Ryan Zimmerman Puts End To Long, Wet Night as Phils Lose On Walkoff Salami

It was a bizarre couple of hours at Nationals Park on Friday night. The game between the Phillies and Nats started as scheduled at 7:06 p.m., but it was just five short minutes later, at 7:11 p.m., after Livan Hernandez recorded two outs in the top of the first inning that the umpires stopped the game as wild gusts of wind and rain tore through the ballpark. The tarp quickly went on the field and we proceeded to sit around for well over two hours wondering if we'd see any more baseball on the evening.

Some time around 9:00 p.m. the tarp was pulled off the field, with the water that was on top of it creating a giant pond in shallow right field where there is a drainage system set up to get rid of the rain water as quickly as possible. The grounds crew seemed convinced that the small pond would be cleared in no time, but Charlie Manuel didn't seem as sure.

Kendrick Delivers In a Pinch

Manuel wasn't real thrilled with the lengthy delay which forced him not to use his scheduled starting pitcher, Roy Oswalt. Instead of Lil Roy coming out to pitch when the game finally restarted shortly after 9:30 p.m., Manuel was forced to instead go with Saturday's scheduled starter Kyle Kendrick.

The starter-turned-reliever-turned-starter-turned-reliever-turned… oh, you get the point; the versatile Kendrick filled in admirably in the unusual circumstance, finishing his evening after six solid innings of work having allowed 2 runs on only five hits.

With the Phils pen set up for Lidge, Bastardo, and Madson to finish this one out, you'd have thought Kendrick's effort would have been enough.

Damaging Third

As far as run support for KK, it was a rough third inning by Livan Hernandez that proved to be all the Phils would need -- at least that's what we thought before that pesky bottom of the ninth inning.

Jimmy Rollins started things off with a one-out double and scored easily when John Mayberry smacked a triple to left that appeared to be misplayed a bit by Jonny Gomes. Chase Utley followed that up with a double of his own. Ryan Howard and Hunter Pence then strung together a pair of singles. Things were not looking good for Livan, but he did force Raul Ibanez to ground into the second out before allowing yet another single to Chooch.

Then, in perhaps the only real mistake from the Phillies in the inning, Wilson Valdez hit yet another single to Jayson Werth in right and Juan Samuel thought it'd be a good idea to put Ibanez speed from second base up against Werth's arm. Raul was nailed at home and the singles party was over. Really didn't look like a good decision by Sammy, especially since they were simply killing Livan that inning.

The Phils finished with a four spot on the inning, but it could have been more.

Almost Always Reliable Pen, Not So Much Tonight

After Kendrick's strong six innings of work, Manuel turned to Lidge, Bastardo, and Madson for the seventh, eighth, and ninth innings respectively. Lidge and Bastardo performed their roles fantastically, but Madson was not his typical lights out self. In fact, he was not good at all tonight.

Mad Dog let up three straight singles to start the inning which cut the lead to 4-3 before a sac-bunt put men second and third with one out. The Phils elected to intentionally put Jesus Flores on to load the bases and set up a double play ball, but the Nats weren't down for that, sadly.

Ian Desmond hit a bloop single to right to tie the game to collective sighs all around. Madson got Rick Ankiel down on strikes for the second out, but Ryan Zimmerman didn't want to play any longer and instead of taking his ball and going home, he simply bashed a game-ending grand slam into the seats in left.

You know, sometimes the other team just hits walkoff grand slams. What the heck.

Nats win 8-4.

[box score]

Wet And Dry

The two hour and half-ish hour rain delay also forced beer vendors to cut of sale of alcohol well before the usual seventh inning stretch. Vendors were heard from the press box shouting "last call!" as early as the top of the fifth inning or roughly 10:45 pm.

What We Learned

The only thing I learned for certain from today's game is that the Ben's Chili Bowl Half Smoke, when ordered "All In," is a sandwich that is 100% impossible to eat in an orderly fashion. How one attempts to eat said delectable while seated in a ball park seat, sans any sort of table, without wearing chili and/or cheese/mustard/onions is beyond me. The sandwich is mess on a roll. But tasty.

Back at it tomorrow night. Roy Oswalt is set to start that one now. Hopefully the rain stays away. And the bullpen reverts to near-perfect form.

US Presswire Photos