Seventh Inning Rally Nets Nats Second Straight Victory Over Slumping Padres

Hours before learning he will represent the National League in the 2013 All Star Game at Citi Field, Jordan Zimmermann took the mound against the San Diego Padres in search of his would be National League leading 13th win of the season. While Zimmermann pitched well, although not efficiently, his bullpen blew a two run lead before Bryce Harper and Ryan Zimmerman bailed the team out with key at bats in a seventh inning rally.

The game started off on a positive note for Washington. After two shutdown innings from Jordan Zimmermann, Bryce Harper gave him a quick lead with a bases loaded walk to drive in a run. An inning later, Adam LaRoche doubled the lead with a line drive home run to right field. The blast was LaRoche’s 13th of the year. After the Padres manufactured a run in the fourth inning, Harper singled to drive in another run in the bottom of the inning. However things went sour until the seventh inning.

In the sixth inning, Jordan Zimmerman allowed one out hits to Carlos Quentin and Chase Headley, prompting manager Davey Johnson to bring in right hander Ross Ohlendorf(2-0). Jesus Guzman greeted the burly right hander by lifting a 95-mph fastball into the Padres bullpen for a 4-3 San Diego lead. The lead would hold until the seventh inning. Bud Black brought in right hander Nick Vincent(2-1) in relief and after the hard throwing right hander struck out pinch hitter Roger Bernadina to start the inning, back to back singles by Denard Span and Ian Desmond put two runners on with one out. The Padres tried to neutralize Bryce Harper by bringing in crafty lefty Joe Thatcher but a wild pitch put two runners in scoring position. Harper, who moments earlier had been named a NL All Star Starter,(Washington’s first since Alfonso Soriano in ’06) lifted a sacrifice fly to left to tie the game. Ryan Zimmerman followed with a broken bat base hit to drive in Desmond and Rafael Soriano walked the tightrope in the ninth for his 24th save of the year.