Nats lose to Rockies 3-1 OR Nats bats lack life

This was precisely the sort of game that worried me. The Nats pulled off a come-from-behind win the night before, winning in the 10th inning, and I feared that they might be emotionally spent, energetically depleted.

Alas, I was right.

The Colorado Rockies defeated the Nationals 3-1 to even the series 1-1. The Nats didn't really get any offense started until later in the game when they were already behind 3-0.

Starter Billy Traber, filling in out of the bullpen for Jason Simontacchi who is on the D/L with tendinitis in his pitching elbow, only lasted 4 innings, throwing 56 pitches for 36 strikes (65%), allowing 2 runs on 3 hits and walking 1. The bullpen of Chris Schroeder, Ray King, Saul Rivera and Jon Rauch did okay, with Schroeder having a few problems - he allowed 1 run on 2 hits, walked 2 and struck out 2 in his 2 innings of work.

Ryan Report: Church went 1 for 3 with a double, Zimmerman went 2 for 4 with the Nats only R.B.I., Langerhans went 0 for 4, and Austin Ryan Kearns went 1 for 4. Congratulations to Aaron Cook.

Zimmerman made a most unfortunate mental error in the 8th inning, as the Nats were starting to rally against one of their favorite pitching victims, former Florida Marlin, former Arizona Diamondback, Jorge Julio. (Indeed, Julio's last appearance for the Marlins came at R.F.K. stadium earlier this season, and he was rocked so badly that Florida traded him to the Rockies the very next day. For more extensive coverage of the Jorge Julio phenomenon, please visit the Nats320 blog, it is must-reading.) Zimmerman simply forgot how many outs there were and got doubled off of 2nd base for the 3rd out to kill the rally.

The weather was pretty good on Friday, 81 degrees and low humidity. The crows was terrific, too, 27, 581, and there was a big group in what looked like section 533 or 534 (left field, behind the foul pole) that was incredibly loud during the 6th inning, cheering and getting into "the wave" and seemingly having a complete ball. Really, I mean people were turning around in their seats to see just what was going on up there. I joked to someone sitting next to me that I thought it was a contingent from the Embassy of Japan cheering for the Rockies' Kaz Matsui.

My boss released me from work early, so I got to the ballpark with time to spare. Ate my Capital Q barbecue beef brisket, said hello to Rico and Ellie and Boris and sat with my friends Kate and Zeke and Tim. Got my beer from Howard and enjoyed the wonderful outdoor experience that is Nationals baseball in July. Too bad they lost, but I had fun all the same, and that's the whole point, isn't it?