Taylor Made for Nats

April 13 @ Fenway Park
Jordan Zimmerman vs Rick Porcello

Washington wins 3-1
WP: Zimmerman (2-0)
LP: Porcello (0-2)
SV: Storen (4)

HR: Taylor (5)
MVP: Jordan Zimmerman (Win, 8.1 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 9 K)

Michael Taylor continued his hot start for the Nationals with a 3 run homer in the 5th of Porcello.  It was all the scoring Washington would get and all that they would need as Jordan Zimmerman held the Boston bats in check throughout.  Zimmerman took a shutout into the 9th, but a double by David Ortiz and an RBI single by Pablo Sandoval made it a 3-1 game and that was the end of the night for Zimmerman.  Drew Storen came in from the pen and hit Daniel Nava with a pitch to put bring the winning run to the plate with 1 out.  But he got Shane Victorino to ground into the 4-6-3 double play to end the game and save the win for Zimmerman.

 

April 14 @ Fenway Park
Stephen Strasburg vs Justin Masterson

Washington wins 5-3
WP : Strasburg (2-0)
LP: Masterson (0-2)
SV: Storen (5)

HR: Desmond (1)
MVP: Ian Desmond (1-3, 1 HR, 2 Rbi, 1 R, 1 BB)

Another strong start by a National starter as Strasburg goes 5.1 innings, allowing just 1 ER despite allowing 7 hits.  The Red Sox had a brief lead in the bottom of the 5th at 2-1 after scoring 2 off Strasburg thanks to some poor infield play by the Nationals.  But Washington came right back in the top of the 6th and put 3 on the board off starter Masterson.  The key hit in the inning being a 2 out 2 run homer by Ian Desmond.  Washington added an insurance run in the 7th to make it 5-2.  Boston would score a single run in the bottom of the 7th to close the gap to 2 runs.  Then they were able to load the bases off closer Drew Storen in the 9th with 2 outs but Storen settled down to get Pablo Sandoval on a fly ball to medium RF to end the game.

April 15 @ Fenway Park
Gio Gonzalez vs Wade Miley

Boston wins 9-6
WP: Miley (2-0)
LP: Gonzalez (0-2)

HR: Taylor (6), Haroper (3), Victorino (1)
MVP: Shane Victorino (3-4, 1 HR, 2 Rbi, 1 R)

The Red Sox needed a strong start from Wade Miley and he delivered by holding the Nationals to 3 hits and 2 runs over 7 strong innings.  The Sox bats finally put a few hits together and staked Miley to an early 4-0 lead after 2 innings thanks a Sac Fly by Allen Craig and RBI singles by Brock Holt and Mookie Betts.  Boston would extend the lead in the 6th with 4 more runs capped by a Shane Victorino 2 run shot off Gio Gonzalez.  Washington had no quit in them and pieced together a threat in the 9th.  With Robbie Ross JR staked to a 9-1 lead Boston felt little need to warm up the big guns in their bullpen for the 9th.  Four straight hits by Washington, highlighted by a Danny Espinosa 2 run double sent Koji Uehara and Alexei Ogando scrambling to warm up.  After a Ross wild pitch and a Michael Taylor ground out made the score 9-6, Ogando was summoned.  After a ground out for out number 2 of the inning, Ian Desmond smacked a double off the green monster.  With Uehara warmed and ready to go, Ogando was left in the game to face Jayson Werth.  It looked like a bad decision, as Werth drilled a ball to the triangle in center field, but Mookie Betts was up to the challenge and ran it down 407 feet from home plate to end the game.
--submitted by Peter Daly--