The Nats’ offense is at it again tonight, only their four runs in the first three innings don’t have as much to do with their own productivity as they do with Brewers starter Manny Parra being in a generous mood.
The left-hander has already walked five batters, three of them coming in the Nationals’ three-run second, in addition to giving up five hits. The unfortunate thing for the Nats is Parra’s been so bad, he probably won’t be in the game much longer.
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Garrett Mock hasn’t exactly been outstanding on the other end, either. He gave up two hits in the first and a walk in the second, all of which turned out to be harmless. But after Craig Counsell singled in the third, Ryan Braun blasted a triple off the center field wall (Braun, by the way, is making a bid to join Chipper Jones, Hanley Ramirez and Raul Ibanez in the Nats-killer Hall of Fame. He’s got two homers, two triples and a double in the series).
The shot was originally ruled a home run, but was overturned when replays showed the ball hit the yellow stripe on the center field wall, but didn’t clear it. Nonetheless, Braun scored on Mock’s wild pitch to Prince Fielder.
So the Nats lead 4-2 in what is shaping up to be a war of attrition between two shaky starters.
