SB Nation DC - Nationals Lose Fourth Straight, Drop 6-2 Decision To Cardinalshttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/48897/dc-fave.png2010-05-18T11:12:06-04:00http://dc.sbnation.com/rss/stream/12404992010-05-18T11:12:06-04:002010-05-18T11:12:06-04:00Forget The Loss. Last Night Was About Drew Storen
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<p>It's obviously a concern that the Nationals lost their fourth consecutive game last night, but the far bigger news today was the performance of Drew Storen. In his major league debut, Soren didn't disappoint, surrendering no runs in two thirds of an inning, including a strikeout of Cardinals slugger Matt Holiday. </p>
<p>SB Nation's Nats blog Federal Baseball described the scene <a href="http://www.federalbaseball.com/2010/5/18/1476234/washington-nationals-drop-4th">as follows</a>:</p>
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<p>In his MLB debut. Nats' skipper Jim Riggleman claps his hands on the way to the mound, happy to get the K on the Cards' pitcher without the runner advancing, Storen heads the mound from the bullpen. Front foot turned in as he settles on the mound before starting his delivery, Storen straightens his front (left) leg and whips it around as he pushes off his right leg, and Drew Storen's major league career starts with a 94mph fastball outside for ball one to former Nats' SS Felipe Lopez, who flies out to <span>Josh Willingham</span> in left for the first out on Storen's second pitch. <span>Ryan Ludwick</span> takes an 84mph curve for a called strike inside, takes a fastball outside and then takes one on the hand. HBP. (A 93mph one, ouch!)... </p>
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<p>And then, after Storen recovered to strike out Holiday:</p>
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<p>...Drew Storen walks off the mound. Calmly, head down. Just before he reaches the visiting team's dugout, Pudge Rodriguez greets him and Storen's gotta react quickly to meet Pudge's enthusiastic high-five and it looks like he starts to breathe again. </p>
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<p>Storen's solid performance is all the more impressive considering he was pretty nervous, as the Washington Post's Adam Kilgore <a href="http://voices.washingtonpost.com/nationalsjournal/2010/05/drew_storen_becomes_a_big_leag.html?wprss=nationalsjournal">notes</a>. Luckily for Storen, his father made the five-hour drive to St. Louis to watch him pitch, and that probably calmed him down a bit. </p>
<p>There was also a lot of symbolism in Storen's debut, as Nats blog Nats320 <a href="http://nats320.blogspot.com/2010/05/drew-storens-major-league-debut.html">wrote</a>. The first batter Storen faced in his major league career was none other than Felipe Lopez. Yes, the underachieving Felipe Lopez.</p>
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<p>If there was one player that hit the nerve of fans for Our Washington Nationals from 2007 through 2008 and symbolized all that was wrong with D.C. Baseball--it was Felipe Lopez. A talented underachiever that lost focus and eventually quit of his Washington teammates. Few players since The Nation's Capital returned to Major League Baseball were run out of town--and released--with such acclaim and cheers.</p>
<p><br>Felipe Lopez was the scapegoat then.<br><br>Now, two years later, wearing Cardinals white, red & gold, FLop stood with his bat in the lefthanded batters box facing all that is good about Our Washington Nationals in one--Drew Storen. Talent, hope, THE WANTING TO BE HERE. The excitement which arises knowing good times for D.C. Baseball are on the horizon. That contrast could not have been more stark. Lopez representing what was. Storen personifying what is today. <br><br>A New Look, Forward Thinking, Washington Nationals Franchise. </p>
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<p>One can only hope Storen's career mirrors his debut. At the very least, last night was one more sign of hope that this franchise is moving in the right direction.</p>
https://dc.sbnation.com/2010/5/18/1477039/nationals-lose-cardinals-drew-storen-debutMike Prada2010-05-17T22:49:06-04:002010-05-17T22:49:06-04:00In Progress: Nationals Try To Rally Late Against The Cardinals
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<p><i>For more on the game, visit <a href="http://www.federalbaseball.com/">Federal Baseball</a>.</i></p>
<p>St. Louis, MO (Sports Network) - <span>Albert Pujols</span>, batting cleanup for the first time in nearly seven years, went 3-for-3 with a walk and two runs scored, helping the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/teams/STL">St. Louis Cardinals</a> continue their recent dominance of the<a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/teams/WAS">Washington Nationals</a> with a 6-2 win in the first of two games at Busch Stadium.</p>
<p>Pujols also made a diving grab on a groundball to end the game in the ninth for the Cardinals, who have won 12 of their last 14 games against Washington. St. Louis, which came into this game having lost nine of 12, may have found the perfect solution to cure its slump, putting the two-time reigning NL MVP in the four-spot for the first time since May 30, 2003.</p>
<p><span>Colby Rasmus</span> added two hits, two runs scored and an RBI, and <span>David Freese</span> hit a two-run triple in a four-run first inning for the Cards, who are 7-0 at home versus the Nats since the start of the 2008 season.</p>
<p><span>Kyle Lohse</span> (1-3) finally got his elusive first win, allowing two runs -- one earned -- on six hits and a walk through six-plus frames.</p>
<p><span>Ian Desmond</span> notched his second career four-hit game for the Nationals, who have lost four straight since winning five of six. <span>Craig Stammen</span> (1-2) allowed four runs, six hits and two walks while fanning four in six frames.</p>
<p>Stammen retired the first two St. Louis hitters in the opening inning, but the next five batters all reached base to help the Cards take a 4-0 lead.</p>
<p><span>Matt Holliday</span> started the rally by walking, and Pujols followed with a single. Rasmus singled to plate Holliday, and Pujols and Rasmus scored on Freese's triple to right. <span>Yadier Molina</span> followed with an RBI single before Skip Schumaker's groundout ended the inning.</p>
<p>Washington stranded two runners in the second and didn't get another baserunner until the fifth, when it scored twice.</p>
<p><span>Adam Kennedy</span> and Desmond led off the frame with back-to-back singles, and <span>Roger Bernadina</span> reached on an infield base hit. All three runners advanced, including Kennedy scoring, on a throwing error from Schumaker.</p>
<p>Two batters later, Desmond scored on Willie Harris' groundout for a 4-2 game.</p>
<p>The Nats had runners on second and third with one out in the seventh, but <span>Mike Morse</span> popped out while pinch-hitting for Stammen, and <span>Adam Dunn</span> struck out as a pinch-hitter to end the threat.</p>
<p><span>Kyle McClellan</span> pitched a perfect eighth for the Cards to get to <span>Ryan Franklin</span>, who allowed runners to reach second and third with two outs before Pujols dove to grab Morse's groundball to first. Pujols was able to retire Morse to end the game.</p>
<p>Lohse was the final Cardinals starter to earn a win...Pujols came into the game with a .323 average, .406 on-base percentage, 51 homers and 211 RBI in 237 games out of the cleanup spot...<span>Drew Storen</span> made his major league debut for the Nationals in the seventh inning. The 10th overall pick of the 2009 MLB Draft, Storen was called up when the team designated pitcher <span>Brian Bruney</span> for assignment and retired two of the three batters he faced, including a strikeout of Holliday...The Nationals hadn't allowed a run in the first inning for the previous 12 games...Lohse had lost his previous five decisions...St. Louis is 6-0 on Monday this season and has won its last 12 games on Monday, dating back to 2009.</p>
https://dc.sbnation.com/2010/5/17/2315553/in-progress-nationals-try-to-rally-late-against-the-cardinalsMike Prada