The Nationals have put on a show through the five innings at Fenway Park on Friday night. After falling behind 2-0, the Nats lineup jumped all over Felix Doubront with three-run innings in the third and fourth to take a 6-2 lead. In his first game at Fenway, Bryce Harper lit up Doubront with two extra base hits in back-to-back innings. The first was a double ripped to the gap just short of the triangle in centerfield. Boston's Scott Podsednik cut it off but Harper easily stretched it in to a double. Then in the fourth, he would take it to the triangle again only this time he added about another 30 feet, clearing the wall just to the left of the 420 foot sign. It was a mammoth blast that had the crowd in a state of stunned admiration and the Nats up four runs.
In addition to Harper, Danny Espinosa has ripped two extra base hits. Batting in the lead-off spot, Espinosa hit back-to-back doubles in the third and fourth innings. The second was a ground rule double that bounced into the bullpen and knocked in Tyler Moore. Espinosa is two for two with a walk and two runs in what could be his best game of the season so far.
The Nats have been pretty remarkable on the mound and in the field as well. With a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the 3rd, it appeared Stephen Strasburg had given up a solo shot to Adrian Gonzalez to tie it up. But rightfielder Xavier Nady raced to the short wall against the bullpens and pulled it back to end the inning with the catch of the year so far. Strasburg met Nady at the top of the dugout to thank him for the remarkable catch which held the lead and carried over momentum to the offense in the next half inning.
Aside from the Nady catch, Strasburg has not needed a ton of help from his fielders. Despite a little hiccup in the second inning, the Nats ace has struck out 10 batters and mowed down Boston. He has gotten stronger as the game has progressed and he got a multi-run lead. He K'ed the middle of the order in the fourth without much trouble, part of a streak of five straight strikeouts and seven of eight Boston whiffs.
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