Josh Willingham Hits Grand Slams In Back To Back AB's In The Washington Nationals' 14-6 Win Over The Milwaukee Brewers.

Ed Chigliak — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 04:55:38 -0000

4 months ago: Washington Nationals' Josh Willingham (16) is congratulated in the dugout after hitting a grand slam during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Milwaukee Brewers Monday, July 27, 2009, in Milwaukee. The grand slam was his second of the game. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

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According to the Stats_MLB Twitter Feed, Josh Willingham became the third player in National League history, and according to an article at CBS Sports.com, the 13th player in Major League history to hit two grand slams in one game when he hit grand slams in two straight at bats tonight in Milwaukee. Willingham also tied the franchise record, held by the Expos' Tim Wallach, for RBI's in a game with the 8 he collected tonight in the Nationals' 14-6 win over the Brewers.

Josh Willingham hit his first Grand Slam on a first pitch fastball from Milwaukee right-hander Jeff Suppan with two outs in the fifth inning to put the Nationals up 6-2, but the Brewers responded with three runs in the bottom of the frame to pull within one at 6-5 DC. Adam Dunn hit a ground rule double with runners on first and second in the sixth, to make it 7-5 Washington, so it was runners on second and third when Nick Johnson took a one-out walk from Brewers' reliever Mitch Stetter. Stetter was replaced on the mound by right-hander Mark DiFelice and once again, Josh Willingham stepped to the plate. DiFelice threw an 83 mph "fast"ball by Willingham outside for strike one, but the second "heater" was up and out over the plate for the Hammer, and Willingham put it out to left center in a hurry for his second Grand Slam in his second consecutive at bat. 13-5 Nationals, and Ryan Zimmerma--THE KIDS CALL HIM ZIM!! THE KIDS CALL HIM ZIM!! Ryan Zimmerman hits his 18th HR in the eighth to end the scoring for the evening. 14-6.

Courtesy of MLB.com: Here's the List of Players to Hit Two Grand Slams In One Game:

Tony Lazzeri - NYY- 5/24/1936
Jim Tabor - Red Sox - 7/4/1939
Rudy York - Red Sox - 7/27/1946
Jim Gentile - Orioles - 5/9/1961
Tony Cloninger - Braves - 4/3/1966
Jim Northrup - Tigers - 6/24/1968
Frank Robinson - Orioles - 6/26/1970
Robin Ventura - White Sox - 9/4/1995
Chris Hoiles - Orioles - 8/14/1998
Fernando Tatis - Cardinals - 4/23/1999
Nomar Garciaparra - Red Sox - 5/10/1999
Bill Mueller - Red Sox - 7/29/03
Josh Willingham - Nationals - 7/27/2009

Nationals win, 14-6 final.

Miss The Game? The DC Faithful Were Watching...

Check Out The SBN's Brewers Blog: Brew Crew Ball GameThread...(Totally Outcommented Them)

BACKPAGE:

• Nationals Win Three Straight Heading Into Deadline...

For The Completists, Full Game Report After The JUMP...

Nationals now 31-68.

BACKPAGE:

• Nationals Win Three Straight Heading Into Deadline...

For the first time since since June 17-20th, when DC took four straight, (two from the New York Yankees, and two in a row over Toronto), the Nationals are on a genuine win streak after taking the last two games of their weekend series with San Diego and now the first of four in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The Nationals have had just one other such streak all season, when they won three in a row, (1 from LA and 2 from Arizona) from 5/7-5/09. The Nationals are now just four days away from the 2009 Trading Deadline, and the possibility of trading first baseman Nick Johnson to the San Francisco Giants took a blow Monday when the Giants acquired right-handed first baseman Ryan Garko from the Cleveland Indians. Now the two teams, San Francisco and Boston, who were originally said to be interested in the Nationals' slick fielding, single-hitting, high OBP first baseman, are seemingly out of the running...Will Nick Johnson get traded? Can the Nationals afford to move Josh Willingham? Is Adam Dunn untouchable? Four days to find out...

Can the Riggleman Era Nationals win their fourth-straight Tuesday?

GAME REPORT:

Washington Nationals At Milwaukee Brewers. Game 99 Of 162.

Nyjer Morgan reaches on an excuse-me single that dies in front of the plate. Brewer’s backstop Jason Kendall doesn’t bother throwing to first. Morgan steals second with Cristian Guzman up against Milwaukee righty Jeff Suppan. Guzman K’s when he can’t check his swing on a two-strike curve in the dirt. Ryan Zimmerman pops a 3-1 pitch up over second. Adam Dunn rips a low liner into the shift and Felipe Lopez makes a diving play and throw to first to end the frame...Felipe Lopez lines up the middle for a leadoff single on a fastball from Craig Stammen. Craig Counsell lines out to short. Ryan Braun drills a double to left and Adam Dunn bobbles it, Lopez breaks for home and the relay beats him by five feet. Lopez out at the plate. Prince Fielder goes the other way 3-1 change outside to left for an RBI double. 1-0 Brewers. Cristian Guzman throws out Mike Cameron to end the first.

Nick Johnson grounds back to the mound, Suppan stabs it and throws on target to first. Josh Willingham gets a chest-high fastball that ends up bouncing off the left field wall. Josh Bard works a one-out walk. Alberto "The General" Gonzalez grounds to Felipez Lopez, to J.J. Hardy to Fielder at first, double play...Corey Hart gets hold of a fastball and takes it deep to left and GONE, HR 2-0 Milwaukee. J.J. Hardy flies out to right. Ryan Zimmerman throws out Jason Kendall. Stammen gets Suppan looking.

Craig Stammen doubles to left center off Suppan. Nyjer Morgan lines out to short. Guzman’s groundout moves Stammen to third. Ryan Zimmerman flies to center, but Mike Cameron’s there...Adam Dunn sprints to the left field line and slides into the wall to make a backhand catch on a diving liner by Felipe Lopez. Craig Counsell goes back up the middle for a one-out single. Braun flies out to Nyjer Morgan in center. Prince Fielder ground to short, Guzman tosses to Alberto Gonzalez covering.

Adam Dunn grounds to short, and the shift works against Milwaukee. Dunn safe on an infield single. Nick Johnson K’s swinging over a two-strike sinker. Adam Dunn takes second on a wild pitch from Suppan with Josh Willingham up. Hammer grounds back to the mound. Josh Bard K’s looking and Suppan’s through four with the lead...Mike Cameron grounds out to start the Brewers’ fourth. Craig Stammen gets a line drive to right from Corey Hart for out No. 2. J.J. Hardy pushes Nyjer Morgan back to the track and completes his second scoreless of four.

Alberto "The General" Gonzalez doubles on the first pitch of the fifth. Craig Stammen’s bat is wasted on a sac bunt. Nyjer Morgan lines to short right, Corey Hart dives, but comes up empty, Gonzalez scores from third, 2-1 Brewers. Cristian Guzman drives a single through second. Suppann hits Ryan Zimmerman to load the bases for Dunn. Adam Dunn works back from 0-2 to draw a two-out walk and load the bases. Nick Johnson gets an 0-2 slider on the outside edge for a called strike three. Josh Willingham gets first pitch hanger and he lifts it to left and, oh, it’s GONE!! GRAND SLAM!!! 6-2 Nationals. Josh Bard grounds out to end the fifth...Jason Kendall hits a high chopper to third and over a drawn in Zimmerman. Jeff Suppan sacs Kendall over to third. Felipe Lopez’s infield single scores Kendall, and is too deep in the hole at short for a throw, 6-3 DC. Nyjer Morgan gets under a flyout from Craig Counsell. Ryan Braun takes a 2-1 pitch that gets by DC backstop Josh Bard. Ryan Braun, oh no, fly ball to deeeep center and GONE!! Two-run HR, 5-4 Nationals. Prince Fielder goes the other way with a two-out single. Jason Bergmann’s on and he gets Mike Cameron swinging.

Jeff Suppan walks Alberto Gonzalez after the Brewers fight their way back. Jason Bergmann tries to bunt, but hits it down and back to the catcher, who tags and throws to first, but they never tag Gonzalez, who’s ruled safe. Weird play. Nyjer Morgan singles on a line drive to center, and takes second when Cameron throws to the infield. Crisitan Guzman doubles both runners in with a line drive to the right field corner. 8-4 Nationals. Suppan’s out after walking Zimmerman intentionally. Adam Dunn crushes a fastball from the Brewers’ reliever Mitch Stetter. Ground rule double, 9-5 Nationals. Nick Johnson walks. Josh Willingham gets a fat fastball outside from Mark DiFelice and he takes it DEEEEEEEP TO LEFT CENTER AND GONE!! ANOTHER GRAND SLAM!!!!!! 13-5 DC!!! Mike Cameron catches two fly balls from Josh Bard and Alberto Gonzalez in succession to end the Nationals’ sixth...Jason Bergmann gets a groundout from Corey Hart to start the seventh. Ryan Braun goes down chasing. Jason Kendall walks with two down. Jody Gerut hits a two-out double to score Kendall. 13-6 Nationals. Felips Lopez singles to center, Gerut rounds third, Nyjer Morgan charges in and unloads toward home, on the mark and on time, Bard makes the tag, "You’rrrrrrrre OUT !!!" yells the Ump!!! NMIMH!!! Nyjer Morgan Is My Hero!!!

Anderson Hernandez grounds out to short. Brewers’ lefty R.J.Swindle gets Nyjer Morgan and Cristian Guzman to ground out to end the top of the seventh...Sean Burnett’s on against Craig Counsell. Counsell grounds to first, Nick Johnson fields and throws to the pitcher covering. Ryan Braun takes a one-out walk. Prince Fielder grounds out to Anderson Hernandez at second. Burnett walks Mike Cameron in front of Corey Hart. Hart K’s looking at a low two-strike slider from Burnett.

Ryan Zimmerman takes a high fastball to left center and over Mike Cameron, who climbs the wall but can’t reach it, Ryan Zimmer-- THE KIDS CALL HIM ZIM!! THE KIDS CALL HIM ZIM!!! 14-6 Nationals. Austin Kearns is on for Adam Dunn, and he grounds out to J.J. Hardy at short. Nick Johnson K’s swinging at a sharp slider across the plate. Willingham gets an eephus from R.J. Swindle, who ends the inning there...Logan Kensing gives up a long fly ball to left center, J.J Hardy’s robbed by a sprinting Nyjer Morgan. Frank Catalanotto grounds out to Anderson Hernandez, and Kensing gets Mike Rivera to fly to right to end the eighth.

Brewers’ righty Chris Smith saws off Josh Bard and gets a groundout to second. Alberto Gonzalez and Anderson Hernandez both ground out to end the top of the ninth...Logan Kensing gets a ground ball from Felipe Lopez to third. Craig Counsell flies out to Nyjer Morgan in center. Ryan Braun delays the inevitable with a single through short. Prince Fielder K’s swinging to end the game. Nationals win, 14-6.

Nationals now 31-68.

Sen. Kennedy to throw out Fenway first pitch

Randy Booth — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 16:57:06 -0000

If able, Massachusetts Senator Ted Kennedy will throw out the ceremonial first pitch at Fenway Park on Monday:

Kennedy, who has been battling brain cancer for the past year, returned to Capitol Hill last week after an extended absence. Because of his medical condition, Kennedy's availability for Monday is uncertain.

The Red Sox also plan to have their players walk past fans in seating areas throughout Fenway Park during pregame introductions Monday.

I've never really been for politicians throwing out first pitches (except, of course, the President), but I think in this case it's a little more special. Personally, I'd choose Bill Mueller to do it, but I never get my way...

Hot Potato Corner

Eric Stephen — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 04:47:48 -0000

Barring injury, it looks like Casey Blake will be starting at third base for the Dodgers on opening day April 6 in San Diego. Blake will be the sixth different 3B to start on opening day in the last six years:

2004: Adrian Beltre

2005: Jose Valentin

2006: Bill Mueller

2007: Wilson Betemit

2008: Blake DeWitt

2009: Casey Blake

Believe it or not, this is not the longest such streak of hot corner instability in Dodger history. After the franchise's first championship in 1955, the club embarked on an 11-year odyssey with a different third-sacker each year:

1956: Jackie Robinson

1957: Randy Jackson (dog!)

1958: Dick Gray

1959: Jim Baxes

1960: Junior Gilliam

1961: Tommy Davis

1962: Daryl Spencer

1963: Ken McMullen

1964: Johnny Werhas

1965: John Kennedy

1966: Jim Lefebvre

Overall, Blake will be the 33rd different third baseman in the last 54 years. He'll get to join the ranks of such Dodger greats as German Rivera (1984) and Mike Blowers (1996).

You want something more obscure? More LA Dodger opening day 3B have reached on an error (4) than have homered (3).

What does this all mean? Well, nothing, other than the fact that I'm bored and waiting for pitchers and catchers to report.

SB Nation - Bill Mueller

Josh Willingham Hits Grand Slams In Back To Back AB's In The Washington Nationals' 14-6 Win Over The Milwaukee Brewers.

Sen. Kennedy to throw out Fenway first pitch

Hot Potato Corner