Running Thoughts: Hammel vs. Lannan

Some early notes.

-- Todd Helton gets a rest ahead of tomorrow's matchup with Livan Hernandez.  Helton is a ridiculous 33-for-69 against the big man, so it's Giambi tonight in the three-hole against a tough lefty.

-- Ian Stewart gets a well deserved blow in favor of Melvin Mora.  Mora really earned the start with his three hit performance last night.  Wouldn't be a bit shocked to see him spell Ian or Clint Barmes more against lefties going forward.

-- We also welcome Chris Iannetta back into our lives this evening. I'm calling a home run.  

First pitch is on its way!

The patch honoring Keli McGregor

1st Inning

• CarGo rips a single leading off the game.  Fowler follows with a double down the right field.  
• Giambi breaks through with his first RBI of the season on a sac fly.  Well done there.  
• Tulowitzki grounds out but gets Fowler home.  See how important it is for the table setters do their jobs?  
• Rockies then load the bases on singles fron Hawpe & Mora, plus a walk for Iannetta.  
• Barmes flies out on a 3-2 pitch to end the threat.  Good start, though it could have been better.  
• Lannan pitch count going to be a problem for Jim Riggleman and their worn out bullpen.  
• Walk. Error by Giambi.  Suddenly an easy inning becomes dangerous.  
• Hammel impressively finds a way out of it.  
• Rockies 2, Nationals 0

2nd Inning

• CarGo swipes his first base of the season.  
• Nothing across though as Lannan makes Giambi look silly.  
• Every night Giambi starts the defense goes to hell.  Sometimes it's his fault, this time it wasn't as Tulo overruns a grounder. 
• PS: Giambi was not given an error in the first inning.  That ruling is a joke.  

3rd Inning

• John Lannan hangs one right in Hawpe's happy zone.  Ball is now resting in the empty right field bleachers.  
• Nats first hit in my book is a 30 foot perfect bunt single by Morgan.  
• After a solid Zimmerman single, Adam Dunn rolls one down the line under the glove of Giambi for a 2-run double.  Would have been an easy play for Helton.  
• Willingham ties it with an RBI single.  Threat still going.  
• Barmes error leads to another run.  Jason Hammel is being royally screwed by his defense tonight. 
• Nationals 4, Rockies 3

4th Inning

• The worst part of this nonsense is Giambi still doesn't have an official error in this game.  That's going to be overruled in my Rock Solid Recap I can assure you.   
• Rockies offense bounces right back.  Barmes singles leading off, bunted to second by Hammel, driven in by CarGo with a single.  Good call on a close play at the plate by the ump.  
• Giambi legs out an infield single.  Isn't baseball lovely like that?  
• Giambi runs to the mound to tell Hammel to throw strikes.  Hopefully Hammel retorted with a "field the ****ing ball please."
• Hammel responds with a swift 1-2-3 inning.  Much needed.  

5th Inning

• Lannan hurls his sharpest inning of the evening.  Need another from Hammel.  
• With a little help from Melvin Mora, Hammel gets through another 1-2-3.  Little bit of a roll now.  

6th Inning

• CarGo is 4-for-4 against a tough lefty.  That's a special ball player.  
• And another 1-2-3 for Hammel.  If only he could avoid that one big inning just one time.  

7th Inning

• Giambi down on strikes.  Still waiting for him to add something positive to the team this season.  
• Man, there's a lot of foul ground at Nats Park.  That bites the Rockies twice in this inning. 
• Not sure I agree with Frazier's idea of perfect rundown execution.  Rockies got the out regardless.   
• Zimmerman doubles, injures himself running the bases.  He's kinda frail is he not?  
• Jim Tracy plays with fire, leaves Hammel in to face Adam Dunn.  Hammel rewards his manager for his faith.  Let's get Hammel a W tonight!  

8th Inning

• Tyler Clippard-Broxton with his second scoreless inning.  
• Nats push a pair across on Rafael Betancourt.  Joe Beimel headed in to hopefully give the Rockies a shot here.  Starting to look like another loss that should never happen.  
• Beimel gets his man.  Rockies desperately need to come off the deck in the ninth inning.  
• Nationals 6, Rockies 4

9th Inning

• Rockies get Tulo and Hawpe aboard with two outs.
• Ian Stewart pinch-hits for Mora... takes strike three right down the middle at the knees to end it.  Not the type of patience we're looking for in THAT situation.  
• Another loss that shouldn't have been.  Those are adding up very quickly.  
• Final: Nationals 6, Rockies 4