Francoeur Grand As Nats Drop Two of Three To Atlanta
Just two days after Ken Griffey, Jr., and the Reds overcame a three-run 11th inning deficit to stun the Nationals' bullpen, the Braves terrorized the Nats beleaguered pen. This time, Jeff Francoeur beat Chad Cordero in grand style Saturday night to send the Nats to what was then their fourth straight loss.
The Nats headed into the 9th on Saturday with a two-run lead, but the usually reliable Cordero struggled from the start. He gave up a lead-off home run to Brian McCann followed by back-to-back singles by Ryan Langerhans and Marcus Giles. A force-out at third on an Edgar Renteria bunt brought up Chipper Jones. Jones legged out an infield single but Andruw Jones struck out with the bases loaded. With two outs, Francoeur strode to the plate. On a 1-0 pitch, he launched Cordero's offering into the left field seats at Turner Field for a game winning Grand Slam. For the second time in three days, the Nats saw a late lead evaporate at the hands of a walk-off home run.
Saturday's heartbreaker came on the heels of another lackluster effort by Ramon Ortiz. Against the Braves, Ortiz surrendered 8 hits and 4 walks while giving up 6 earned runs. John Smoltz pitched a complete game four-hitter, and Ryan Zimmerman's two-run home run accounted for the Nats two runs. The Braves won 6-2.
But on Sunday, the Nats finally ended their losing ways. A a half game in front of the last-place Marlins.
As the Nats rest tonight, rumors and questions swirl about the team. With Brian Schneider on the DL, the Nats are now carrying three catchers in an effort to throw out a few baserunners. But will the rag-tag pitching hold up with one fewer hurler in the pen? And what about Alfonso Soriano? With the Yankees' left fielder Hideki Matsui out for at least three months with a broken wrist, the Post speculated that the Yanks could come calling for Soriano. Should the Nats trade the enigmatic outfielder with his bad attitude but powerful bat?
Photo by Flickr user Scott Ableman. See the original here.