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The Nationals now turn their attention to the Florida Marlins. A sweep of the Fish in Florida would earn the Nationals their first over .500 season in their history.
Nationals southpaw Ross Detwiler ran into deep trouble in the third inning, but he showed strong poise and the Nationals defense helped him out to escape a jam and keep the score tied until the fourth inning where the Nationals opened up the scoring and took the lead 1-0 over the Atlanta Braves.
Detwiler loaded the bases in the third with no outs by giving up a single to David Ross and walking Jack Wilson and Braves pitcher Mike Minor. However, Detwiler was able to induce two fly outs and get Chipper Jones to ground out to Ryan Zimmerman in the final out of the top of the inning. It was a remarkable display of poise and aggressiveness the Nationals love and will depend on in the coming seasons as they build for contention.
In the fourth inning Nationals catcher Wilson Ramos clocked his 15th home run of the season off Minor on the sixth pitch of the at-bat to give the Nationals a 1-0 lead going into the fifth.
Sunday is the final home game for the Washington Nationals. After their 1:35 P.M. game with the Atlanta Braves, Nationals Park will close its doors for the long, cold off season and winter. There will be no cheers from the seats, no shouts or smells of hot dogs coming from the concourse. Teddy and the Racing Presidents will not be at the Center Field Gate to greet fans and Ryan Zimmerman won't be making Gold Glove catches at third down on the field, not for a long while as the final out is recorded after Sunday's game. It is a depressing time for many Washington sports fans, but the Nationals hope to use their final home game planting the seeds of hope of a better 2012 not far past the cold and dreary months that will soon be upon us.
The Nationals want to give Washington fans one more thrilling ride.
Nationals southpaw Ross Detwiler (3-5, 3.30 ERA) is set to take the mound and get the Nats one final win at Nationals Park in 2011. He will face fellow lefty Mike Minor (5-2, 4.27 ERA) and an Atlanta Braves team that is beginning to feel the pressure of making the playoffs. They hold only a two game lead for the Wild Card in front of the St. Louis Cardinals and if you think the Nationals aren't going to try and play (and enjoy) the part of spoiler against their NL East foe, you would be wrong. Detwiler's last outing was a 7 1/3 innings affair where he allowed just three hits against a struggling Philadelphia Phillies team. He will look to build on that outing and finish his 2011 season strong.
The usual rogue gallery that gave such pleasure and heartache to Washington in 2011 will comprise the Nationals line up.
Nationals Line Up
Ian Desmond - SS
Jayson Werth - CF
Ryan Zimmerman - 3B
Michael Morse - LF
Chris Marrero - 1B
Danny Espinosa - 2B
Jonny Gomes - RF
Wilson Ramos - C
Ross Detwiler - SP
Braves Vs. Nationals Final: Nationals Close Up Nationals Park In 2011 With 3-0 Shutout Of Braves
Over 37,638 people at Nationals Park got to their feet in the ninth and final inning of Sunday's game (and final inning of the 2011 season at Nationals Park) and roared when closer Drew Storen and the Washington Nationals were able to make the final out to shutdown and shutout the struggling Atlanta Braves 3-0.
Nationals starter Ross Detwiler delivered a strong end of season performance going six innings, giving up only four hits, no runs, walking two, striking out four and getting out of two tight jams in his fourth victory of the 2011 season. He finishes his 2011 campaign 4-5 with a 3.00 ERA in 15 games.
The Nationals took the lead in the fourth off a Wilson Ramos solo home run, his 15th of the season. Then in the seventh inning outfielder Michael Morse put the insurance in for the Nationals by unloading on a Cristhian Martinez pitch and placed it into the right field stands for a two-run home run. It was Morse's 29th of the season and 50th home run of his career. Storen earned his 42nd save of the year to close out the game.
The Nats put a serious damper on the Braves playoff hopes. Depending on the outcome of the St. Louis Cardinals game, the Braves' Wild Card lead might be shortened to one game.
The Nationals are now 78-80 on the year and hold a two game lead over the New York Mets for third place in the NL East with three games to go. The Nationals now move to complete the season against the Florida Marlins in Florida. If the Nationals can sweep the Fish, they will finish over .500 for the first time in their history.
Sep 25 4:46p by Andrew Kinback