Staying with Nana in Denver for a summer trip when my Nats came to town. Long back and forth game, with the Nats coming back from down 7 runs, then Harper hits a solo HR to tie the game at 10-10 in the top of the ninth. Nats lose in bottom of the 11th. Remember walking with Nana down the steps from the upper deck at Coors Field and just yelling in frustration. Was almost an amazing comeback game, but wasted in the end.

Went to both the April 13th and 14th Reds-Nats game. Dad grew up a Reds fan and we were Reds fans before the Nats moved to DC and then we moved back from overseas, so we tried to make it to Nats Park when the Reds came to town. Confusing fandom though, as we often cheered for the Reds even though we were also Nats fans. Bronson Arroyo pitched against Jordan Zimmermann. Zimmermann pitched 7 innings and gave up 1 ER. Arroyo did even better, pitching a shutout 7.1 innings. Both only gave up 3 H. Arroyo even got an RBI on a sac fly in the 5th. Xavier Nady tied the game with a HR in the bottom of the 8th. In the bottom of the 13th Jayson Werth walked it off against Sean Marshall with a single to center, scoring Espinosa with the bases loaded.

I know I was at this game because I have a ticket stub for the Friday, April 13th game against the Reds, BUT photos from the 14th with the Nats in their home red jerseys (they wore their home white jerseys on the 13th). I believe dad and I went to both games (common for us as we were both Reds AND Nats fans from before the Nats came back to DC). Sat in RF (one of my least favorite spots in Nats Park because it’s under the scoreboard, but I likely wanted to sit behind Jay Bruce, my favorite Reds player). Edwin Jackson pitched against Homer Bailey. Edwin pitched a 1 R, 2 H complete game. Nats scores on a Jesus Flores RBI single in the 2nd, an Adam LaRoche 2 RBI double in the 3rd that scored Espinosa and Zimmerman, and a J-Dub (Jayson Werth) RBI double in the 7th.

Opening Day

Jason Bergmann starts for the Nats against Ben Sheets for the Brew Crew. Cristian Guzman hits a solo HR in the 1st, Jesus Flores hits a RBI double in the 2nd, and Dmitri Young hits a solo HR in the bottom of the 8th to tie it up, but it is not enough. Prince Fielder has 2H and an RBI (sac fly). Gabe Kapler (future manager for the gross Phillies) has a RBI single in the 11th that decides the game. I found this nice season ticket holder ticket on the ground at the ballpark.

Gio Gonzalez v Tyson Ross (bro of Joe Ross). Gio gives up 5 Rs (4 ERs) in 4.1 IP, including 2 HRs by Justin Upton. In the bottom of the 7th Rendon walks with the bases loaded to bring in a run (walked by future Nat Shawn Kelley who got DFA'ed by WSH a year later after throwing a fit on the mound). Harper then hits a 2 RBI single. Ryan Zimmerman has 2 RBIs with 0 hits (ground out and sac fly). Ticket price is “Charity” (I believe tickets were free from a canned food drive earlier in the season).

Rainout of a Friday night game turned this into the first game of a Saturday doubleheader. Billy Traber pitches for the Nats against Miguel Batista for the D-Backs. Nats down 1-6 headed into the bottom of the 8th. Ryan Church hits a 3 run HR in the 8th, and then Alfonso Soriano hits a 2 run HR in the bottom of the 9th to tie it. Ryan Zimmerman works a bases loaded walk in the bottom of the 11th to walk it off. Chad Cordero gets the W. I remember leaving little league practice early to go to the game.

Gio Gonzalez gives up 3 ER in 4.1 IP. Steve Lombardozzi and Bryce Harper start off the bottom of the 1st with back-to-back HRs. Don't score another run after those first two batters. :(