SB Nation - Jorge Cantu

Heroes of the Zeros: First Base

Slyde — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 13:29:39 -0000

The debate on who is the All Decade 1B for the aught Reds is an interesting one. First base was a fairly stable position for the Reds during the 2000s, with 3 players accounting for 75% of the starts at the position during the decade. The six players listed below are the players on the Reds during the aughts who played more than 30 games and played 1B more than any other position while with the Reds. The ballot is available after the jump and you are only voting for the starting player.

Other ballots: Starting Rotation | Bullpen | Catcher

Click header to sort table by column
	Years	G	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	OPS+	wOBA	WAR
Sean Casey	2000-2005	828	3458	3111	441	944	193	7	86	453	283	332	.303	.366	.453	.819	111	.353	10.8
Jeff Conine	2007	80	242	215	23	57	11	1	6	32	20	28	.265	.320	.409	.729	84	.316	0.0
D.T. Cromer	2000-2001	85	114	104	14	32	7	0	7	20	4	33	.308	.327	.577	.904	122	.354	0.4
Scott Hatteberg	2006-2008	291	1017	869	115	253	58	1	23	105	130	83	.291	.384	.440	.823	109	.358	2.3
Hal Morris	2000	59	78	63	9	14	2	1	2	6	12	10	.222	.351	.381	.732	84	.298	0.3
Joey Votto	2007-2009	306	1222	1079	162	334	77	4	53	185	134	223	.310	.388	.536	.924	139	.386	7.2

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 12/15/2009.

Alfredo Amezaga non-tendered

craig — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 05:13:14 -0000

The Marlins did not tender a contract to Alfredo Amezaga, it is official.

Alfredo is now a free agent.

Apparently they were concerned with the fact that he is still recovering from microfracture knee surgery and that he hasn't started a running program. The Marlins are leaving the door open to the possibility of re-signing Alfredo later on, but there is a problem with that. The problem is the Marlins cannot enter into negotiations with Alfredo again until March 2, 2010. That is the day when players are mandated to report to spring training. Which gives him a lot time to prove to the other clubs he is good to go while the Marlins are sitting on the sidelines.

The salsa warm up leading, life of the clubhouse, pulse of the team, unbelievable defensive specialist, fan favorite Alfredo Amezaga may never be a Marlin again. It is a sad day. Oh sure, the move that the club made is completely understandable and was the right move. But still. That really doesn't make you feel all that much better.

In other news, the Marlins reached a one-year deal with Ronny Paulino and tendered contracts to Dan Uggla, Jorge Cantu, Cody Ross, Ricky Nolasco, Josh Johnson, Leo Nunez, Renyel Pinto and Anibal Sanchez.

Marlins Likely to Keep Cantu

GameFish — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 19:55:55 -0000

Cantu fans, rejoice. Mlb.com is reporting that Jorge Cantu is likely to remain a Marlin in 2010, despite his $5 million+ price tag:

MLB.com has learned that it is "almost 100 percent" certain that Cantu will be a Marlin in 2010. The 27-year-old is entering his final season of arbitration. He made $3.5 million in '09, and he ended up with 100 RBIs, hitting cleanup behind Hanley Ramirez.

Cantu's salary should be above $5 million, a price the team appears willing to pay to keep one of its steadiest performers.

Now, the Marlins may consider a trade if they are presented with an offer they feel can't be passed up. But the club isn't actively shopping him.

Of course, "almost" 100% is not 100%. And usually about twelve minutes after a story like this is posted, the player in question is traded. But as of now, it looks like we could see Jorge back at first or third next season. Which is fine by me. (Not that anybody asked me, but just in case you were curious as to where I stood on the matter...)

MLB Trade Rumors: Marlins Listening to Offers for Ricky Nolasco??

raygu — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 16:00:20 -0000

by Wilfredo Lee - AP

2 months ago: Florida Marlins' Ricky Nolasco delivers a pitch during the first inning of a baseball game against the New York Mets, Friday, Sept. 25, 2009, in Miami. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

View full size photo »

Yesterday ESPN's Buster Olney tweeted that the several teams have talked to the Marlins about the availability of Ricky Nolasco and Jorge Cantu. Here is is tweet:

Spoken with teams about Florida's arb.-eligible trade bait, and there clearly is major interest in Jorge Cantu and Ricky Nolasco. about 8 hours ago from web

It appears that the Marlins are listening to offers for all of their arbitration eligible players including Dan Uggla, who is almost certain to be wearing a different uniform by Christmas. Should the Marlins deal Cantu, they will be left with Emilio Bonafacio at either 3B or 2B (should Chris Coghlan stay in LF), and either 1B prospects Logan Morrison or Gaby Sanchez to play 1B. The Marlins have a 3B prospect Matt Dominguez but he is not yet ready with the bat, but is certainly major league ready with his glove.

Trading Nolasco, who had a terrible first two months of 2009 and returned to form after being sent down to the minors, should net the Marlins some top major league ready prospects. Nolasco pitched better than his 2009 stats indicate, so there should be many teams looking to deal for him.

Who are those teams? I would guess that the Mets, Cubs (he was drafted by the Cubs), Brewers, Dodgers, Diamondbacks, and Rockies would have some interest from the National League. I wouldn't be surprised to see the two of them packaged to the same team for several prospects.

Could the Brewers send a package headlined by Mat Gamel for Nolasco and Cantu? How about the Dodgers with a package around Chris Withrow and James Loney? The Diamondbacks could offer a change of scenery for struggling outfielder Chris Young.

Poll

Where is Ricky Nolasco more likely to pitch in 2010?

Brewers-in a deal involving Mat Gamel

38 votes

Dodgers-in a deal around Chris Withrow

31 votes

Diamondbacks-for Chris Young?

18 votes

Marlins-they wait till June 2010 to deal him

64 votes

151 votes | Poll has closed

Dan Uggla drawing some interest

craig — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 15:26:04 -0000

The Marlins phones are ringing to inquire about Dan Uggla's availability. What a shock.

The two teams showing the most interest in Marlins second baseman Dan Uggla would move him to third base.

The Giants and Orioles are the clubs in strongest pursuit of Uggla, according to major-league sources.

The Red Sox also have inquired, envisioning Uggla as a potential replacement for free agent Jason Bay in left field.

Uggla, 29, projects to earn approximately $8 million in arbitration. But in four major-league seasons, he has averaged 30 homers and 90 RBIs.

Danny playing third is doable, though he hasn't thrown the ball across the diamond for a number of years. Doesn't mean he can't, he just hasn't.

The really strange one is putting him in left field in Boston. The way the ball caroms off the monster I hope Ellsbury or Anderson feel like running, because that big wall might eat Danny up for awhile. Of course, Uggla may hit enough in that park to make up for his wandering defense. Now, don't take that as he wouldn't give his all to flag down the ball, I just have a hard time believing he would be very good at it, at least not at first. But should the Marlins trade Danny, I'm not sure the Red Sox would be the best trading partner. The Fish have already sent Hermida their way for next to nothing and they seem to have figured out the Marlins are going to dump salary. And that isn't a very strong position from which to bargain.

Since this is all hot stove stuff, which is some people's favorite time of the year, not mine however. I'm not going to start guessing what we may get in return. But if history is any indicator, pitching will be involved.

The blurb went onto say:

If the Marlins trade Uggla, they almost certainly will keep third baseman Jorge Cantu, who also is arbitration-eligible.

Not if they want to get down to $36 million in payroll they won't.

10/29 - Winter School

bs.uf15bosox9bears23 — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 09:07:38 -0000

Guess what I found? An opportunity for OTM to become one of the most saber-friendly Sox blogs out there!

The International Currency of Baseball - Intro to Sabermetrics 101
Time to start studying up - in fact, here's a whole bunch of other material:

The Value of Walks and Baseball’s "Clock" - Intro to Sabermetrics 101

Intro to Sabermetrics 101: Glossary Sect. 1 - Intro to Sabermetrics 101
Pythag and expectancies

Intro to Sabermetrics 101: Glossary Sect. 2 - Intro to Sabermetrics 101
wOBA, defense, and DIPS (Defense Independent Pitching Statistics)

Intro to Sabermetrics 101: Glossary Sect. 3 - Intro to Sabermetrics 101
Replacement level and WAR

The author of that blog also writes for the SB Nation sabermetric site, Beyond the Boxscore. His work, along with the rest of a small army of writers', are HIGHLY recommended, and I'm not just saying that because we're connected to them (it's not like I get anything of tangible value out of it).

From another site, a link that isn't necessarily sabermetric, but still a good read:

Overreaction Comes in Many Forms - Yawkey Way Academy

Yeah, I'm probably going to be linking to some sites every day - they're just too good to ignore. Besides, some of this stuff needs to be spread; this time it's a reminder not to throw stones while living in glass houses.

That should hold y'all over for a while. If you have a particularly voracious appetite for links, there's some interesting hot stove ideas after the jump.

Jorge Cantu May Be Viable Option For Red Sox Infield Corners Rotation - NESN.com

Fresh idea. Any thoughts?

Trade Market: First Basemen - MLBTradeRumors.com

Bad Contract Swap Meet - MLBTradeRumors.com

Not quite sure I'd lump Papi in with the rest of those, but sure, why not?

Trades Of The Decade: Kazmir For Zambrano - MLBTradeRumors.com

Well, that would have saved us some annoying games. I mean, it's not Kaz would have beaten us in a WS game, right?

The 2009-2010 Offseason: A Critical Juncture for the Boston Red Sox - Bleacher Report

1. Work on an extension with C Victor Martinez and pick up his 2010 option.

2. While he might be the shortstop of the future, Jed Lowrie is not the shortstop of the immediate future.

3. I'm not ready to trade RP Jonathon Papelbon, yet.

4. First base; time for a fresh face?

5. I don't think the Sox need to go nuts in the free-agent market, but one spot where it would be nice to see them spend some cash is right field.

6. Who's the No. 5 starter?

I swear, some of these BR articles - the author forgot Wake for #6, calls JD "servicable", etc. Try not to get in trouble for snickering if you are reading this at work or in school.

Jacoby Ellsbury to left field? Lunacy - Red Sox Monster

Love that people immediately assume something's wrong if it doesn't pass the sniff test. If anyone wants to discuss this again, I'd recommend checking Randy's post about this subject from a few days ago first, so that we're not going in circles.

Root, root, root for New York - Tony Massarotti

Be honest with yourselves, folks. The fire is not burning quite as hot as it once did.

Umm... Pretty sure it still is. Maybe I'm just young and naive, but there's no way I'm rooting for the MFY to win any baseball game against a human team [had to avoid the mistake Surviving Grady made].

Red Sox's Kelly gets in more than at-bats - redsox.com: News

Casey Kelly put together his best AFL performance Wednesday, plating four runs and scoring another in Mesa's 12-5 win over Scottsdale.

DAMMIT

'Team of the Decade' debate heating up - redsox.com: News

I'm going to have to say it's a tie between all three, unless the MFY destroy the Phillies for the rest of the series. No way the Sox win this one though - the MFY have been better for most of the decade, and the Phillies could win because their repeat would still be fresh in the minds of the voters.

Have fun studying the stats side of life; don't worry, they aren't that hard to understand at all. If I manage to get through it with a severe hatred for math, it can't be that bad. Comments, more links, suggestions, questions can all be left here for everyone else to discuss.

The Indifference of Heaven: Marlins 7, Phillies 2

WholeCamels — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 02:12:54 -0000

More photos » by Matt Slocum - AP

Ryan Howard rounds the bases in the first after clubbing a two run home run for the Philadelphia Phillies. "Do I have to do EVERYTHING around here?" (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Browse more photos »

Tedious and dull. Someone remind these guys that they might want homefield advantage for at least one round in the playoffs.

Two runs for the Phillies on a Ryan Howard two run blast into the visiting bullpen in the first inning. Otherwise, just lackadaisical stuff.

The pitching for the Phillies was uniformly sub-mediocre, with starting pitcher Joe Blanton allowing five runs and nine hits over six innings. Four hits from Cameron Maybin, and three RBI for Jorge Cantu.

Playoffs, please?

Yarrr, Reds be walkin' the plank, blow another win late, lose 3-2

Slyde — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 02:06:57 -0000

More photos » by Tom Uhlman - AP

Drew Stubbs led off the game with his 8th home run of the season. Literally dozens of fans got to see it.

Browse more photos »

The Reds broke out their freshly minted vinyl single and flipped it over to hear the B-side, only to find out that it was the same song they played last night. Drew Stubbs gave the Reds the lead with his 3rd lead-off home run of the season, but that was basically all the offense the Reds saw in the first 7 innings.

Bronson Arroyo had another outstanding start. He surrendered a single run in the 5th on a Jorge Cantu's 16th home run of the season, but shut the Marlins down for the rest of the night, until the 8th. After Ryan Hanigan had given the Reds their 2nd lead of the game on his 3rd home run of the season, a solo shot, Arroyo promptly gave the lead back up in the 8th. Emilio Bonifacio led off with a double and then scored on Ross Gload's one out home run, his fifth of the season. Those two runs gave the Marlins their only lead of the game, but it was enough to take home the victory.

This game was the 7th time in Arroyo's last 9 starts that the offense has scored 3 runs or fewer. It's amazing that he had 8 wins midway through the season when his ERA was nearly 6, but he's just 5-5 since then with an ERA of 2.21. Clearly, the offense hates good pitching.

Tonight's loss guarantees that the Reds won't have a winning season for the 9th season in a row. But hey, they can still go .500 if they win the rest of their games, right? Shiver me timbers!

Turns out 5 days is one too many. Reds blow lead in the 9th and lose 4-3.

Slyde — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 02:33:12 -0000

More photos » by David Kohl - AP

Hit the showers, Coco. I guess we should be happy that it took so long for the Reds to lose a game that they led going into the 9th.

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Joe Nuxhall Memorial Honorary Star of the Game

Homer Bailey. 7 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 8 K. Seriously, who else should it be? Dude deserved the win.

Key Plays

With two outs in the 3rd inning, Drew Stubbs singled and stole 2nd base. Drew Sutton followed with a single to drive in Stubbs, which drew applause from the crowd.
Other than that, the game was quiet until the Reds 8th inning. Sutton led off the inning with a triple and the scored on a base hit by Joey Votto, giving the Reds a 2-0 lead.
Dusty Baker felt it wise to bring in Francisco Cordero for the 5th day in a row. Not surprisingly, it wasn't. Chris Coghlan led off the inning with a low line drive to left field that Wladimir Balentien lost in the lights, allowing Coghlan to reach first. After a Nick Johnson line out, Hanley Ramirez singled and Jorge Cantu doubled, scoring Coghlan. A ground out by Dan Uggla pushed the tying run across the plate with 2 outs.
The bleeding didn't stop though. John Baker singled to drive in Cantu. Cody Ross followed with another bloop single and Cordero's night was mercifully over. Brett Carroll doubled off of Jared Burton to drive in the 4th run of the inning, a run that ended up being the most important one.
Juan Francisco ate his first major league sized child with his first career home run in the 9th inning, but the Reds went meekly in the 9th after that as Kevin Barker and Jay Bruce both struck out and Drew Stubbs lined out to right field.

via FanGraphs

I hate graphs that look like that.

Other Notes

The loss is the first loss by the Reds this season in a game in which they took the lead into the 9th inning. They were previously 57-0 in those games.
The loss ended the Reds 8-game home winning streak and 4-game overall winning streak.
You can use vinegar and baking soda to get that musty smell out of towels. Don't use laundry detergent or fabric softener.
Juan Francisco is the 7th Reds player to hit his first major league home run this season. Name the other six.
The Reds reach 80 losses for the 9th consecutive season. They must win 13 of their last 14 to not have their 9th straight losing season.
This was Homer Bailey's 6th straight start with 114 or more pitches.

Washington Nationals Take Two Of Three From The Florida Marlins With 7-2 Win Sunday.

Ed Chigliak — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 02:13:06 -0000

More photos » by Wilfredo Lee - AP

3 months ago: Members of the grounds crew fold up the tarp covering the diamond as the rain slows down during the top of the sixth inning of a baseball game between the Florida Marlins and the Washington Nationals on Sunday, Sept. 13, 2009, in Miami. The game was called because of rain in the ninth inning. The Nationals won 7-2. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

Browse more photos »

Nationals Take Two Of Three From Fish In Florida...

It took Florida starter Chris Volstad 24 pitches to get through the first, and before the first frame was over the soon-to-be 23-year-old right-hander had allowed 2 hits, 3 walks and 3 runs, only two of them earned because of an error on Dan Uggla. DC lefty John Lannan got two quick outs in his own first, but Hanley Ramirez singled, stole second and scored when Jorge Cantu came through with a liner over Pete Orr at third to make it 3-1 Nationals.

A two-out walk by Volstad, his fifth, in the third, proved costly as he put Justin Maxwell on in front of Pete Orr, who hit his third MLB dinger to right center for a 5-1 Nationals’ lead. Vostad’s exited early, having allowed 5 hits, 5 walks and 5 runs, 4 earned in 3.0 IP over which he threw 59 pitches. Marlins’ lefty Andrew Miller took over in the fourth and walked the first batter he faced, Willie Harris, who was running on Ian Desmond’s infield single in the next AB. Harris took third when Hanley Ramirez threw wide of first on Desmond's grounder and scored when Cristian Guzman followed with a single over second for a 6-1 Nationals' lead after three and a half. In the fifth, it was Orr again, who doubled, took second on a passed ball and came home on an infield groundout by Wil Nieves for a 6-run, 7-1 lead.

John Lannan (W, 9-11) allows just 1 ER on 6 hits through 5.0, throwing 81 pitches, 50 for strikes, but a rain delay ends his day after just the five innings pitched. Tyler Clippard comes out after nearly two more hours of rain on top of last night's delays, and Clippard throws two scoreless in which he allows just 1 hit. Jason Bergmann starts the eighth by giving up a single to Hanley Ramirez, but a DP grounder from Jorge Cantu erased that runner. A two-out walk, however, did end up scoring, after a passed ball and a Cody Ross single make it 7-2, but any hope of a late Florida comeback ends when Land Shark Stadium is soaked by another storm...This rain delay finally ends it after two hours and forty-eight minutes of play, and three hours and three minutes of delays...

Nationals win, 7-2 final.

For A Florida Marlins Fan's Perspective On The Rain...uh, Game....Check Out The SB Nation's Marlins Blog:

FishStripes.

"Game 143: Rain helps the Nats for once" by Doghouse.

BACKPAGE:

• E: 122.

• What's Tim Foli Going To Do Now?

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

Nationals now 50-93.

BACKPAGE:

E: 122.

Pete Orr got his 3rd MLB HR today and his 2nd double of 2009, but he also commited his second error, which gives the Nationals 122-Major-League-leading errors on the season. E: 122 - Orr's E came in the first, on a throw to first that got by Adam Dunn, who was pulled off the bag and then just missed the ball. Orr's throw was offline, which is why, I suppose, he was given the E, as opposed to Dunn, who flat-out missed the catch. OUTCOME: Jorge Cantu moved first to third on the error, but he was stranded there one batter later when Cody Ross grounded into a force at second. No Harm.

What's Tim Foli Going To Do Now?

MASN's Nationals Sideline Reporter Debbi Taylor conducted an interview with DC GM Mike Rizzo in the fifth inning of today's game in which Mrs. Taylor and Mr. Rizzo quickly discussed John Lannan's performance, Ian Desmond's debut and the future of '09 Syracuse Chiefs' Manager Tim Foli...

Debbi Taylor: Mike, a nice turnaround for John Lannan, what are you seeing there?

Mike Rizzo: Well, I think he's commanding his fastball much better than the previous couple of starts, and when he gets ahead of hitters, he can be really tough on guys with the rest of his repertoire, and he's pounding the strike zone today.

Debbi Taylor: Ian Desmond making his first start at second base, what are your impressions of him over there so far?

Mike Rizzo: Well, he's a very live-bodied, rangy play, he's very athletic and he's got a good arm and good hands, and we feel that if need be he could make the transition to second base or stay at shortstop, but, you know, his major league debut's been uh, it's hard to find any faults in it so far...

Debbi Taylor: He's been spectacular, a couple of more hits today, but how difficult is it not to be tricked by good play in the month of September?

Mike Rizzo: Well, September, when you're in the position we're in, is, you know, usually the players are relaxed coming up here and it's a little bit different feel than you get through the long haul of the season, so, you know, we're optimistic, but we're cautiously optimistic, and we take everything with a grain of salt on the performance, good or bad, because often times it can fool you...

Debbi Taylor: Tim Foli is somebody that has been really helpful to a lot of the players, and I know this is the time of year that you make some changes within the organization, what are your plans for him next year?

Mike Rizzo: Well, Tim's been, he's been a vital part of the organization, he's one of the true great baseball minds in our organization, and he's made the transformation from Field Coordinator to Triple-A Manager to help us out in Triple-A this year, we feel that he may be best suited and most valuable as a field coordinator, coordinating all of the instruction of all the levels of the minor leagues, not just our Triple-A players.

GAME REPORT:

Washington Nationals At Florida Marlins. Game 143 Of 162.

Willie Harris walks to start the Sunday finale. Marlins’ starter Chris Volstad gives up single up the middle on the first pitch to Ian Desmond. Cristian Guzman grounds to second, Desmond avoids the tag and Dan Uggla throws high to first pulling Nick Johnson off the bag to load the bases. Adam Dunn up, and a wild pitch from Volstad brings Willie Harris in, 1-0 Nationals. Dunn walks to bring Elijah SSSUPER DUKESSS up. Dukes slices a fastball inside over first for a two-run single and a 3-0 DC lead. Justin Maxwell flies out to center on the first pitch he sees. Pinch Hittin’ Pete Orr walks to reload the bases for the "Blocker" Wil Nieves. Nieves grounds to short, Hanley Ramirez to Uggla to Nick Johnson at first, double play...Chris Coghlan grounds out to Ian Desmond at second for John Lannan’s first out. Nick Johnson hits a liner right into Adam Dunn’s oversized glove. Hanley Ramirez punches a single to center in front of Jorge Cantu. Ramirez swipes one on Lannan. Cantu scores Ramirez from second with a liner over Orr at third. 3-1 Washington. Pete Orr backhands a grounder from Uggla and throws wide of first, Dunn misses it. First and third. Cody Ross grounds to Guzman at short, to Desmond, like the sound of that, 3-1 after one.

Lannan leads off the second with a weak groundout to third. Willie Harris takes a one-out walk off of Volstad. Ian Desmond takes an 0-2 fastball for a called strike three. The Guzzz, Cristian Guzman flies to left on the first pitch from Volstad...John Lannan gets a groundout to short from Ronny Paulino. Cameron Maybin grounds toward short, Orr cuts it off and throws to first, in time. Lannan gets the opposing pitcher swinging.

Adam Dunn sends a leadoff single whistling back up the middle. Elijah Dukes chops one out to Uggla, to Ramirez, to Johnson, double play. Justin Maxwell takes a two-out walk from Chris Volstad, and Pete Orr makes’em pay, Orr scores Maxwell the easy way with a line drive HR to right center, 5-1 DC. Wil Nieves reaches on a grounder that Volstad can’t handle. Lannan stares an 0-2 bender all the way in...Chris Coghlan rips a grounder to second and Ian Desmond can’t make the play. Nick Johnson pops out to center on a 3-1 fastball inside. Hanley Ramirez gets blown away on a 2-2 fastball outside and low. Jorge Cantu grounds to Desmond at second, to Guzman.

Andrew Miller replaces Chris Volstad after the third, and walks the first batter he sees, Willie Harris. Harris is running on a sharp grounder to short by Ian Desmond, Hanley Ramirez throws it by first, first and third when Harris moves up. The Guzzzzz, Cristian Guzman singles in a run, slicing a liner through second. 6-1 Nationals. Andrew Miller throws a wild pitch to move Desmond to third. Adam Dunn tips a 3-2 pitch into Ronny Paulino’s glove. Dukes pops the first pitch he sees up to first. Justin Maxwell swings through a 3-2 fastball to end the top of the fourth...Dan Uggla grounds out to short to start the Marlins’ fourth. Cody Ross rips a line drive to left center, but has to stop at first. Ronny Paulino walks to put two on for Cameron Maybin. Lannan hits the outside corner with a 1-2 heater for a called strike three. Pinch hittter Gaby Sanchez grounds to short, Guzman throws to second for the force, and Desmond gets out number four with a throw to first.

Christhian Martinez gives up a leadoff double to Pete Orr, who gets a liner by Johnson at first and into the right field corner. Orr takes third on a pitch from Martinez that gets by the catcher. Wil Nieves ground sharply to short with Orr running home, Hanley Ramirez throws to first, 7-1 DC. John Lannan grounds to short. Willie Harris grounds out to first to end the Nationals’ fifth...Chris Coghlan pops out to Justin Maxwell in right center. Nick Johnson flies out to Elijah Dukes on the warning track in right. Cristian Guzman stabs a grounder from Hanley Ramirez, but throws late to first. Jorge Cantu lines to left where Willie Harris grabs it.

Florida lefty Dan Meyer gets Ian Desmond looking for a called strike three. Cristian Guzman rips a single through short...and it’s another Rain Delay...Kiko Calero’s on the mound when it’s over, Adam Dunn’s K’s swinging and Elijah Dukes flies out to Cody Ross in right to end the Nationals’ sixth...Tyler Clippard vs Dan Uggla. Uggla pops up over the mound, Desmond gets in to make the catch. Cody Ross swings through a 1-2 fastball. Ronny Paulino swings through a two-strike change to end the sixth.

Justin Maxwell takes an 0-2 fastball outside and high for a called strike three. Pinch Hittin’ Pete Orr flies out to Maybin. Wil Nieves chops out to third to end the top of the seventh...Cameron Maybin rips a ground ball through short to start the bottom of the frame. Ross Gload sends a flare out to short for Guzman to grab. Chris Coghlan flies out to Willie Harris in left. Nick Johnson flies out to right to end the seventh.

Mike Morse is up in the top o’ the eighth. Burke Badenhop throwing for Florida. Morse shoots a grounder to short that Hanley Ramirez handles. WIllie Harris sneaks a single through second. Ian Desmond grounds into a force at second, but beats out the DP throw to first. Cristian Guzman grounds sharply to short, Hanley Ramirez has no play at second and he bounces a throw to first that’s too late. Alberto Gonzalez ground out to short to end the frame...Jason Bergmann takes over on the mound against Hanley Ramirez. Ramirez drops a pop into short right. Jorge Cantu grounds to the hole at short, Desmond gets there, backhands, throws to second, Alberto Gonzalez to first, double play. Dan Uggla takes a two-out walk. Uggla takes second on a passed ball with Cody Ross at bat. Ross fouls off a few 3-2 pitches and finally singles to left to score Uggla. 7-2 DC. Ronny Paulino grounds out to second to end the eighth.

Elijah Dukes leads off the ninth. Dukes takes strike three on the outside edge. Justin Maxwell K’s swinging over a bender. Pete Orr K’s staring at a slider...Cameron Maybin vs Jason Bergmann in the ninth. Maybin singles to center. RAIN DELAY AGAIN!!!! And they never come back...Washington wins, 7-2 final.

Nationals now 50-93.