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News » Washington Nationals Notes, Quotes 2008-08-29


Washington Nationals Notes, Quotes 2008-08-29


Washington Nationals Notes, Quotes 2008-08-29
--SS Cristian Guzman became the seventh player in franchise history to hit for the cycle, and the second since the Nationals came to Washington. Brad Wilkerson was the last to do it on April 6, 2005. Guzman completed the cycle by driving a Joe Beimel pitch to the center field wall for a triple in the eighth inning.

--LHP John Lannan will see a reduced workload the rest of the season as the Nationals add several of their young pitching prospects to the bullpen Sept. 1. Manager Manny Acta said Lannan and RHP Collin Balester won't take many outings past 100 pitches so the Nationals can conserve their young starters and give time to other pitchers. "We really don't need to stretch them out so much, and that will give the other guys a chance to get some work in, too," Acta said.

--C Jesus Flores got a night off after hitting .169 in his last 16 games, a slump that's dropped his batting average to .258 for the season. Manager Manny Acta said Flores' biggest problem has been getting baited into high fastballs. "He'll figure it out," Acta said.

--RF Elijah Dukes had the first multi-homer game of his career, crushing a Clayton Kershaw pitch to center in the first inning and putting a 2-2 offering from Ramon Troncoso in the left field bullpen in the seventh. It came one night after he returned from a strained left calf that kept him out nearly four weeks. "I really don't miss a beat," he said. "I go get my work in. When I'm able to hit, I'm in there right away. I think that's what really keeps me going."

--RHP Garrett Mock struck out four batters in two shutout innings, the most strikeouts by a Nationals reliever this season. Mock had pitched only once since Aug. 16 and had given up four earned runs in his last 3 2/3 innings.

BY THE NUMBERS: 19 -- Times the Nationals had been shut out through Aug. 24, most in the major leagues.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "A lot of guys say when you're tired you have your best day. I've heard that so many times, and it's never really happened to me before until today." -- LF Willie Harris, who hit a grand slam and a homer and drove in a career-high six runs Friday afternoon after getting little sleep following a late-night flight from Philadelphia to Chicago.


Author:Fox Sports
Author's Website:http://www.foxsports.com
Added: August 29, 2008

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