The Nats had an exciting weekend! They played a day-night double header against the Mets on Friday and two more games on Saturday and Sunday.  Smushed in between, they held the Season Plan Holder Appreciation Day event at Nationals Park.

My last post was called “The Nats Need to Snap Their Skid.”  I thought that was going to happen, because the day after I posted that, Bryce Harper hit his first career walk-off home run to beat the Pirates and prevent them from sweeping the Nationals at home.  But then in the first game of the doubleheader, the Nats lost badly to the Mets, 11-0.  That seemed like they were going back into the skid.

Things changed starting Friday night.  First, Ryan Zimmerman‘s walk-off home run split the day-night doubleheader with a 2-1 score. The excitement was back!  Two walk-offs in 2 days!

Then, on Saturday, the Nats held a season ticket holder event at Nationals Park.  I went with my dad and brother.  Everybody got a t-shirt, a free hot dog, and a chance to go on the field and meet the players.  We saw everyone on the team as they walked by.  A few players stopped to talk, high-five, take pictures or sign autographs.  I got autographs from closer Rafael Soriano, 2B Anthony Rendon, RHP Ryan Mattheus, and broadcasters Charlie Slowes, and Bob Carpenter. I also said hi to Dave Jageler, who was with Charlie, but I already got his autograph.  (Click here to read my interview with Dave Jageler, if you haven’t already).  It was great that Ryan Mattheus, Charlie Slowes, Dave Jageler and Bob Carpenter all recognized me and remembered me; they signed pictures that we took together last year or earlier this season.  My brother got an autograph from Soriano on a baseball card, and I got most of mine on pictures or on a bat.

That night, the Nationals cruised to a 4-1 victory over the Mets due to dingers by Denard Span, Ian Desmond, and Bryce Harper.  That was Denard Span’s first home run in a Nationals uniform!

Yesterday, was one of the best and most historic Nats games ever!  Wilson Ramos hit his first career  grand slam, Taylor Jordan finally got his first win, and Ian Desmond had a great 4-hit day at the plate, getting the honor of the hitting the last RBI that drove in the Nats’ final run in the biggest win in Nats history. (However, on that RBI, Ian Desmond was TOOTBLAN— a term I just learned thanks to Dan Kolko’s twitter).

Thrown Out On The Bases Like A Nincompoop. RT @BsWebs2: @masnKolko What in the world is TOOTBLAN?
— Dan Kolko (@masnKolko) July 28, 2013

Desi scored Lombo in the bottom of the 8th, and was caught at third second on a 9-4-5 relay.  The Nats weren’t trying to run up the score, but they basically had no choice but to score Lombo even though Trent Jewett told him to hold up at third for a second.  Here’s the play.  ). The 14-1 win was the highest win margin in Franchise History. The Nats held the Mets to 1 run in 3 of the 4 games, and took 3 of the 4 games in the series after a bad homestand against the Dodgers and Pirates.

This win proves the Nats are ready for Justin Verlander, Miguel Cabrera, and Prince Fielder in Detroit. The Nats are 2-0 vs. the Tigers in 2013!

TUESDAY’S NATS GAME

NATS @ TIGERS

STEPHEN STRASBURG (5-8, 2.85 ERA) VS. ANIBAL SANCHEZ (8-7, 2.68 ERA)

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