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Nats' magic number: 19

September 1, 2014 [LINK / comment]

August 2014: Oh, what a month!

The Washington Nationals amassed 19 victories and only 10 losses (.655) in August, their best month since last September, when they were 18-9 (.667). They could have done even better, had they not lost four of the last six games. Overall, you have to give more credit to the pitching side, as the Nats averaged only 4.7 runs during the month, and in fact seven of their victories during the wild ten-game winning streak were by a single run margin. Just think how they would do if Ryan Zimmerman were back in the lineup! Ryan is starting to do limited running and batting exercises, but his return is probably at least a week or two away.

Of course, the Washington Nationals page has been updated.

Home run derby in Seattle

In Seattle on Friday night, the Washington Nationals unleashed a veritable barrage of six home runs, including two by Wilson Ramos, beating the Mariners, 8-3. The home team ace, Felix Hernandez, has a whole section of devoted fans who wear yellow T-shirts and hold up "K" (strikeout) signs, but the the crowd was silenced as he gave up a career-high four home runs, and only got one strikeout. He is still considered a leading candidate for the AL Cy Young award. It reminds me of when the Nationals got so many runs against the Reds' ace Johnny Cueto back in May. The last time they managed six home runs was in September 5, 2012, and the time before that was one night earlier -- yes, six home runs two nights in a row! The scores in those two games were (respectively) 11-5 and 9-1. One more way in which this year is looking more and more like the Nats' superb 2012 divisional championship. (Don't remind me about the NLDS.)

On Saturday, Jayson Werth got an early home run that gave a margin of safety to pitcher Stephen Strasburg, who went 7 2/3 innings, and got the win. Nats 3, Mariners 1. Nothin' fancy, just a solid victory against a solid oppositing team.

On Sunday, the Nats took an early lead again, with two home runs by Bryce Harper and one by Nate Schierholtz, the latest addition to the team's roster. All three were solo shots. But Tanner Roark allowed two batters to reach base and gave up a home run that gave the lead to the Mariners. They won the game 5-3, thus avoiding being swept at home.

So, for the three games in Seattle, the Nats racked up ten home runs altogether. Unfortunately, most of them were solo shots. But at least that display of offensive power helped them put that dreadful series in Philadelphia behind them. Regaining momentum will help a lot as they take on the NL West-leading Dodgers tonight. It could be a preview of a series in October...

UPDATE: The Nationals took the first game of the series in Los Angeles, beating the Dodgers 6-4, with four more home runs, two of which were hit by Denard Span. He has been a very good at the plate this year, leading the team in batting average, but he is not what most people would consider a slugger.

Poultry output forecast*

September means the beginning of football season, but more importantly, it's the climax of the divisional races in baseball. The Nationals now enjoy a 6 1/2-game lead over the Braves, pending the outcome of tonight's game in L.A. against the Dodgers. The MLB standings page at ESPN gives the Nationals a 99.4% probability of making it to the playoffs, second only to the L.A. Angels. I noticed that the coolstandings.com Web site has not been updated since the 2013 season. (And I thought my Web site had been lagging behind!) So even though things are looking great for the Nats right now, I'm not taking anything for granted.

With that in mind, each blog post this month will show the Nationals' magic number, just like I did in September 2012. The magic number is the combined number of leading team (in this case, Washington) wins and challenging team (in this case, Atlanta) losses needed to clinch a given title. The Nats have 27 more games to play, and the Braves have 24 more games to play. The Nats' magic number was 21 this morning, but today in Atlanta, the Phillies pitched a four-pitcher combined no-hitter (!), beating the Braves, 7-0. Cole Hamels had already reached a pitch count of 108, and the hot weather was getting to him, apparently. So now Nats' magic number is down to 20 [make that 19, after beating the Dodgers tonight]!

* As in, "Don't count your chickens before they hatch!" smile

Angel Stadium update

Speaking of the "LAnaheim" Angels, they have bulldozed their way to the top of the AL West, soundly thrashing the Oakland A's last week. And with the prospects of another postseason in Anaheim in mind, I finished revisions on the Anaheim Stadium Angel (Anaheim) Stadium diagrams, which now show the altered distance markers that were put up this year, to more accurately reflect the distance at the precise spot where the markers are placed. (Note that I am shifting to current stadium names as a general rule.) I mentioned [that issue] in June, and the fact that the bullpens were too small. I increased my estimate (by about five feet) of the size of the upper deck, which has 24 rows of seats plus a lateral aisle. Meanwhile, the lower deck is slightly smaller than I thought, only 33 rows. Also, as usual, I needed to depict the profile more accurately, including the entry portals for the first time.

Cubs sweep the Orioles

Did I mention that already? Well, I figured it was unusual enough to bring up a second time, and possibly a third time. smile This weekend, they got off to a good start against the Cardinals, taking the first two games of a four-game series, but the Cards bounced back and earned a series tie.


September 1, 2014 [LINK / comment]

Late summer / early fall birding

I went up to Shenandoah Mountain on Saturday, curious as to whether the neotropical migrant birds have begun their southward sojourn. Indeed, some have, as I saw and photographed a Cape May Warbler, as well as other warbler and vireo species that may be local breeders, rather than migrants. (Cape May Warblers only breed in Canada and a few northerly states.) The photo montage below shows most of what I observed during my brief outing. Individually, none of the photos was really that good, so I just put them in a bunch. Also seen: Black-and-White Warbler and Red-eyed Vireo.

Bird montage 30 Aug 2014

Clockwise from top left: Red-breasted Nuthatch, Dark-eyed Junco (imm.), Blackburnian Warbler, Orchard Oriole, Black-throated Green Warbler, Chipping Sparrow, and Cape May Warbler..

Shenandoah Mountain is a high-elevation habitat in which some "winter" birds (such as Juncos) breed. The place I visited is just south of the Confederate Breastworks. I have previously seen Scarlet Tanagers there.

Migrating shorebirds

For shorebirds, migration season starts a month or so earlier than for most songbirds and raptors. I was hoping to fill in the many gaps in terms of photographs and my life bird list. These are a few of the nicer recent sightings:

Western Sandpiper

Western Sandpiper, at Leonard's Pond in Rockingham County, on August 12.

White Ibises

White Ibises (immature), at Day's Inn on Bell's Lane, on August 17.

GreatEgret

Great Egret, at Smith's Pond in Swoope, on August 22.

In addition, there was a Glossy Ibis near that Great Egret in Smith's Pond, but my photos weren't good at all. I had a much better view of a Glossy Ibis in Rockingham County in August 2006.


Nats' magic number: 16

September 5, 2014 [LINK / comment]

Nationals outlast the Dodgers

What an amazing ballgame that was in Los Angeles on Wednesday! The Washington Nationals went toe-to-toe against the L.A. Dodgers in another fierce pitchers' duel, and neither team scored until the seventh inning. Just like the day before (see next paragraph), the Dodgers eventually took the lead, with a two-run homer that just cleared the center field fence. Jordan Zimmermann was taken out of the game, in spite of a masterful performance. The Nats had a chance in the eighth inning, but the would-be rally fell flat. Then in the top of the ninth, Ian Desmond, who had failed to get a hit during the game, reached base on a throwing error by the shortstop. Up to the plate came Adam LaRoche, as a pinch hitter. His back has been ailing him this week, but the Nats needed his power. And sure enough, he belted that ball on top of the left field fence for a game-tying home run! And then to take the lead. But then the Dodgers came right back to tie it in the bottom of the ninth. In the twelvth inning, the Nats scored twice on a two-run single by -- Adam LaRoche again! With a 5-3 lead, they were virtually assured of a win. Tyler Clippard took the mound to close the game, and was within one strike of doing so, when -- guess what? Carl Crawford hit a two-run homer that tied the game 5-5. Poor Tyler cringed and kneeled in disbelieving agony. How could he let that happen? So the game went two more innings, and all of a sudden the Nats staged a real rally. Ian Desmond reached base on an error, Bryce Harper walked on a wild pitch that sent Desmond to third. Adam LaRoche then hit a ground ball out that got Desmond across the plate to retake the lead, again. To top it off, Asdrubal Cabrera then hit a two-run homer to give the Nats a three-run lead. This time the closing pitcher (Blake Treinen) did his job, and that is how the Nationals came out on top, 8-5. Believe it or not!!! smile

That was the sixth extra-inning victory in a row for the Nationals. The Nats finished the road trip with a 4-5 record, not bad when you consider they lost the first three games, in Philadelphia. Their record is now 79-59, seven games ahead of the Braves, with the magic number down to 17. I can almost taste October baseball!

The Tuesday night game was an epic struggle between Clayton Kershaw (this year's presumptive NL Cy Young winner) and the newest (and best?) starter in the Nats' rotation Doug Fister, and Kershaw came out on top. The decisive moment was when Matt Kemp hit a two-run homer in the fifth inning. The Dodgers scored two more in the sixth inning, a very safe cushion for Kershaw. Bryce Harper hit a home run to put the Nats on the scoreboard, but that was it. Dodgers 4, Nats 1. Harper was the first left-handed batter to hit a homer off Kershaw this year.

My plan was to mark this momentous encounter by revising the Dodger Stadium diagrams (which are badly out of date), but...

Angel Stadium: take two

Angel Stadium

OOPS! I noticed a few small discrepancies, and before you know it, I had to make a number of significant changes to the Angel Stadium diagrams. [Oops again: corrected link!] The biggest change since my "false start" diagram update on Monday was that the roof extends about ten feet forward, completely covering the entry portals in the upper deck, neatly aligning with the rear of the lateral aisles. How did I determine that? By very closely inspecting the shadows in the detailed panoramic photo of (then-) Anaheim Stadium taken by Jim Dow, and published as a calendar for 2003. So, I decided I had to create a new diagram showing the uncovered upper deck seats, with the entry portals. Also, I added the luxury suites behind home plate that were added in the 1998 renovations. You can get a rough idea of the changes by rolling your mouse over that thumbnail, to see what it was like for the first three days of September. Sorry about that.

Belated hat tip to Marc Gilbert for the information about the changed distance markers at Angel Stadium.

I'll get caught up with other baseball news, etc. tomorrow.

Magic number calculation

Here's a handy tip from MLB.com:

To calculate a team's magic number, take the number of games it has remaining and add one. Then subtract the difference in the number of losses between that team and its closest pursuer.

Nats' magic number: 14

September 8, 2014 [LINK / comment]

Nats finally beat the Phillies

After a devastating loss on Friday night and a woeful underperformance on Saturday afternoon, the Washington Nationals at last managed to defeat the visiting Philadelphia Phillies, by a slim margin of 3-2. The last-place Phillies had beaten the Nationals in the five preceding games, and another loss would have been a big psychological blow for the Nats, just as their main rivals the Atlanta Braves are coming to town.

In the Friday game, everything was going just fine for most of the game, as the Nats were cruising on the momentum boost they got from the triumphant victory in Los Angeles on Wednesday evening. Sparked by another Adam LaRoche home run in the first inning, they had a 5-0 after five innings, but the Phillies slowly narrowed the gap as the innings progressed. Stephen Strasburg was taken out after six innings, because of a finger blister, but the Nats were still ahead 7-2 after seven innings. In the eighth, the Phillies took advantage of a Nats error and a walk, scoring two runs on a double by Chase Utley and a single by Ryan Howard. Well, it was still a three-run lead going into the top of the ninth, enough of a cushion even for the often-shaky Nats closer Rafael Soriano. Or maybe not. Domonic Brown quickly singled and Carlos Ruiz homered to make it a 7-6 ballgame, and fans in Nationals Park got nervous all of a sudden. The next two batters were out, and with the Phillies down to their final strike, it appeared all would end well. Except that Ben Revere hit a home run into the right field seats to the left of the bullpen, tying the game. Yep, Soriano did it again, blowing another easy save opportunity. The game went into extra innings, and in the top of the 11th, Bryce Harper collided with Denard Span chasing a fly ball, an error that allowed Domonic Brown to reach second base. After reaching third on a sac bunt, Brown scored on a throwing error by Tyler Moore, playing at first base, and the batter reached second. A single by Ben Revere got another run across, so the Phillies had a 9-7 lead. Un-believable. In spite of the horrific turn of events, the Nats did not go quietly, however, staging a rally in the bottom of the 11th. Tyler Moore hit an RBI single, and the Nats had runners on first and second with just one out. But Ian Desmond struck out and Bryce Harper flew out swinging at the first pitch, and that is how the nightmarish game ended. Phillies 9, Nationals 8. Definitely NOT a game to remember. frown

On Saturday, the Nats were once again stymied by Phillies pitcher A.J. Burnett, and even though they had more hits (7 vs. 6), they fell short in the runs department, 3-1. Tanner Roark pitched OK, but the team seemed shell-shocked from what had transpired the night before. It goes to show how one critical blunder can thrown an entire team off kilter, taking the momentum away.

But on Sunday, the Nats managed to come back, thanks to two more home runs by Adam LaRoche. He won the final game in L.A. almost single-handedly, with five RBIs even though he entered the game in the ninth inning. Scott Hairston hit the go-ahead RBI on a sac fly in the sixth inning, coming within a few feet of hit a home run over the left field fence. Gio Gonzalez got credit for the win, but his record is still only 8-9.

Meanwhile, the Atlanta Braves lost to the Marlins, so the Nationals regained a seven-game lead in the NL East, cutting their magic number to 14 with less than three weeks to go. The Nats still have the highest winning percentage in the National League, and the only real question is whether they will maintain that advantage through the end of the regular season. But with Rafael Soriano on the mound anything is possible, and manager Matt Williams said he is reevaluating the relief pitching duties, giving Soriano a few days off to work on his slider, which apparently is not sliding much. I had some unkind things to say about Soriano on Facebook, furious at what had happened on Friday. I doubt very much that he'll be back with the team next year, so it's going to be a delicate juggling act as the Nats search for a way to share closer duties for the rest of this month -- and into October! Drew Storen looked good yesterday, so maybe he is ready to resume being the closer. I wish they didn't make such a big deal about one pitcher serving as "the" closing pitcher. Tyler Clippard and Aaron Barrett can probably share those duties with Drew, depending on the workload and the situation.

Are you ready for some football?

Apparently the Washington Redskins are not ready; they lost to the Houston Texans yesterday, 17-6. Like it or not, the advent of September heralds the arrival of football season.

As of this 2014 season, the San Francisco 49ers have left Candlestick Park, and the Minnesota Vikings have left the Metrodome, which was demolished in February. That leaves just "o.co" (Oakland) Coliseum, Angels Stadium, and Jack Murphy (QualComm) Stadium, as (current or former) baseball stadiums in which pro football is still being played. See the updated Football use page.

While I was at it, I completed the statistical tables for nearly all of the 1960s- and 1970s-era dual use stadiums, calculating the estimated fair and foul territory, as well as number of rows of seats in the main decks. That page is still "under construction," pending further review, but the whole thing ought to be done in the next month or so.

Football at a racetrack?!

I was intrigued by the news that the Virginia Tech Hokies and the Tennessee Volunteers are going to play a football game at Bristol Motor Speedway on September 10, 2016. With a seating capacity of almost 160,000, they could easily set a new collegiate attendance record. See Yahoo Sports (hat tip to Matt Ereth).


Nats' magic number: 9

September 11, 2014 [LINK / comment]

Nats widen lead over Braves

The Washington Nationals took two of three games from the Atlanta Braves at home in D.C. this week, thereby widening their lead in the NL East Division to eight games and cutting their "magic number" to just ten. It was a big relief to get past one of their arch-nemeses, pretty much eliminating the Braves' hopes of contending for the divisional title this year. On Monday, Doug Fister pitched a masterful seven innings, in a pitchers' duel with Mike Minor, exiting the game with a 1-0 lead. The Nats' bullpen did their job, and Washington won by a score of 2-1. Now Fister has a 13-6 record.

On Tuesday, the Nats jumped to a 4-0 lead in the first inning, as batter after batter got hits. They cooled off after that, but Jordan Zimmermann prevented the Braves from closing the gap. He left after six innings, having given up four runs, two of which were earned. Final score: Nats 6, Braves 4.

Wednesday's game was scoreless for the first four innings, as Stephen Strasburg pitched well, but gave up three runs in six innings. The Braves got three more runs in the eighth inning, so even though Bryce Harper hit a dramatic (solo) home run in the bottom of the ninth inning, the Nats still lost, 6-2.

Then tonight in New York, the Nats beat the Mets 6-2, thereby shrinking their "magic number" to just nine. For a while, it looked like a rout, with the Nats getting a 6-0 lead before the Mets started clawing their way back. Adam LaRoche homered in the first inning, and Anthony Rendon followed suit in the third inning. Things got dicey in the seventh and eighth innings, when the Mets loaded the bases with just one out. The relief pitchers got into a couple jams, as the bases were loaded with only one out in both the eighth and ninth innings, but they got out of it both times. Tanner Roark got his 13th win of the season, pulling even with [Doug Fister] Cabrera.

Next week the Nats travel to Atlanta, where they will play three games against the Braves in Turner Field.

Ryan Zimmerman has started hitting balls in batting practice, and even knocked a few of them into the outfield seats. (NOTE: On September 1, I erred in suggesting that Zimmerman's return was expected in the next week or two. If he returns to active duty soon, it would greatly boost the Nats' postseason prospects.

On this date two yers ago, the Nats had an 88-54 record, with a 7.5-game lead over the Braves and a magic number of 13.

Braves Field

Braves Field update

Last year Bruce Orser sent me information on the exact structural dimensions of Braves Field, so I made the diagrams slightly bigger for the sake of accuracy. The field itself is the essentially same as before, but the entry portals in the pavilions have been moved, and a few tiny details have been corrected as well. While I was at it, I added a "roofless" diagram version, showing where the entry portals and (obstructing) roof support columns were located. That diagram shows the restrooms that were situated at both ends of the concourse at the rear of the grandstand, but the one on the third base side was evidently a few feet lower, as the space constraint imposed by the property line on that side reduced the number of seat rows from about 55 to about 50.

Weirdest Nats' names

I was watching one of the "Nationals' Classics" baseball games on MASN recently, reminding me of other present and former Nats players with weird names. I went back and checked the (partial) rosters for each year since 2005 on the Washington Nationals annual (history) page. Here's the list I came up with, in reverse chronological order:


Nats' magic number: 8

September 12, 2014 [LINK / comment]

Divisional races start to heat up

With a little more than two weeks left to go in the 2014 regular season, three of the divisional races (NL-C, NL-W, AL-C) are very close, while the other three (NL-E, AL-E, AL-W) are pretty much wrapped up.

Until late July, it appeared very likely that there might be another Bay Area World Series, between the San Francisco Giants and the Oakland A's, just like in 1989. But now it's the Los Angeles teams that dominate their respective leagues, or their divisions at least. We could have the first-ever Los Angeles-only World Series next month, or the first-ever Baltimore-Washington World Series.

NL East: not much drama

In the National League East, the Washington Nationals are still 8.5 games ahead of the Braves, even though they lost 4-3 to the Mets tonight. (Thanks go out to the Texas Rangers, who beat the Braves, 2-1.) Anthony Rendon hit a solo homer and went 3 for 5, but his teammates grounded into double plays three times, killing potential rallies. Gio Gonazalez gave up a three-run double in the bottom of the first inning, and even though he composed himself and went another five innings, he still got charged with the loss. (He's 8-10 this year.) Jayson Werth was out of the lineup tonight with those "flu-like symptoms." I sure hope it's not that dreaded enterovirus that has afflicted so many people in the Midwest.

I'll admit I'm a bit worried about Bryce Harper. He's getting semi-regular hits and occasional homers, but is still not performing like he ought to, and you can tell he is getting very frustrated with himself. In yesterday's Washington Post, there was a big photo of him angrily yelling after hitting a fly ball out. He really needs to keep his composure.

On a brighter note, the Nationals pitchers have the best team ERA in the National League (3.11), just behind the Mariners (3.01), who are the best in the majors. The Nats' starting rotation is solid as can be, and their relievers are very reliable for the most part. The question of who (if anyone) will be the regular closing pitcher during the postseason is the only problem.

NL Central: back & forth

In the NL Central Division, the first-place St. Louis Cardinals lost three straight games (until winning tonight), while the Pittsburgh Pirates have surged ahead of the woebegone Milwaukee Brewers and are now just 2.5 games behind the Cardinals. I get the sense that many people were surprised that the Brewers were doing so well earlier this season, almost expecting them to fall back eventually. The Brewers lost 13 out of 14 games from August 26 through September 9, a disastrous reversal of fortune. But in Miller Park tonight they got a much-needed jolt of energy when pinch-hitter Lyle Overbay hit a game-winning RBI in the bottom of the ninth inning, beating the Reds, 3-2. That makes three wins in a row, so maybe there's still hope.

NL West: long, hard grind

In the NL West, the Giants continue to keep pace with the Dodgers, who surged into first place toward the end of July. The Giants won three straight games against the Diamondbacks, putting them just two games behind the Dodgers. Their rookie infielder Joe Panik, who briefly caused panic in Washington with his slugging prowess last month, was voted "Mr. Energy of the Month." (See MLB.com.) He is considered a future team leader. After losing two out of three to the visiting Nationals last week, L.A. won five out of six games. The Giants and Dodgers are playing a high-stakes series in San Francisco this weekend.

AL East: Orioles fly high

The big news in the American League is the Baltimore Orioles, who have won six in a row after beating the visiting New York Yankees in a double-header today. Their magic number is now five. In the afternoon game, neither team scored for the first ten innings, and then the Yankees' Chris Young hit a solo homer in the top of the eleventh. But the Orioles loaded the bases in the bottom of the inning, and with two outs, Jimmy Paredes hit a two-run double to win the game in dramatic walk-off fashion. This came one day after the Yankees came back from a 4-0 deficit against the visiting Tampa Bay Rays, getting two runs in the eighth and three runs in the ninth, thus winning 5-4.

The Orioles got a rude shock when they learned that first baseman Chris Davis received a 25-game suspension after testing positive for the prescription drug Adderall. (Perhaps he was flying too high.) That means he can't play for the rest of the regular season, and will miss at least the divisional series in October, depending on how far the Orioles go. See MLB.com.

AL Central: Tigers-Royals

The Kansas City Royals withstood a fierce challenge from the Detroit Tigers in this week's series in Motown, winning the final game on Wednesday to avoid being swept, thereby remaining in first place. But the Royals lost the first two games of a four-game series against the Red Sox yesterday and today, while the Tigers beat the visiting Cleveland Indians. That puts Detroit in sole possession of first place in the AL Central for the first time in two weeks, with a half game lead. But don't think that the traditional powerhouse in the AL Central has got the inside track to another division title. The Royals have proven themselves worthy competitors, and they've got plenty of support from the community. (Perhaps the Royals will benefit from the lackluster performance of the Kansas City Chiefs, attracting football fans from next door in Arrowhead Stadium over to Kaufmann Stadium.)

Kansas City Royals newspapers

These newspapers posted at the Kansas City airport show how strong fan support is for the Royals. (Courtesy of Dan Clem.)

AL West: Angels astound

The L.A. (Anaheim) Angels are simply awesome this year, and with a winning percentage of .623 (91-53), it's hard to see how anyone except perhaps the Orioles can beat them. The Angels' magic number is now seven. Their big-salary roster of sluggers (Pujols, Trout, Kendrick, Aybar, Hamilton*) is well known, but their pitchers are less prominent, from what I can tell. *Josh Hamilton has been out with a sore shoulder since September 4, and in spite of cortisone shots he isn't making a very fast recovery. As for the Oakland A's, it's a mystery what befell them after doing so well for the first four months. All they can realistically hope for now is to get home field advantage for the wild card play-in game. Meanwhile, with a best-in-the-majors pitching staff, the Seattle Mariners are just a half game behind the Kansas City Royals for the second AL wild card spot. Many possible outcomes still remain...

Stadium chronology fixup

The Stadium chronology, annual page has been updated to include the impending demolition of Candlestick Park and possible demolition of the Astrodome next year. It also lists the expected 2015 groundbreaking on the new Atlanta Braves stadium, yet to be named. In addition, that page now shows the years lights were installed in the "Classical" (Early 20th Century) and "Early Modern" (1920s & 1930s) baseball stadiums. Previously, the only place where that information was compiled was on the Stadiums by class page, soon to be updated.

More on Braves Field

After taking a close look at some old photos of Braves Field (found on baseball-fever.com), I made some significant discoveries. In particular, in 1937 there were distance markers of 407 feet and 404 feet to the left and right (respectively) of the corner in right-center field. Also, home plate was only about 45 feet from the backstop, rather than about 60 feet as it was for most of its lifetime. Those clues allowed me to reconcile the reported distances of 368 (left field) and 376 (right field), which had seemed implausible to me. It also explains why such a big chunk was taken out of the pavilion near the right field corner that year: All of that space was in fair territory until 1940, when an inner fence was added. And so, I added a 1937 version diagram to the Braves Field page. Fortunately, I didn't have to make any noticeable changes to the other diagrams, as was the case with Angel Stadium recently. ("Take two!")

Oops, I did it again

Thanks to Zach LaFleur for pointing out (via the stadium impressions feedback feature) that I had a broken link on the Busch Stadium II page, after doing a big batch of stadium page data table updates earlier this month. That's because I have been working on an upper-deck version diagram for that stadium, but it's not yet ready for publication. [That page is] fixed now. I do depend on fans to bring such mistakes to my attention, which reminds me that I need to streamline the feedback mechanism. Plus I need to reformat the pages to more suitably display on mobile devices, etc., etc., etc. Sigh...


September 12, 2014 [LINK / comment]

More migrating birds arrive

Thus far in September, I haven't seen any large numbers of migrating birds, although I did have some success on the Blue Ridge Parkway on Wednesday. It was a foggy morning, with very little bird activity until later in the morning, when I finally came across a nice "fallout" of neotropical migrants south of Ravens Roost overlook. I saw a Chestnut-sided Warbler, Magnolia Warbler, Black-and-white Warbler, Black-throated Green Warbler, Pine Warbler (probable), Common Yellowthroats, Red-eyed Vireo, Scarlet Tanager, and Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, as well as the Ovenbird pictured below. I only got a few good photos, unfortunately. Darned warblers are just too fast! smile

Ovenbird, on the Blue Ridge Parkway, September 10.

Later in the day, I noticed some small birds flitting about the tree branches in the back yard, and quickly identified them as American Redstarts. Nice!

Yesterday (Thursday) I stopped at the Rockfish Gap Hawk Watch, and saw an Osprey, two Bald Eagles, a Broad-winged Hawk, and a Sharp-shinned Hawk. I plan to be there for the annual open house this Sunday, hoping to see a massive "kettle" of Broad-wings! It's been a long time since I've seen that amazing natural phenomenon.


Nats' magic number: 2

September 15, 2014 [LINK / comment]

Nats on the verge of clinching

After taking three of four games from the New York Mets over the weekend, and then beating the (second-place) Braves in Atlanta tonight, the Washington Nationals are now just one game from clinching the National League Eastern Division title. With their magic number down to just two, all they need is to win either the Tuesday game or the Wednesday game.

It's quite a contrast from two years ago, when the Nats first won the NL East. The Braves were much better then, and even though the Nats had already secured a postseason berth by September 20, they didn't clinch the divisional title until October 1, with two games yet to play. The Nats ended the 2012 season at 98-64, the best record in the majors, and the Braves were only four games behind them!

In tonight's game, beset with steady drizzle, the Nats got on the board first with another home run (solo) by Wilson Ramos, and scraped together three more runs in subsequent innings. Stephen Strasburg pitched superbly, going seven innings without allowing a run. Unlike past outings in Atlanta, he kept his cool when the pressure was on. He even got an RBI single! But in the bottom of the ninth inning, Matt Williams gave the ball to Rafael Soriano, figuring that a four-run lead was safe enough to entrust to the shaky-at-best former closer. And sure enough, Soriano gave up two doubles and a walk before Williams yanked him, and then Drew Storen struggled to limit the damage, giving up just one more run. A great play by Ian Desmond at shortstop to get the final out may have kept the score from being tied. Final score: 4-2. Whew!

Nats clobber the Mets

Perhaps furious at the way the Mets closing pitcher Jose Mejia taunted them after getting the final out on Friday night, the Nats roared back with a 10-3 win on Saturday. Bryce Harper and Denard Span homered, while the red-hot Anthony Rendon went four for five at the plate. Ian Desmond stole his 20th base of the season, thus becoming the fourth shortstop in Major League history to hit 20 homers and steal 20 bases at least three times; the others were Hanley Ramirez, Jimmy Rollins and Alex Rodriguez. Quite an elite grouping! Desmond has been in a slump lately, but he has done more than his share throughout the season, a big reason why the Nationals keep winning. Doug Fister got his 14th win, once again leading the team. (Tanner Roark has 13 wins.) See MLB.com. That win, plus the loss by the Braves earlier that day, raised the Nats' lead to 8.5 games, cutting their magic number to six.

On Sunday, Jordan Zimmermann outdueled the Mets' Jon Niese, with neither team scoring for the first six innings. In the top of the seventh, Ian Desmond hustled for an infield single, and then Wilson Ramos crushed a ball into the bullpens in right field, showing amazing opposite-field strength. In the top of the ninth, Ian Desmond led off with a double, but only made it to third base after two outs. Danny Espinosa walked, and then in one of the weirdest plays I've seen in a while, he attempted to steal second ... but not really. He actually could have made it to second, but he paused before he got there, trying to draw a throw from the catcher and hope that Desmond would run home before Espinosa was tagged. And what do you know? It worked! A nice insurance run to make the final score 3-0. With another loss by Atlanta, the Nationals' lead rose to 9.5 games, more than at any time during the 2012 season, while their magic number dropped to just four.

Rangers sweep the Braves

The Texas Rangers, currently in last place in the AL Central, did their part to help the franchise's former home city (Washington, D.C.) get to the playoffs this weekend. They swept the Atlanta Braves in three games. Not many people saw that coming.

Dodgers clobber Giants

After Friday night's game, in which the Giants beat the Dodgers 9-0, some people may have questioned my statement about L.A. teams "dominating" the Bay-area teams. (In fact, someone did!) But on Saturday, the Dodgers came right back with four runs in both the first and second innings, and ended up beating the Giants by a score of 17-0. Pitcher Zack Greinke not only won his 15th game of the year, he had two hits, one of which was a two-run homer. Altogether the Dodgers racked up 24 hits, while the Giants managed just five. The Dodgers also prevailed in the rubber match on Sunday, by the relatively normal score of 4-2.

Statistical table updates

I have continued with the work of updating the statistical tables on the stadium pages, taking care of Canadian ballparks, and miscellaneous ballparks such as Seals Stadium. After verifying my results with an alternate estimation method, I realized that I had to recalculate fair territory in all stadiums, because of slight flaw in my estimation methods. So, pending further updates over the next week or so, most of the stadium statistical tables currently understate fair territory by about 800 square feet. (For most stadiums, that's less than one percent.) After that work is done, I'll post a virtually complete (and corrected!) Stadium statistics page. Then I'll have a lot more to say about fair and foul territory!


Nats' magic number: 0

September 17, 2014 [LINK / comment]

Washington, Baltimore clinch division titles

Boy, that sure felt good! The Washington Nationals became the first team in the majors to clinch a division last night, beating the Braves in Atlanta by a score of 3-0. The game was scoreless until the sixth inning, when Jayson Werth drew a walk and then Ian Desmond crushed a home run to the entry portal near the left field foul pole. Boom! That gave Tanner Roark a nice cushion, and he finished seven full innings without giving up a run. Desmond doubled in the ninth inning, reached third on a hard ground ball hit by Bryce Harper, and then scored on a wild pitch. Tyler Clippard and Drew Storen both had 1-2-3 innings as relief pitchers, and the Nationals jubilantly mobbed each other after the last out was made.

Unfortunately, I was unable to watch the game live, as I was lecturing for a night class. I got to share at least a little excitement, nevertheless, as I happened to be watching the MLB.com online scoreboard during a break when Ian Desmond hit that home run. Likewise, I was checking the scores just when the Nats made the third out in the bottom of the ninth inning. Yes!!! So today, I watched the rebroadcast on MASN, the game as well as "MASN Dan" Kolko's half-hour of interviews with the champagne- and beer-soaked Nationals players. I guess a little wretched excess is OK once in a while, as long as the cleaning bill for the visiting team locker room is not too high. But as manager Matt Williams told his team, they "have promises to keep ... and miles to go before [they] sleep." That was a nice reference to poet Robert Frost, an uplifting way to keep the focus on the ultimate prize next month.

Just 10 or 20 minutes after the Nats-Braves game ended, the Baltimore Orioles emerged victorious in their game against the Blue Jays, by a score of 8-2, thereby clinching the American League East championship for the first time since 1997. The heroes of that game were two guys I never heard of: Steve Pearce hit a three-run homer in the first inning, and Alejandro Da Aza hit a three-run triple in the seventh inning. It was quite a coincidence that such clinching victories took place almost simultaneously for baseball teams in neighboring cities!

So now the prospect of a Washington vs. Baltimore World Series becomes very plausible. Wouldn't that be something!

Sun Trust Field groundbreaking

This is almost too weird to believe, but from everything I have read, it seems to be true. In suburburban Cobb County yesterday, the Atlanta Braves held a "groundbreaking" ceremony for their future home, which is to be called "Sun Trust Field." I didn't see any golden shovels or actual dirt in the video, but it is still considered legitimate. The design reminds me a little of Minnesota's Target Field, but details are still sketchy. The actual construction is set to begin early next year, and will presumably be completed in time for the 2017 season. This will put an end to the hiatus in baseball stadium construction that began after Marlins Park opened in 2012. How bizarre that after 20 brief years, Turner Field will end up in "limbo" sooner than either Oakland Coliseum or Tropicana Field! See MLB.com.


September 23, 2014 [LINK / comment]

Final week of the regular season

Most teams have just seven games left to play this year, as summer officially comes to a close. Five teams are already making plans for October, while another eight teams are vying for the five remaining playoff berths. Some of those teams have very little realistic hope of making it, however. You can see the most likely pairings for the wild card and divisional series on the Postseason scores page -- mere projections, subject to change, of course.

Nationals sweep the Marlins

After pausing one day to give the starting players a rest after clinching the divisional title in Atlanta last week, the Washington Nationals got back to business in a four-game series in Miami. In the game on Thursday, the Marlins took a 1-0 lead as Gio Gonzalez looked a little shaky on the mound, but he kept getting out of jams. Then in the fourth inning, the Nats exploded with a five-run rally led by the lower half of their batting order. The Nats held on to win, 6-2, as Gonzalez raised his win-loss record to 9-10.

On Friday, Adam LaRoche put the Nats on the board in the first inning with a blast to the upper deck in right field. Miami rookie Justin Bour hit one even farther in the fourth inning, but that was the last run scored in the game, and the Nats won, 3-2. Doug Fister got win #15 of the year, and Drew Storen got the save.

The best news for Nats fans was the return of Ryan Zimmerman to the lineup on Saturday, after two months on the disabled list. In his very first at-bat, he swung at the first pitch and got a single to right field. In the seventh, he hit an RBI triple that began a three-run rally by which the Nats came back and won the game, 3-2. (Yes, the same score as Friday.) Jordan Zimmermann (no relation, of course) got his 13th win of the year, and Drew Storen got his ninth save.

One bright spot for the Nats is that Stephen Strasburg is finally pitching like the top-notch ace he is supposed to be. In the final game of the series in Miami, he went seven innings without giving up a run, and got his his 13th win of the year as well. Unfortunately, Rafael Soriano was entrusted with responsibility for closing the game, even though the Nats only had a 2-0 lead. Matt Williams is really giving him a lot of second chances. Sure enough, the first batter he faced doubled to left field, nearly getting a home run. The next three batters all made solid contact that could easily have tied the game, but fortune smiled on the visiting team, and all three were outs. Nats 2, Marlins 1. Whew! And that's how Washington swept Miami, keeping itself in good position to maintain the best record in the National League, which would give them home field advantage.

October baseball in L.A.

Both the Angels and the Dodgers secured postseason berths last week, as did the Cardinals, but the latter two teams (NL) are still fending off challenges for the divisional titles from (respectively) the Giants and the Pirates. The Giants are hoping to get revenge on the Dodgers as the two rivals begin a climactic series in L.A. this week. It's an extra-inning nail-biter right now, 2-2 in the 11th. Stay tuned...

[UPDATE: The Giants staged a three-run rally in the top of the 13th and won the game, 5-2, thereby narrowing the gap behind the Dodgers to 3.5 games. It's a lot to overcome with so little time left, but at least they still have a chance to repeat as division champs.]

AL Central showdown

Playing at home in Kansas City last week, the Royals had an excellent opportunity to retake first place from the Detroit Tigers. But all they could manage was one win out of three, so the Tigers widened their lead to 1.5 games.


[ Fenway Park fixup ]

[ Thanks (again) to Zach LaFleur for pointing out a broken link on the Fenway Park page, a first-deck diagram which is still a "work in progress." Actually, all of those diagrams need to be corrected slightly, as far as the length of the grandstand in the right field corner and the position of the gap between that portion of grandstand and the bleachers. ]


September 26, 2014 [LINK / comment]

Derek Jeter bids farewell to New York

I was lucky to be watching last night's Orioles-Yankees game on MASN (just after the Nationals had beaten the Mets) at exactly the right moment in the bottom of the ninth inning. It was a tense situation, since the Yankees' closer David Robertson had just blown a save opportunity, giving up two home runs to turn a 5-2 lead into a 5-5 tie. (Reminds me of Rafael Soriano!) Anyway, Jose Pirela singled and then reached second on a sacrifice bunt. That's when Derek Jeter stepped up to the plate, and just like it was scripted in Hollywood, in his final career at-bat in (New) Yankee Stadium, he hit a game-winning RBI single to right field. And the crowd went wild! It almost sent shivers down my spine to see this emotional farewell to New York City. Earlier Jeter had issued a message to his fans, giving them credit for raising their expectations of him, thus motivating him to do his very best for the team. Is that class, or what? Wow!

Speaking of luck, my friend Brian Vangor was actually at the game, and he took some memorable photos:

Yankees mob Derek Jeter

The Yankees mobbed Derek Jeter after he hit a walk-off single, to win the game, 6-5. Photo courtesy of Brian Vangor.

Derek Jeter waves goodbye

Derek Jeter waves goodbye to the crowd after the game. Photo courtesy of Brian Vangor; for more photos, see smugmug.com.

On September 7, the Yankees held a special "Derek Jeter Day," with special guests such as Joe Torre, Dave Winfield, Paul O'Neill, Hideki Matsui, Andy Pettitte, and Mariano Rivera. I believe, but am not certain, that they officially retired Jeter's #2 that day, consigning that number to the Yankees Hall of Fame. And likewise, Brian Vangor was there to record the event:

Yankees at Derek Jeter farewell

Derek Jeter is honored by former team mates and other retired Yankees at the pre-game ceremony on Derek Jeter Day, on September 7. Photo courtesy of Brian Vangor; for more photos from that day, see smugmug.com.

Re2pect!

I was hoping to see "The Captain" in a game at (New) Yankee Stadium this summer, and as a backup plan I planned to see one of the Yankees games in Baltimore earlier this month. But that didn't work out either. So, I had to content my self with the memory of having seen him play in New York in July 2004, in Baltimore in August 2006, and in Kansas City in August 2011, when I sat just a few rows behind the Yankees' dugout and had a great closeup view.

Nats seek home field advantage

After getting rained out on Wednesday night, the Nationals played a double-header with the Mets yesterday. Starting pitcher Blake Treinen was taken out during the top of the fifth inning, when the Mets scored three runs, but the Nats came back to tie it in the bottom of that inning, taking him off the hook. But Tyler Clippard gave up two runs in the top of the eighth inning, and was charged with the loss in a 7-4 final score.

In the evening, Gio Gonzalez pitched one of his best games ever, allowing just two hits over seven innings, while striking out 12 batters, a new career high for him. The Nats loaded the bases with nobody out in the fourth inning, and managed to score three runs -- none of which resulted from a hit! Final score: 3-0. Hey, a win's a win.

That means the Nationals are now 93-65, two and a half games ahead of the L.A. Dodgers in the race for the best regular season record in the National League. They're 16.5 games ahead of the Braves, who have fallen four games below .500; who would have expected that? The Nats will have an opportunity today to clinch home field advantage through the first (and possibly second) rounds of the playoffs next month.

Hockey at Nationals Park

Earier this month the NHL announced that the upcoming "Winter Classic" outdoor hockey match will be held at Nationals Park. The Washington Capitals will host the Chicago Black Hawks. The alternative of RFK Stadium was considered, and frankly that would make more sense as far as providing the best sight lines for the biggest number of fans. It depends on the anticipated attendance, and how many luxury suite tickets can be sold. That means I'll have to get to work on a hockey version diagram of Nationals Park, once the position of the hockey rink is decided upon...

And speaking of Nationals Park, that's where I'll be for the better part of this weekend! Natitude!


September 26, 2014 [LINK / comment]

For a few warblers more

It's been a little slow birding-wise this month, but I did come across a nice bunch of neotropical migrants at Spruce Creek Park near the Rockfish Valley trail last week. Unfortunately, the Chestnut-sided Warblers were too far away for a good photograph. On Monday, I saw a Black-throated Blue Warbler at Montgomery Hall Park in Staunton, and I saw that same species the very next day on the Blackwater Creek Trail in Lynchburg, managing to get a decent photo. (Stay tuned.) I also saw a Cape May Warbler there, as well as in our back yard earlier on Monday.

Cape May Warbler

Cape May Warbler (probably female or juvenile), in Staunton, September 22.

Warblers montage Sept. 2014

Clockwise from top left: Cape May Warbler, Magnolia Warbler, Chestnut-sided Warbler, and Black-throated Green Warbler, on the Blue Ridge Parkway, September 10. All are females or juvenile males.

I have also spent some time up at the Rockfish Gap Hawk Watch this month, and have seen a number of Broad-winged Hawks, Bald Eagles, Ospreys, and other raptors.


September 29, 2014 [LINK / comment]

(Almost) Perfect weekend in Washington!

I was determined to make up for not seeing as many Nationals games in Washington as I had hoped this year, and boy, did I! Not only was the weekend weather almost perfect, starting pitcher Jordan Zimmermann indeed came very close to getting a perfect game in the regular season finale yesterday, settling for a "mere" no-hitter. He also came very close to giving up a double in the top of the ninth inning, putting the Nats' lead in jeopardy, but thanks to rookie Steven Souza Jr., who had just replaced Ryan Zimmerman in left field, the ball was caught and the game was won. Yes!!!

Nationals montage 28 Sep. 2014.

I had a seat in the right field second deck, where home runs by Bryce Harper and Adam LaRoche often land. Alas, not that day. The Nats stocking caps being given away to early fans seemed out of place on such a warm day, with just a few wispy clouds. Even though outcome of the Sunday game itself was meaningless, since the Nats had already clinched home field advantage on Friday, it really did matter from a psychological standpoint. In sports, as in politics, it's all about the "Big Mo" -- momentum! And so, the game was a nine-inning war of nerves, with manager Matt Williams making multiple changes in the lineup. He has to be considered a top contender for National League Manager of the Year.

Jordan Zimmermann

Jordan Zimmermann, warming up before the game. Did he have any idea what was in store?

The first Marlins batter, Christian Yelich, put some early pressure on Zimmermann, fouling off several pitches and then hitting a line drive to the [right] field corner. Fortunately, Bryce Harper got over there quickly and snagged the ball for an out. Zimmermann's pitch count reached 17 by the third out, and given the low stakes, most people figured he might not last more than five innings.

In the second inning, Ian Desmond hit a solo home run that turned out to be the only run scored in the game. Bryce Harper then doubled on a ground ball to center field, dashing to the base just before the throw. That had us fans thinking we were in store for one of those high-scoring games full of rallies. The next two batters struck out, however, and not much happened offensively after that.

Ian Desmond home run

Ian Desmond hits a homer into the left field bullpen.

In the third inning, Denard Span hit a double into the right field corner, thereby setting a new team record for number of hits in a season: 184. He was rewarded for his efforts by being taken out of the game, and was replaced in the lineup by Nate Schierholtz. The Nats outfielders changed almost every inning for the rest of the game.

In the fourth inning, Adam LaRoche and Bryce Harper singled, but then Wilson Ramos grounded into a double play for the third out.

In the top of the fifth inning, three Marlins batters hit the ball hard, and all three lined out to infielders. Zimmermann gave up a walk (his only one of the day), to Justin Bour, thus spoiling any hopes of a perfect game, but that was it. He knew, and we fans knew, that something special was going on...

Jordan Zimmermann

Jordan Zimmermann maintained his composure after giving up a walk in the fifth inning.

The Nationals kept getting hits, and they kept wasting run-scoring opportunities. Kevin Frandsen grounded into a double play in the bottom of the fifth, and in fact, the Nats got two hits but no runs [in the] fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh innings. The Nats had eleven hits altogether, but the ten that came after Desmond's home run did not yield any runs.

The next challenge came in the seventh inning, when Garrett Jones made it to first after striking out on a wild pitch. But that came to nothing because catcher Wilson Ramos threw him out on a pick-off almost right away, and that ended the inning.

In the eighth inning, Reed Johnson flew out to left fielder (!) Ryan Zimmerman, who stayed in the game longer than any of the starters other than the pitcher and catcher. Justin Bour was out on a pop foul caught by Kevin Frandsen at third base, and J.T. Realmuto struck out. That got the crowd really excited about history in the making, but with just a one-run lead it was a very nervous excitement.

Nationals Park RF 2nd deck

Nearly all of the 35,085 fans in Nationals Park were standing and cheering loudly after the second out in the ninth inning.

In the ninth inning, Adeiny Hechavarria grounded out to second, and then Jarrod Saltalamacchia came in to pinch hit for Henderson Alvarez. His slugging reputation put some fans on edge, and indeed, he connected on a pitch and sent the ball far into center field (where I couldn't see it), but Michael Taylor caught it for the second out. Whew!

All that led up to one of the most dramatic plays in Nationals history. Zimmermann faced Christian Yelich, who had given him such a hard time in the first inning, and fell behind in the count. Then he put a pitch over the plate that [Yelich] knocked into the left field gap, and Zimmermann cringed in futile agony, sure that his big opportunity had been ruined. But Steven Souza, who had just been put in to replace Ryan Zimmerman, quickly darted out toward the bullpen and with a flying lunge worthy of Superman himself, he grabbed that ball before it hit the ground. And I took a picture of it!!!

Steven Souza catch 9-28-2014

Steven Souza dives to catch the ball hit by Christian Yelich, thus ending the game and saving the no-hitter. Michael Taylor looks on in evident astonishment.

And of course, the crowd went wild, the team poured onto the field in exultant, joyous celebration for what Zimmermann had accomplished, with the ritual Gatorade shower, shaving cream pie in the face, etc., etc. What a way to end a regular season! That had to be one of the most spectacular and crucial defensive plays made in Nationals history, and Souza may just have earned himself a spot on the postseason roster. (During the playoffs, they go back to 25 men rather than the expanded 40-man roster used in September.)

Nationals mob Jordan Zimmermann

The Nationals mobbed Jordan Zimmermann (#27), celebrating his no-hitter. Steven Souza, #21, is in front.

Ironically, Marlins starter Henderson Alvarez threw a no-hitter on the last day of the regular season last year! For more on this triumphant finale in D.C., see the Washington Post, and for the "official version" of the day's events, see MLB.com.

Johnny Holliday and Ray Knight

Johnny Holliday and Ray Knight doing the Nats Xtra postgame show from the MASN booth behind the left field stands.

While I was watching the Nats Xtra postgame show replayed on MASN this morning, I heard Johnny Holliday say that was the first no-hitter he had ever seen in person. Wow. I have seen close to 50 Major League games in my lifetime, whereas he must have seen several hundred, so I must be pretty lucky in that regard.

Earlier in the weekend...

Thanks largely to another superb outing by starting pitcher Doug Fister, the Nationals won the first game of the series against the Marlins on Friday afternoon, while I was driving up to D.C. Anthony Rendon hit a two-run home run in the first inning, and the two runs scored later on merely provided a safety cushion. The 4-0 victory by the Nats clinched the best record in the National League, meaning that the Nats will enjoy home field advantage in the NLDS and (hopefully) the NLCS as well.

I made sure to arrive on time for the Friday night game, since they were giving team posters to the first 20,000 fans. After Fister's triumph that afternoon, it was easy to write off the night game as pointless, since hardly any regulars even played. But the Nats were actually very competitive and took a 3-1 lead in the first inning, and stayed ahead until the fifth inning. Rookie pitcher Taylor Hill got two outs, but then just lost control of the situation. He hit Casey McGehee with a pitch, gave up two hits, and then intentionally walked Justin Bour to load the bases. That was a big mistake, as J.T. Realmuto lined a ball into the left field corner for a three-run triple. Instead of a 4-2 Nats lead, the visitors were suddenly ahead 7-4. The Marlins extended their lead to 10-7 in the seventh inning, and in the top of the ninth, they got a grand slam off veteran reliever Craig Stammen. (I think it was the first grand slam I had ever seen.) That was disturbing. Final score: 15-7, more runs than any team had scored against the Nats this year. (That was not the worst defeat suffered by the Nationals this year, however; on April 15, Tax Day, the Marlins beat the Nats 11-2.)

Steven Souza

Steven Souza, Jr. gets high-fives from Ian Desmond and other team mates after hitting a home run in the third inning. He would get even bigger congratulations two days later!

In the Saturday afternoon game, which I saw with my old friend Dave Givens, Stephen Strasburg was totally in control, giving up just two hits in six innings, with seven strikeouts. That put him at 242 K's for the season, tied with the Reds' Johnny Cueto for the National League lead, and three ahead of the awesome Clayton Kershaw. A well-placed bunt by Strasburg in the second inning allowed Bryce Harper to score from third. But that was the only scoring until the eighth inning, when the Nats loaded the bases, and Asdrubal Cabrera hit a clutch double to right-center field, getting all three base runners home. Cabrera soon scored to make it 5-0, and that would have been the final score except for fielding errors by both Ryan Zimmerman and Anthony Rendon in the top of the ninth. Fortunately, closing pitcher Drew Storen kept his cool, and got the third out. Nats 5, Marlins 1.

Stephen Strasburg

Stephen Strasburg prepares to strike out Christian Yelich to end the top of the third inning.

Wrapping it up

And so, the Nationals finish the 2014 regular season with a 96-66 record (.593), 30 games over .500, and 17 games ahead of the second-place Atlanta Braves. That's the biggest first-vs.-second place margin since 2008. The Washington Nationals page has been updated with the data for 2014, subject to possible revision later on. I'll have the team-by-team head-to-head records, the daily winning percentage graph, and selected player stats compiled within the next few days.

And on a personal level, I'm pleased that the Nats won 4 of the 5 games I saw this year, much better than their 0-4 record in games I attended last year. I also saw two other games, in Phoenix and in Kansas City, making a total of seven (7) MLB games this year, a personal best! Here's an updated version of last year's table, now including three Nats' games I've seen on the road:

Nats' games I've seen
Year Wins Losses
2005 2 2
2006 1 1
2007 1 1
2008 1 1
2009 2 0
2010 2 2
2011 2 1
2012 3 1
2013 0 4
2014 4 1
TOTAL 18 14

Underlined numbers include one away game (each), three total.

Divisional races decided

Thanks to the Cincinnati Reds, who beat the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates 4-1, the St. Louis Cardinals claimed the NL Central Division title for the second year in a row. The Pirates will host the San Francisco Giants in the NL wild card game on Wednesday night.

The Detroit Tigers won the AL Central Division by beating the Minnesota Twins 3-0. The Tigers were already ahead by one game, so it didn't matter that the Kansas City Royals won their game as well. K.C. will host the Oakland Athletics in Tuesday's wild card game, after the A's limped across the finish line, blanking the Rangers, 4-0. The Seattle Mariners finished the season one game out of the playoffs.

The Nationals will host either the Pirates or the Giants in Game 1 of the NLDS on Friday in Nationals Park, time yet to be announced. The Dodgers will host the Cardinals in the other NLDS, and on the American League side, the Angels will host either the Royals or the Athletics, and the Orioles will host the Tigers. See the Postseason scores page, which now shows the first-round matchups.

Historic milestones

It was exactly ten years ago today that Mayor Anthony Williams announced that Major League Baseball would be coming to Washington, D.C. in the spring of 2005. "Oh, Happy Day!" (The linked blog post was taken from text that I wrote and posted before I began blogging in a systematic way, in November 2004, hence the "post facto" date stamp of 28 Sep 2005.)

Sunday was Ryan Zimmerman's 30th birthday, and ironically they didn't give him the day off!

Jeter's encore in Boston

Not content with his amazing walk-off RBI finale in New York, Derek Jeter went out with a bang in Boston as well. He hit a high bouncing ball that the third baseman couldn't reach, allowing the runner on third to score. And then he was taken out of the game, finishing his superlative 20-year career on a successful note.

And here's a parallel from Facebook friend Doug Mataconis: "Mickey Mantle and Derek Jeter both played their last game on the same date and in the same park. Mantle in 1968 and Jeter today." He's referring to Fenway Park, of course.

[NOTE: Corrections were made, denoted by brackets, about 24 hours later.]


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