7/18/07 Chad Cordero Uses His Fastball To Announce His Presence With Authority or Hey Astros...Get Out Of DC!!!

XM 183 for the rubber match between the Washington Nationals and the visiting Houston Astros. Jason Bergmann vs Jason Jennings ...Scoreless first half for Bergmann...two straight two out walks from Jennings to Ryan Zimmerman and Dmitri Young ...Ryan Church doubles to right, Zimmerman crosses as Church begins to find his mode, 1-0 Nationals...AK lines a double down the third base line, two runs score, 3-0 Nationals ...Mike Lamb leads off the Astros second with a solo shot on a 1-1 fastball from Bergmann, 3-1 Nationals...RBI double for Ronnie Belliard makes it 4-1 Nationals in the second, scoring Jesus Flores from second after today's Nationals catcher had singled ...Home Run to right for Luke Scott to start the fifth, 4-2 Nationals...DY and AK walk, and Ryan Langerhans comes up with two on and one out in the fifth and Langerhans takes Jennings deeeeeeep to right and GONE! 3-run blast, 7-2 Nationals ...Bergmann lasts 6.0 IP, 2 runs, six hits, Ray King is on in relief in the seventh, after Bergmann allows back to back singles to start the frame...King gives up a double to Eric Munson, one run scores, 7-3... Saul Rivera replaces King, Craig Biggio hits a sac fly to left, Luke Scott tags and scores, 7-4...Rivera gets Hunter Pence swinging at the high heat...Lance Berkman hits a two-out double to score Munson, 7-5, El Caballo Carlos Lee hits a grounder to third, Zimmerman fields and throws wide of first, pulling DY off the bag, one runs scores, and Berkman tries to steal a run heading home, DY throws to Flores, play at the plate, "YERRRR OUT!!! Berkman's nailed...7-6 Nationals after seven... The Tallest Pitcher in MLB History, Jon Rauch is on to hold the one-run lead, scoreless eigth from Rauch. Rauch Rules...Wait for it... Chad Cordero is on in the ninth, home whites, red Nationals cap with white cursive "W" stitched above a brim as flat as One-Time Presumptive Republican Presidential Nominee John McCain's Campaign account...Cordero vs Munson, Zimmerman robs Munson of extra bases, but the throw to first is off, Munson's safe. Eric Bruntlett on to run for the catcher, pinch hitter Orlando Palmeiro can't get down a bunt, and grounds to second instead, Belliard to Felipe Lopez covering the bag to Robert Fick at first, double play. Chris Burke hits a hard grounder at Zimmerman, and Zimm takes it off the wrist, and the throw is off again, Burke moves to second on the throwing error, Pence up again, wild pitch moves Burke to third, Pence hits a line drive...Felipe Lopez stabs it. Game over. 1,2,3 Nationals win. 7-6 final.

Nationals now 39-55.