Washington Nationals crush the San Francisco Giants 5-2 to take 2-1 lead in series – MLB Update
The Washington Nationals romped to a 5-2 victory in their third outing against the league rivals San Francisco Giants at Nationals Park in Washington on Sunday, May 1 to take a 2-1 lead in the four-game series.
In front of more than twenty thousand spectators, both starters landed positively as they held the batters to no-hits in the first inning. However, in the second inning, the Giants’ right-fielder, Nate Schierholtz, kicked the outing off with an RBI double
off the Nationals’ starter Jordan Zimmermann and took a 2-0 lead.
The Washington’s batting squad did not let the Giants enjoy the lead for long. Alex Cora hit to deep right-field for a single and trimmed the lead to 1-0 in the bottom of the second inning.
The club kept going and added a single in the third and fourth inning, as before Washington was having trouble with runners in scoring position. The right-hand starter Zimmermann, after giving a double in the second inning, recuperated brilliantly and pitched
four scoreless innings. He took out four batters and allowed two walks for his second win.
On the other hand, the Giants’ starter, Matt Cain gave seven hits, three runs and three walks over his six innings pitched. His five strike-outs could not save him from his second loss with a 3.53 ERA. Guillermo Mota relieved Cain and remained scoreless
in his one inning spell.
However, as soon as Dan Runzler relieved Mota, the Nationals’ Ivan Rodriguez, chipped to centre-field for a double and took his team to 5-2. It made Rodriguez so happy that he regarded this run like a homer.
"That's like if I hit 4 for 4, to be honest with you," Rodriguez said of his defensive play. "Throwing a guy out late in the game like that, that's a game-saving play right there. To cut the rally right there is good for us. That's why I always take a lot
of pride in my defence."
Rodriguez is playing in his 21st Major League Baseball season, but still has the ability to make an impression, as he did it on rookie Wilson Ramos.
Ramos said of Rodriguez, "It's fun to watch him play when he comes to life. It reminds me of the young Pudge Rodriguez, when I used to watch him play back in the day. He still has a lot to offer. He's an icon of the game, and it's a privilege to play with
him."
In the bottom of the inning, Drew Storen pitched for Washington and saved his fifth game of the season. Storen was not alone to hold the opposition scoreless, as the relievers Tyler Clippard and Sean Burnett did not give a single hit in their spells.
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