7/22/07 Is This The End For The Flat-Brimmed Closer? Can Chad Cordero Fight The Forces That Conspire To Trade Him? Can His Razor-Sharp Brim Be Used As A Weapon?

Yesterday’s game was FOX'd out as the Washington/Colorado matchup was originally scheduled for a national broadcast and thus with it’s 3:55 pm was start unavailable on MLB.tv. As usual the Nationals win when DC Daily doesn’t watch. This time it’s a 3-0 shutout win to guarantee a split of this four game series with the Rockies. Mike Bacsik gets the win to improve to (W, 3-6), and Luis Ayala, Saul Rivera and the Flat-Brimmed Closer Chad Cordero combine on the shutout. Felipe Lopez homers, and pinch-hitter Tony Batista drives in two runs for the win.

Nationals now 41-56.

   Sunday afternoon, the Nationals are wearing their day game reds, with Tim Redding on the hill, as the Nationals look to take three of four from the visiting Rockies. The Nationals have a “Sunday” lineup behind Redding, D’Angelo Jimenez starting at and batting second, Tony Batista at first, Robert Fick in left, and Jesus Flores catching. No coincidence I’m sure that all three have been hot this week, including today’s center fielder Ryan Langerhans whose start is not as rare. Colorado starter Josh Fogg matches Redding’s scoreless first.
   No score in the bottom of the third as Redding lays down a sac bunt to advance Jesus Flores, who had singled, into scoring position for Felipe Lopez. Lopez drops a teardrop into center moving Flores to third. D’Angelo Jimenez with the RBI chance, grounds the first pitch from Fogg into an inning ending double play. Three scoreless for both starters.
   Matt Holliday finds some unoccupied real estate in short right, and places a single in-between the Nationals fielders. Holliday steals second with Todd Helton at bat, just beating out Jesus Flores’ throw. Helton flies out and Redding gets Garrett Atkins to do the same. Holliday stranded. Four scoreless for Redding.
   THE KIDS CALL HIM ZIM!!! THE KIDS CALL HIM ZIM!!! Leadoff double in the bottom of the fourth. Zimmerman likes the day game heroics. Austin Kearns lines right back at Fogg and into his glove. Tony Batista is quickly down 0-2, but eventually works a walk. Robert Fick comes up with two on, one out. Fick pops one straight up on the first pitch. Ryan Langerhans up next. Fogg walks Langerhans to load the bases. Jesus Flores grounds to third, and Garrett Atkins takes the force there. No score through four.
   Brad Hawpe and Troy Tulowitzki find the gap in right for back to back singles in the fifth. Yorvit Torrealba lines a fastball to left, Fick guesses wrong and has to take it on a hop, Hawpe wasn’t running, so Fick throws in for a force at third. Fogg lays down a successful sac bunt to advance both runners. Willy Taveras grounds one off Redding’s heel, but it doesn’t get far and Redding scoops it underhand to Batista at first to end the top of the fifth.
   Garrett Atkins doubles passed a sprinting Robert Fick in left center to start the top of the seventh. Passed ball with Brad Hawpe moves Atkins to third. Redding’s showing signs of fatigue. 3-0 pitch to Brad Hawpe, but Hawpe swings and pops out to short left. Troy Tulowtizki grounds sharply to short, Felipe Lopez fields and feints towards third holding the runner, then Lopez fires to first in time to get Tulowitzki. Yorvit Torrealba takes a 3-1 pitch for a two-out walk. Fogg is lifted for pinch hitter Ryan Spilborghs. Manny Acta, Nationals Manager, brings on the recently recalled Chris Booker to end the threat. Three straight balls from Booker before he finds the zone, forkball for strike two, strike three swinging at a lazy curve over the heart of the plate. Six and a half scoreless. Stand up and stretch...
   LaTroy Hawkins issues Robert Fick a leadoff walk in the Nationals seventh. Nook “The Adjective” Logan will run for Fick. Logan's running as Ryan Langerhans pops a two-strike bunt straight up, the pitcher Hawkins catches it and throws to first for a double play. Flores goes down looking. No score through seven.
   The Tallest Pitcher in MLB History, Jon Rauch is out for the eigth. Taveras grounds out, Kaz Matsui swings through the heater. Matt Holliday works a walk. Todd Helton singles through second, Holliday to third. Garrett Atkins grounds to second for the third out. Jorge Julio’s on for the Rockies. Ronnie Belliard pinch hits to start the bottom of the eigth. Belliard hits an 0-2 fastball through second for a leadoff single. Felipe Lopez goes down 0-2 trying to bunt, and then grounds into a double play. D’Angelo Jimenez singles through second. Ryan Zimmerman is up next. Passed ball gets by Torrealba, allowing Jimenez to move to second. Zimmerman gets the intentionals. AK takes a low inside fastball....CRACK!!!...DEEEEEP TO LEFT AND GONE!!! AK goes yard, into the rim of seats just below the upper deck, and the Nationals take a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the eigth. Wait for it...
   Chad Cordero enters the game in the ninth. Cordero wears the day game red jersey and cap with the white interlocking DC logo stitched above a brim as flat as Nationals fans’ hearts will sink if the team trades the Flat-Brimmed Closer this week. Cordero to face Hawpe, Tulowitzki and Torrealba. Scouts league-wide are checking in. (Walk a few, Cordero!) Cordero walks Hawpe. Tulowitzki grounds to Lopez at short, to Jimenez covering for one, but Batista can’t handle the throw from Jimenez, so Tulowitzki’s safe at first. Torrealba finds the gap in right, a diving Nook Logan can’t come up with it. Torrealba’s safe at second Tulowitzki to third. Pinch hitter Jeff Baker stares at strike three at the knees. Willy Taveras watches Cordero paint the corner for two strikes, and Cordero gets Taveras to pop out foul of first for the final out. 1,2,3 Nationals win. Back to back shutouts. Three of four from the Rockies. The Nationals win. Final score 3-0.