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Nats finally triumph--barely
Nationals vs Braves
Date published: 4/14/2008 By RICH CAMPBELL BY RICH CAMPBELL WASHINGTON-- A one-word message written in block letters on a whiteboard near the clubhouse entrance greeted the Washington Nationals yesterday morning. It was a simple and clear call to action."ENOUGH!" As in, enough poor at-bats. Enough lousy pitching. Enough losing. By the time the final out yesterday settled into the glove of Washington right fielder Austin Kearns, the message had been erased. For the first time since April 2, the Nationals were satisfied with their play and the result--a harrowing 5-4 victory over the Atlanta Braves that ended their nine-game losing streak, their longest since moving to D.C. three seasons ago. Surely, this much-needed win wasn't going to come easily. The Nationals jump-ed out to a 5-0 lead after three innings and had to fight off the determined Braves. Washington closer Chad Cordero loaded the bases with two outs in the ninth inning, but setup man Jon Rauch came in and recorded the final out. Not until Kearns corralled Brian McCann's line drive and fireworks illuminated the sky could the Nationals breathe a long-awaited sigh of relief. "You lose nine games in a row, you ain't just going to come out here and win 11-0 because obviously you're not playing well," catcher Paul Lo Duca said. "This is a big win to win a one-run game." The Nationals (4-9) committed some of their usual missteps--a critical dropped fly ball by left fielder Wily Mo Pena and a base-running blunder by Lastings Milledge--but they finally overcame them and salvaged a game on what Rauch called a "horrid homestand." Starter Tim Redding (2-1) gave up three runs in five solid innings, while the lineup came through with a pair of bases-loaded walks and a couple of timely hits that scored runs. That winning combination had eluded the Nationals since the first three days of the season. It was evident early on that this could be Washington's day. Atlanta starter Tom Glavine left the game with a strained right hamstring after facing only four batters. "That's what it takes," manager Manny Acta said. "It's destiny." The Nationals managed to tag Glavine with a pair of runs on an RBI single by Ryan Zimmerman and a double play ground out by Pena.
Date published: 4/14/2008
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