"The last couple of innings I felt really good. I haven't felt that good in a while." --John Lannan, June 6, 2009.
THE RESULT: John Lannan was brilliant, allowing just one unearned run on four hits and three walks, throwing the first complete game of his career, leading the Washington Nationals over the New York Mets, 7-1, before 31,456 at Nationals Park Saturday night.
Lannan (W, 3-5, 3.68) got help from five double-plays, erasing any base runners that did manager to get on. The only time he got in trouble was in the eighth, as David Wright and Fernando Tatis both singled with one out.
With men on first and second, catcher Omir Santos hit a line drive right at Elijah Dukes in right field, which Dukes couldn't find the handle on. The ball fell for an error, and Wright scampered home. Wilson Valdez bounced into a double play to end the damage.
Lannan also got the rare run support he needed on this evening. Adam Dunn hit a two-run home run in the first, Dukes hit a solo shot in the fourth, and Nick Johnson clobbered a three-run shot in the fifth, all against Mets starter John Maine (L, 5-4, 4.52)
THE TAKEAWAY: Manager Manny Acta made a crack in the post-game press conference that showed his sense of gallows humor following his team these days, ""It was unbelievable how smart you can get in one night when you get a pitching performance like that and an offense like that and a defense like that. "
But he's right. On a perfect early-summer night, everything went right for the team, save for Dukes butchering the line drive that lost the shutout.
THE GOOD: John Lannan. Zero earned runs in a complete game. He threw just 93 pitches in the effort, 59 for strikes. He got 14 ground ball outs, compared to just seven fly balls.
THE BAD: The bottom three in the order, Willie Harris, Anderson Hernandez and Wil Nieves. They combined to go 0-for-11 with one walk.
THE UGLY: John Maine. He really struggled yesterday, giving up seven earned on three home runs.
NEXT GAME: Today against these same Mets. Here are the starting lineups:
NEW YORK METS (29-25, 2nd in NL East--3 games back; one-game losing streak)
Cora-4
Martinez-7
Beltran-8
Wright-5
Murphy-3
Church-9
Schneider-2
Valdez-6
Hernandez-1
WASHINGTON NATIONALS (15-39, 5th in NL East--17 games back; one-game winning streak)
Guzman-6
Johnson-3
Zimmerman-5
Dunn-7
Dukes-8
Kearns-9
Bard-2
Hernandez-4
Stammen-1
STARTING PITCHERS
WAS: Craig Stammen (17.1 IP, -01, 5.71, 6 Ks, 4 BBs)
NYM: Livan Hernandez (60.1 IP, 4-1, 4.33, 36 Ks, 16 BBs)
WEATHER
Absolutely beautiful. Scattered clouds and mild, high of 73F. Get out to the park!
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