The Nats needed a stopper to end the 2 game skid, and Tanner Roark answered the call. Roark threw 6 scoreless innings and had one frame where every ball found a hole. The bullpen was perfect and Jonathan Papelbon got his 17th save in 19 attempts. Shawn Kelley struck out both batters he faced for a Hold, and the Nats head to New York for a 4 game set to finish baseball’s official first half of the season!
Here is the steal of home by the Brewers. Not good execution by Lobaton as that was a set play by the Brewers where the trail runner draws a throw and stops and the runner from 3rd immediately breaks for home if the catcher throws down to 2nd base. Lobaton had to know that discretion in that situation to pump fake the throw down to 2nd was the smarter play and you hope to get the runner off 3rd base. That steal of home tied the game in the 3rd inning at 4-4.
Bryce Harper and Ryan Zimmerman were the stars of the game combining for 2 HRs and 5 RBIs which was enough to win this game 7-4. All the Nats position players that started the game had a hit except Daniel Murphy. The team combined for 10 hits and 2 walks and 1 HBP.
The Nats are indeed taking an Amtrak charter up to New York, and the cargo will be heavier as players take travel gear for a few days off for the All Star break, and for Bryce Harper, Daniel Murphy, Wilson Ramos, and Stephen Strasburg, those players will need extra gear for the All-Star game.
Here is a photo of your 2016 Washington Nationals All-Stars:
