann: nothing in the win-loss column. He was decent too after a poor beginning. Lester went seven innings, allowing three earned runs on six hits with a season-high nine strikeouts and two walks.

Washington took a 1-0 lead in the first on Ryan Zimmerman's groundout which scored Danny Espinosa (2 hits, 2 RBIs, run, walk, stolen base).

Boston tied it on Dustin Pedroia's fielder's choice in the third that scored Nick Punto. The Red Sox grabbed their only lead in the fourth on David Ortiz's (3 hits) solo homer (14th of the season) into Boston's bullpen.

Espinosa gave the Nationals a 3-2 lead in the seventh with a two-run double off the Monster that would have been a routine out in any other park.

Scott Podsednik's ground out in the seventh tied it as Ryan Sweeney scored.

Not for nothing but I'm going to say that with a healthy Jacoby Ellsbury and Carl Crawford in the lineup, the Red Sox wouldn't score nine total runs in three games at Fenway Park no matter who they were playing. When the Red Sox are right, it seems like they average about nine runs (slight exaggeration) at home especially when the weather is so great.

Interleague play (so far the Red Sox are 2-4 against their NL East counterparts) continues as Boston hits the road to face the Miami Marlins (31-29, 4th place NL East) at their stupid new stadium-Marlins Park. Fresh off a three-game sweep (take a number) at the hands of the Rays, the Marlins enter the series on a six-game losing streak which is double what the Red Sox are currently suffering through. After that, the Red Sox visit Wrigley Field for three games this weekend to take on the woeful Chicago Cubs led by former GM Theo Epstein.

Bobby Valentine got thrown out in the ninth inning today arguing balls and strikes but hopefully he's taking notes from the master-Ozzie Guillen-who also happens to be Miami's manager. Former Marlin Josh Beckett (4-6) faces Josh Johnson (3-4) tomorrow night (7:10 p.m., NESN), Clay Buchholz (6-2) gets Mark Buehrle (5-6) Tuesday night (7:10 p.m., NESN) and Felix Doubront (6-3) opposes Ricky Nolasco (6-4) in the series finale on Wednesday night (7:10 p.m., NESN).

National League rules will be in effect meaning no DH in the lineup and the pitchers have to hit, so Valentine will need to find a way to get Ortiz plenty of at bats since he's been by far the team's best hitter so far this season. Sit Adrian Gonzalez instead who hasn't done anything.

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Dice-K Returns, Red Sox Fall Back Under .500

While you were enjoying a beautiful early summer day, the Boston Red Sox were busy falling back under the .500 mark.

Daisuke Matsuzaka made his 2012 debut after last appearing in May 2011 but he wasn't able to help the Red Sox (29-30, 14-18 home) enough as they fell 4-2 to the Washington Nationals (34-23, 16-13 away) this afternoon at Fenway Park.

Dice-K was limited to five innings (80 pitches) as he was eased back into action. He allowed four earned runs on five hits with eight strikeouts and one walk.

Nationals starter Gio Gonzalez (8-2) looks like an All-Star and he continued his excellent season with 6.1 innings, allowing two earned runs on three hits with five strikeouts and two walks.

Former Red Sox first baseman Adam LaRoche (10th of the season) hit a solo homer to right center in the second inning for a 1-0 Washington lead. The Nationals scored their other three runs in the fourth thanks to Michael Morse's RBI ground rule double and Ian Desmond's two-run single.

Jarrod Saltalamacchia provided Boston's only runs with a pinch-hit two-run single in the seventh.

The Red Sox only had five hits, they were 1 for 10 with runners in scoring position and they left seven men on base. Sean Burnett got a 1-2-3 eighth for his 10th hold of the season and Tyler Clippard recorded his seventh save of the season (second in two games) with a scoreless ninth.

Jordan Zimmermann (3-5) faces Jon Lester (3-4) tomorrow afternoon (1:35 p.m., NESN) as the Nationals go for the sweep of the Red Sox in this three-game series.

UPDATE 6/10: Rich Hill was put on the DL with elbow soreness and Mark Melancon's exile in Pawtucket is over, he's back with the Red Sox.

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So The Washington Nationals Look Legit

Welcome to Major League Baseball in 2012, where the Washington Nationals look like one of the top teams in the National League while the Boston Red Sox are stuck squarely in the middle of the pack of the American League.

Washington (33-23, 15-13 away) opened its Interleague series at Fenway Park tonight with a bang as they beat the Red Sox (29-29, 14-17 home) 7-4, for their first ever win in Boston since the franchise moved from Montreal.

The Nationals two young superstars-Stephen Strasburg and Bryce Harper-lived up to their billing. Strasburg (7-1) struck out 13 in only six innings and Harper fell a triple shy of a cycle with three RBIs and two runs scored.

Felix Doubront (6-3) picked a bad night to have his worst outing of the season since he needed to be on top of his game to hope to hang with Strasburg (2 earned runs, 4 hits, 2 walks). Doubront lasted four innings, allowing six earned runs on eight hits with six strikeouts and two walks.

Washington was up 7-2 before Adrian Gonzalez hit a solo homer, his fifth of the season and 200th of his career, to straightaway center in the eighth and Daniel Nava (2 hits) had an RBI double in the ninth. Nationals closer Tyler Clippard came on for the final two outs, which he nailed down easily (8 pitches) for his sixth save of the season.

Mike Aviles actually gave Boston a 2-0 lead in the second with a two-run double. Strasburg settled down after that and conversely, Doubront unraveled.

Ryan Zimmerman (2 hits) got the Nationals rally started with an RBI single in the third. Ian Desmond (2 hits) followed later that inning with a two-run double. Washington broke it open with three runs in the fourth inning. Danny Espinosa (2 hits, 2 runs, walk, stolen base) had a two-run ground-rule double to right and Harper crushed a two-run bomb to center (425 feet, his 6th of the season).

Harper added an RBI single in the sixth although he was thrown out at second trying to stretch it into a double.

Make sure you have plenty of drugs and alcohol (anything to numb the pain) on hand tomorrow afternoon (4:05 p.m., NESN) as Daisuke Matsuzaka makes his 2012 debut against former A's pitcher Gio Gonzalez (7-2). This might be a reverse lock but otherwise I see no possible way that the Red Sox win and/or Dice K makes it past the fifth inning. To make room for Dice on the roster, Marlon Byrd will be designated for assignment.

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