Washington Nationals Title Quest - Qdiddy's Blog

Qdiddy's Blog

Washington Nationals Title Quest

Posted on May 4, 2014 at 10:49 PM.

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The Washington Nationals began their 2014 quest for a World Series Championship today with an opening day game in New York against the their division rivals the Mets. The young phenom Stephen Strasburg was on the mound for the Nationals as he was matched up against the Mets own star pitcher Matt Harvey. The two pitchers dueled to a stand still for 6 strong innings each only giving up 2 hits and no runs apiece. Then in the top of the 7th Inning the tide changed as Wilson Ramos led the inning off with a single up the middle, Strasburg bunted him over to second on a sacrafice, followed by a sharp single by Denard Span, Ramos was unable to score leaving runners at first and third one out and Ryan Zimmerman stepping to the plate. Zimmerman had been hit less up to this point going 0 for 3 with a ground out and two flyouts. He would not be phased by either the dominant performance of Harvey up to this point, his lack of early production or the pressure of this late opening day game scenerio. The first pitch was away and off the plate, taken for a ball. The second pitch would never have the chance to be called a ball or a strike as it landed 413 feet into the left center field seats, and with that hit the Nationals went up 3-0 in the 7th inning. Strasburg would come out and start the 8th giving up a sharp single to Curtis Granderson, the manager had seen enough at that point and taken him out completing his opening day performance, in cam Tyler Clippard the very capable set up man for the Nats who would easily retire the next three batters by striking out one and forcing fly outs by the other two. Strasburg would finish with a good start to the very young season going 7IP 3H 0BB 6SO 0ER. Soriano came in for the 9th inning forcing a 1-2-3 finish to the Nationals 3-0 shutout of the rival Mets to get the season and quest for a first World Series title under way on a positive note.