What A Difference A Few Years Can Make, Some Brief Washington Vs. Boston History

Last weekend’s 3-game sweep of the Boston Red Sox is the first time a National League club has swept the Beantown nine since June 2002, when the Arizona Diamondbacks did the deed (June 6-8). It also marks the first time the Nationals have won a series against Boston since the franchise moved to D.C.

As fans enjoy the three victories at Fenway Park, all saved courtesy of closer Tyler Clippard and featuring big plays by rookie sensation Bryce Harper, perhaps a look back at the starting line-ups the Nationals used in their 2006 and 2009 series against Boston will display how far this club has come. After you read these, go back and watch the highlights of this weekend’s series, maybe with a cold beer in hand. It will help you feel better again.

It is astounding how poor some of these were in those tough days that now seem long, long ago.

June 11, 2006 (Boston 6 Washington 2)
Alfonso Soriano – LF
Jose Vidro – 2B
Jose Guillen – 9
Darryl Ward – DH
Ryan Zimmerman – 5
Robert Fick – 3
Royce Clayton – 6
Brian Schneider – 2
Marlon Byrd – 8
Tony Armas – 1

June 12 (Boston, 11-3)
Soriano – 7
Vidro – 4
Guillen – 9
Marlon Anderson – DH
Zimmerman – 5
Fick – 3
Clayton – 6
Schneider – 2
Byrd – 8
Livan Hernandez – 1

June 13 (Boston, 9-2)
Soriano – 7
Vidro – 4
Guillen – 9
Zimmerman – 5
Matt LeCroy – DH
Clayton – 6
Fick – 3
Damian Jackson – 8
Schneider – 2
Shawn Hill – 1

June 23, 2009 (Boston, 11 – 3)
Cristian Guzman – 6
Nick Johnson – 3
Zimmerman – 5
Adam Dunn – 7
Josh Willingham – 9
Josh Bard – 2
Willie Harris – 8
Anderson Hernandez – 4
John Lannan – 1

June 24 (Boston, 6-4)
Harris – 8
Guzman – 6
Zimmerman – 5
Johnson – 3
Willingham – 7
Elijah Dukes – 9
Hernandez – 4
Wil Nieves – 2
Craig Stammen – 1

June 25 (Nationals, 9-3)
Guzman – 6
Johnson – 3
Zimmerman – 5
Dunn – 7
Willingham – 9
Bard – 2
Harris – 8
Hernandez – 4
Jordan Zimmermann – 1

Have some time on your hands? Why not look over the box scores of the last three games and, perhaps, utter a quiet, “thank you” to Mike Rizzo, the Nationals’ General Manager, and manager Davey Johnson, who have crafted a young, dynamic, thick-skinned team.