young trade. >> johnny: zimmerman running and a couple of walks here. >> rob: willingham draws a two-out walk. two-run ballgame. bob carpenter back tomorrow night. here's a 2-1 game bottom of the 7th. austin kearns will step in. he walked in the second and struck out and popped out his last two appearances. >> rob: i don't think they wanted a whole lot to do with josh willingham. i think they wanted to attack austin kearns here, even putting the tying run on at second to do

it. >> johnny: fisher walked two. walked zimmerman and willingham. and the pitch to kearns and it is 0 balls and two strikes. >> rob: austin's last ten games, 4 hits. no extra base hits. >> johnny: behind in the count now. fisher steps off that rubber. zimmerman, the tying run at second. and the 0-2. fouled out of play down the reefld line -- right field line. >> rob: again they are going fast slow, fast slow. 95 miles an hour fastball from fisher. 83 miles an hour curve ball.

>> johnny: and there's no activity in that cincinnati bullpen. here's the pitch to kearns just outside and low. it is one ball and two strikes. >> rob: jesus colome. >> johnny: picked by the reds in the 11th round of that june 2005 first-year player draft. the 1-2 to kearns. checked swing. did he go through, yes he did. and that is the end of the inning. and the nationals threaten but can't get that tying run across. we go to the 8th at nationals park.

>> johnny: welcome back. johnny holliday along with rob dibble. the nationals still trying to get back in this ballgame, trailing only by a run. but now time beginning to be a major factor in the game. >> rob: it has been a great pitched series by our staff. i mean the starters have down -- done their job. the bullpen has done their job. jesus colome is going to try to get three outs and get you back in there on offense and somebody's got to get these guys pumped up. somebody's got to try to manufacture a run. it is still julian that ver --

julian tavarez can hold hem. that is his job. get -- them. that is his job. three outs, no runs. >> johnny: and he will start with willy taveras to start the 8th. delivers a strike. 2-5-0 for cincinnati, 1-5-0 for the nationals. >> rob: once again, steve mccatty and rick eckstein, control what you can control. if you can get three outs, get six outs, do that and hold your head up. it is just a question right now of some well pitched innings by the cincinnati reds pitchers. it has been a well fought series by the nationals. >> johnny: dead ball just foul down the 3rd base line. when you look at tavarez's

resume, he was born in the dominican republic. started off with cleveland. went the san francisco, colorado, the cubs, pittsburgh, the cardinals, the red sox, the braves, milwaukee and he is still pitching. and still pitching effectively. grounded to second. alberto gonzalez an to first and there's one away -- on to first and there's one away in the 8th. follow the nats with our i touch. it features video aye lights and live -- highlights and audio broadcasts. visit nationals.com on your iphone on the ipod touch to purchase. a lot of nationals fans hanging around to see if this ball club can pull this out, tying it up

for a run and take the lead and snap this three-game losing streak. brandon phillips against tavarez and takes a strike. >> rob: think about tavarez over 17 years. you have to keep yourself in great physical condition. the arm is one thing but you need strong legs and a strong trunk. a lot of ab work. >> johnny: tavarez, one major league active pitchers when he came in the season this year, 4th among career holds, 150. arthur rhodes of the red has 193. he has been around a couple of years. >> rob: just a few. >> johnny: i think thinking when they are it is -- i'm thinking when they are sitting out there

in the bullpen, the young guys are listening to what tavarez is theying and colome says. >> rob: i hope so. >> johnny: julian grew up as a shortstop. >> rob: arthur rhodes right there. >> johnny: phillips walks away. two balls and two strikes. >> rob: right here, great breaking ball that kind of backs up. doesn't get any better than that when you are pitching. phillips jammed himself. >> johnny: bouncing ball to zimmerman. got to hurry. on the run, throw to first, got it. and phillips can fly, too. nice play by zimmerman and there's two down. >> rob: this is an outstanding play right here by ryan zimmerman. airmailed the ball earlier in

the ballgame. he puts that behind him right there. he knows i have got a very fast brandon phillips coming down the line. actually on the inside and he hits adam dunn right here. that could have been a nasty collision. >> johnny: jonny gomes for the reds will step in. >> rob: that is the thing. you have to get rid of the ball quickly as an infielder and knowing who is at the plate is part of situational baseball. that is fundamental stuff. gomes takes a ball. >> johnny: tavarez hoping to make it a one, two, three, 8th

inning. nobody on and outfield playing it straight away. not too deep either. takes a strike on the outside corner. 92 on the gun for that pitch from tavarez. gomes with a .323 batting average. no homeruns this year. and only 6 rbis. a late swing at a fastball. and it is one ball and two strikes. >> rob: see him trying to get pitch reck nation. gets it a lit -- recognition. gets it a little bit late. back up slider you lucky is not over the center of the plate.

jonny gomes recognized the pitch early and didn't swing. >> johnny: the count is even at 2-2. nobody on. and two outs. a long fly ball foul. he has no homeruns. keep that in mind. but that thing was a shot. >> rob: it hit off the exxon sign in foul territory down the left field line. >> johnny: about 350 feet away isn't it? >> rob: yeah. you saw him shorten up the swing with two strikes on him. >> johnny: johnny holliday, rob dibble, debbi taylor with you this afternoon on a rare thursday afternoon ballgame for the nationals. 2-2 to gomes. 3 balls and two strikes. >> rob: julian got a little bill

squirrely right there. overthrows the slider a little too much. >> johnny: 2-1 ballgame in the top of the 8th. bouncing ball foul down the 3rd base line. keep in mind coming up after this ballgame on our nats xtra post game, it will be byron kerr and ray knight talking about lannan's attacking the cincinnati line-up today. man in acta's press conference as always and a look ahead to the ballgame tomorrow night in tampa. and gomes draws base on balls. so, gomes is on with two outs

and ramon hernandez looking for his first hit of the afternoon. we will see what he can do against julian tavarez. it is amazing, rob, in all the years julian has been pitching going back to his debut of 1993 with cleveland. he's only been touch eded the homeruns -- no homeruns last year. none with the red sox when he was pitching for them. and most of the years have been under 10 allowed. or given up. >> rob: that is a guy that is hard to hit. he has been in the big leagues 17 years. >> johnny: good control pitcher, too. no balls and strike.

and it is 1-1. jay bruce waiting on deck and then alex gonzalez. nats with their only run in the 6th inning, trail it 2-1. what has been a series where washington just not able to get more than two runs. two tuesday night, two last night and one today. pop up behind 1st base. a long run. kearns and it hits the warning track and bounces up in the stands. well, between cordero, rhodes and weathers, they have appeared in 2,230 games. that is the kind of experience the reds have.

you can see a relaxed cincinnati bullpen. >> rob: they won't be relaxed in that phone ring. jump into action. >> johnny: and the 1-2, runner going. strike three called. hernandez takes the third strike. as we go to bottom of the 8th, take a look again. 2-1 reds lead. s>mqy, but the things we all look forward to haven't changed. like owning a home. watching our children grow. and retiring with confidence. so whatever you're looking forward to, m&t bank is here to help you get there. m&t bank. understanding what's important.

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>> johnny: welcome back to nationals park. johnny holliday along with ron dibble. gonzalez 2-3 with an rbi run scored. micah owings goes 5 and gives up an unearned run, walks four and strikes out four. john lannan pitching well enough to win this game. 6 innings, 5 hits, earned run, one earned run, two walks and two strikeouts. and kept the ball club close. willie harris will lead-off to start the 8th.

>> rob: alex gonzalez 2-3 day. many years in the big leagues. >> johnny: willie harris will hit for wil nieves. josh bard will hit. 2-1 cincinnati. they have led all the way. nats have scored 5 runs in the last four ballgames. they got shut out and so far only 5 runs against the reds in this series. harris digging in.

he said when you come down to florida state, can you get me tickets. >> rob: oh sure. >> johnny: i might be possibly able to do that. >> rob: going into yankee stadium the end of the week. can you get me tickets. >> johnny: anxious to see you get the response of homeruns flying out of that park, aren't they. >> rob: yeah. when you look at the pictures side by side on the internet, the old yankee stadium, big stadium. the new one is almost twice as big on the interior. so, it is the same size field inside, but the air, there's a lot more air in there. and balls are just jury rooming out of there. >> johnny: willie harris speaking of air, a shot to right field. >> rob: you build a $1.5.05-star

hotel with a baseball field in the middle of it, you get -- $1.5.05-star motel baseball field in the middle of it. i watched him, harris, today and he has a batting practice working on. man on second, no outs trying to move him to third and he did nothing but spray the ball all over the field. i have said it before, i will say it again, it is not like they are not working and they are not trying and hustling. battling like heck to win these ballgames. >> johnny: josh bard they have called back and hernandez will step back as dusty baker comes out. he will go to the bullpen right now. >> rob: you have got arthur rhodes up in a hurry. >> johnny: yep. the nats have the tying run at first. we will be back in a moment. but the things we all look forward to haven't changed.

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yours truly. laynce nix has moved to left field in place of jonny gomes for cincinnati. and herrera. >> rob: 24-year-old out of, oh december that -- odessa, texas. odessa -- odessa, texas. they can run these guys out there. almost all of them have 25 plus appearances. this is his 26th of the year with a 1.5 e.r.a. >> johnny: daniel ray making his first appearance in this series. left-hander. ball hit that ver taveras.

he is hurt. >> rob: right here, herrera -- oh. last night, the 1st baseman charges and it hits him on the instep or ankle of that right leg. he is a tough guy. he is not coming out of game. >> johnny: yeah. herrera stays. anderson hernandez hitting for the pitcher. man on, nobody out, bottom of the 8th, 2-1 lead. the nats trying to tie it up. did it last night in the bottom of the 9th. no reason they can't do it today. grounder to third past the 3rd

baseman! hernandez will make the turn and stay at second. -- hernandez is on. 2-1, nobody out in the 8th. another golden opportunity, rob, coming up right now. anderson hernandez had gone 0-16 his last four games until that base hit. >> rob: dusty baker choosing to go with the other side of the bullpen today. pitcher herrera. he's got masset up in the bullpen now trying to rest his players as he goes to kansas city of this. >> johnny: now it is back to the nationals top of the line-up. cristian guzman is 1-3 for thehl

ray herrera. 26th appearance of the year. 0-1 his record. with a 1.59 e.r.a. and guzman squares up to bunt and takes the pitch inside. >> rob: i love what steve mccatty said. if you come out the nex ng and don'tive up you own run. you areng the job proeperly. he is big -- properly, he is big like i am on inherited runners and keeping them from crossing the plate. love to see one get pushed across deep right here. >> johnny: harris at second. here's nan dez at first. guzman lays down the -- hernandez at first. guzman lays down the bunt and the throw to third is in time.

>> rob: no. >> johnny: so, harris forced at third. >> rob: this is a [bang]. play at third. -- bang, bang play at third. yes he did get him. >> johnny: he did, barely. these one away in the 8th. >> rob: i'm amazed with these reds. they want to go to third a soon as they catch a bunt. >> johnny: heads up play. he knew exactly where he wanted to go. >> rob: you have got to bounce off the mound as a pitcher. look a gun. >> rob: that looked 93 after

that 68. >> johnny: he is ahead in the count. ryan zimmerman next. one down. hernandez at second. fouled off down to the right side of play. guzman at first. a 2-1 game. reds up by a run in the bottom of the 8th inning at nationals park. >> rob: the reds are 12th in fielding in the national league. they have committed 42 errors. the nationals are still first with 56 errors in 57 games. man that play to third, a couple of times has hurt us today. >> johnny: and the pitch. swung and fouled back again. alberto gonzalez staying alive. >> rob: now you have 2 shots to get in hernandez from 2nd base. you need a base hit. either from alberto or ryan

zimmerman. >> johnny: guzman with a lead off first. not playing him tight. and the pitch popped to right. base hit. and pat holding up the runner at 3rd base. the nats have got the bases loaded with one out. on gonzalez base hit. guzman to second. hernandez to third. >> rob: that is going to be it for herrera. but what a job by gonzalez. that was a 70 miles an hour frisbee. >> johnny: dusty baker back to the mound again. the reds skipper. and daniel ray herrera has some struggles and can't get the job done. nats with golden opportunity. ú