There is probably not enough space on the Internet to go over the fine details of the excitement and madness of the Washington Nationals 9-4 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks. It was a game filled with everything from multiple hit-by-pitches, player ejections, manager ejections, a heartbreaking blown save, a fan on the field and Michael Morse. It took 11 innings to end the bizarre affair, but the Nationals can move on from Arizona knowing they got the series split.
Nationals starter Jason Marquis and manager Jim Riggleman were ejected in the sixth-inning of a 1-0 Nationals game after Marquis hit Justin Upton with a pitch and Riggleman argued the ejection. Umpire Rob Drake thought it was intentional retaliation after D-Backs Ian Kennedy hit Nationals outfielder Jayson Werth with a pitch in the fifth. Two-innings later Esmerling Vasquez of the Diamondbacks and manager Kirk Gibson also got ejected after Vasquez hit Danny Espinosa with a pitch in the back. An angry Espinosa had to be held back from further confrontation.
In the ninth-inning with the Nationals up 4-1 reliever Drew Storen loaded the bases and allowed the Diamondbacks to score three-runs to send the game into extra innings. Storen claimed a blown save in the game. Relievers Todd Coffey and Sean Burnett held off the D-Backs offense until the 11th-inning when Rick Ankiel and Michael Morse made them not needed anymore.
D-Backs reliever Joe Paterson loaded the bases in the 11th and walked Ankiel to give the Nationals the go-ahead run. Up stepped Morse who with the bases loaded sent a Paterson fastball over the yellow line in the center field wall to put the Nationals up 9-4 and send Arizona fans to the parking lot.
The Nationals move to 26-33 on the season.