Umpires:
HP: Fieldin Culbreth. 1B: Seth Buckminster. 2B: Jim Reynolds. 3B: Brian Knight.
Weather:
84 degrees, sunny.Wind: 3
mph, In from LF.
T: 2:46.
Att:
33,677.
With Adam
LaRoche returning from the disabled list the previous day, when the Nats
salvaged the finale of a 4-game set in Pittsburgh, the rest of the team
apparently decided that they could let the first baseman single-handedly take
care of the slumping offense. LaRoche did his part with a two-run homer in the
sixth after a Jayson Werth single to bring the team within a run, but the
lethargic lineup managed only one other hit during the afternoon.
Tanner
Roark lasted seven innings and deserved a better fate. As usual, slugging
Marlins right fielder Giancarlo Stanton was their kryptonite, as he doubled and
scored in the first and hit a massive shot to center two innings later with
Derek Dietrich on first to complete the Miami scoring.
This was
actually the first game all year in our regular (shady and windy) upper-deck seats
that I didn’t bring a jacket – nothing at all to complain about weather-wise.
The Cubano sandwich from the Taste of the Majors stand was excellent as usual,
as were the cinnamon pretzel bites (once they finally made a fresh batch). The
drive down was unexpectedly quick, as the reported backups near Arlington
Cemetery had cleared up. Due to circumstances not entirely beyond my control (I
got into the wrong lane on Washington Ave.), I took the alternate route back,
getting on the eastbound freeway, and then 295 up to the Beltway. Less scenic,
more of a rat race, and longer mileage-wise, but still only took just over 45
minutes, which is similar to what the return trip usually takes on the GW
Parkway with the postgame traffic.
