Washington Nationals rout Chicago Cubs 9-1 as Bryce Harper experiences a multi home-run game-MLB
Right fielder Bryce Harper and first baseman Adam LaRoche storm the Washington Nationals into the lead as they help rout the Chicago Cubs 9-1 at Nationals Park, Washington, D.C. on September 5, 2012 in the third match of the four game series.
Cubs were pounded all through the game with home-runs and massive hits. Most of the batters that appeared on the plate struck runs against them.
Nationals were dominant from the beginning. Throughout the game not even a single occasion came which saw them giving the opposition an opportunity to fight back.
With five runs lead attained at the end of the third, Washington had most of the work done and only thing they had to do from there onward was to keep the Cubs at bay, which their pitchers did successfully.
Gio Gonzalez was impeccable while throwing seven innings on Wednesday. Making the task for bouncing back for the opposition even harder, he was scoreless in his spell. He struck-out nine and yielded three hits.
Building on the pressure that he had maintained, relief pitcher Craig Stammen threw two solid innings.
As far as the offence was concerned, Harper wreaked the bulk of the damage to the Cubs’ chances for victory. Hammering two home-runs, he improved his slugging percentage to .449.
Other than him, LaRoche contributed three RBIs on Wednesday while connecting three hits in four at-bats.
A total of six home-runs came off from the Nationals in the game which shows the level of effectiveness they have achieved offensively.
Gonzalez discards the impression that it is the individuals that are leading the Nationals to victories. Instead he is of the view that every player is contributing toward success.
"We're playing such great baseball, it's selfish of me to think of myself," Gonzalez said. "Individual stuff is nice, but all said and done it's a team thing."
For a teenager experiencing a multi home-run game is a special moment.
"I don't think anybody's satisfied where we're at right now," Harper said. "We don't want to let down to anybody. We don't want to play at that level. We want to play at our level."
Letting the momentum slip away at the moment will be the last thing that the Nationals will want.
They will be looking to keep winning games and enter into the play-offs with momentum on their side.
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