Nats Rally Past Brewers
Offense Overcomes Simontacchi's Early Gopher Balls: Nationals 5, Brewers 4

By Steve Yanda
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, July 8, 2007

Even as he watched Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder trot around the base paths after hitting back-to-back home runs in the first inning last night, Nationals starter Jason Simontacchi had to figure he still was in good position. For all his team's offensive struggles, the right-hander is the one active pitcher in the Nationals' rotation who usually gets ample help from his teammates.

Go down Washington's rotation and note the run support average that each pitcher receives: Jason Bergmann, 2.17; Mike Bacsik, 2.77; Matt Chico, 3.83.

And then there is Simontacchi, whom the Nationals afford 4.77 runs per start. So although the Brewers ended the first with a two-run lead, Simontacchi had reason for optimism. The Nationals prevailed in the end, 5-4.

"It was nice for us to put up a crooked number," right fielder Austin Kearns said.

Closer Chad Cordero put the win in jeopardy in the ninth. Protecting a two-run lead, Cordero allowed a one-out, solo home run to pinch hitter Johnny Estrada. Cordero then walked Corey Hart and saw Hart advance to second on a wild pitch. But like Simontacchi before him, Cordero maintained his composure and induced J.J. Hardy and Braun into consecutive groundouts to end the game.

"He made it interesting," Manager Manny Acta said of his closer. "But he has that ice vein type of attitude out there."

For the first time in a while, the same could be said for the entire ballclub, which did not become discouraged facing another early-game deficit. Washington's offensive eruption -- and at this point, even a modest sign of life has to be considered such -- came in the fifth inning. The Nationals turned four consecutive singles and a double into four runs. Three RBI came off the bats of outfielders Kearns and Ryan Church, who have personified the team's recent offensive futility.

Kearns recorded his first extra-base hit since June 20 on his two-run double. Entering the game, Kearns was hitting .248 and had driven in 28 runs. By comparison, Braun had driven in 31 runs in 40 games since being called up to the majors May 25.

"Obviously, I haven't done what I wanted to do," Kearns said, "but I was supposed to be up there driving in runs, so I want to be in that situation. It's nice to come through."

Church, on the other hand, had been left out of the starting lineup for two games to clear his head and straighten things out at the plate before being reinserted Friday night. He was hitting .253 entering last night's game and had recorded just one RBI in his past 12 games. He finished last night's game 3 for 3 with an RBI.

Even shortstop Felipe Lopez, who entered the game hitting .237, got in on the action. After grounding out in his three previous at-bats, Lopez lined a double to right field in the seventh that scored pinch runner Nook Logan from second.

Fielder cracked his second home run of the night in the top half of the sixth, recording his seventh career multi-homer game and fourth this season.

"My shoulder felt good," Simontacchi said. "Sometimes, when it feels too good I leave the ball up a little bit, and that's what happened."

But that was all Simontacchi would allow. He went six innings, allowing three runs on eight hits, one walk and one hit batsman. Helping his cause was a diving catch by center fielder Ryan Langerhans to end the top of the sixth with two men on and the Nationals clinging to a one-run lead.

In his previous outing, Monday against the Chicago Cubs, Simontacchi lasted only three innings and allowed five runs on just 59 pitches.

"I knew I was better than that," he said. "I needed to execute some pitches tonight."

For the most part he did, which provided a pleasant sight for Acta, who said Simontacchi's performance was the best he has seen from the starter all season.

"He was throwing as hard as he has all year and with a sharp breaking ball," Acta said. "All of his pitches were average to above-average."

Simontacchi made it through six innings and may beg to differ about the team's lack of offense -- when he is on the mound, that is. The Nationals scored four runs for just the second time since June 23, a span of 14 games.

"It just shows that hits don't win ballgames," Acta said. "Hits with runners in scoring position win ballgames."