Well, it wasn't a blowout
Submitted by Jeff on Thu, 06/21/2007 - 5:51am.
- The Nats were hoping to avoid a sweep last night, but, at the very least, wanted to avoid a drubbing like the one they experienced Tuesday night. Mission partially accomplished: Mike Bacsik and Jeremy Bonderman dueled to a 3-3 draw after five innings, but in the sixth the Tigers feasted on the Nats bullpen. "What can I say? They're a great ballclub," Manny Acta said of the Tigers, a team the Nats hope to emulate. "We just got outplayed." Nats lose, 8-4. (Box score)
- One of the biggest moves made yesterday was designating Levale Speigner for assignment. The Rule 5 draftee can be claimed by any other team that will keep him on their major league roster, or else he can be offered back to Minnesota for $25,000. "We gave Levale an opportunity," Jim Bowden said. "The results were what they were." The Post reports that Bowden discussed a deal with Minnesota that would allow the Nats to keep Speigner and send him to the minors, but nothing had been concluded.
- The other big news was the return of Luis Ayala, who has not pitched for the Nationals since September 2005. "I'm ready. I am hungry to pitch," Ayala said. (Ayala did not appear last night, although another callup, Chris Schroder, did pitch an inning of scoreless relief.)
- One other move that the Nats made that didn't make headlines was that former starter Jerome Williams cleared waivers and was assigned to Double-A Harrisburg. Williams had been on a rehab assignment there while on the major league DL. He has 72 hours to accept the assignment.
- Jason Bergmann pitched four innings in his final rehab start, allowing a run on three hits for Triple-A Columbus.
- Ryan Langerhans and Stan Kasten were at ESPNZone Wednesday. Missed the event? MLB.com has the Q&A. Sample question: could Dmitri Young stay with the team for the rest of the season? Kasten: "Sure, there's a chance."