down, which did keep michel hernandez from possibly going to third. that will be a base hit all the way for b.j. upton. ryan with a great head-long dive to get his glove on that bouncer. >> rob: ryan zimmerman here is going to try to keep this ball on the infield. really has no chance. at the feet of b.j. upton. that's taking one for the team right there. bob said, you don't want hernandez going over to third. fastball scores another, fly ball scores another. >> bob: hope you're having a good saturday night. ours was just fine until about 20 minutes ago. the nats had led all the way in this one, then 2-1 and the roof of tropicana field has fallen on the bullpen. that will be the second out of the inning. the men who -- the man who led off the inning with a base hit evan longoria will bat again. 

>> bob: longoria singled to lead off this inning, his only hit of this series. in the last three innings, the rays have outhit the nationals 8-0. the last nats hit, a single by guzman with nobody out in the third. 

>> bob: minnesota got a s- out from anthony schwarz ack to beat the cubs at wrigley today. st. louis won in cleveland, 3- 1. mets beat the yankees 6-2. those are the finals in so far from interleague play. the american league who let the national league, 31 wins to 25 through last night. 

>> bob: last night star stretch of 12 very difficult interleague games against the upper echelon of the a.l. east. tampa bay, new york, toronto and boston. then a series to follow at baltimore. that ball into left. dukes is back. can't get it up against the wall. hernandez scores. upton scores. it's 8-2.

>> rob: this is just a hanging breaking ball by colome. when you drop down to try to help the ball, sometimes it flattens out. it helps longoria, doesn't get all of it. great effort by elijah dukes and b.j. upton breaking it down there at the end. that is one of the fastest humans i've ever seen. >> bob: elijah dukes did not get all the way back to the wall when he jumped. i would say the nationals does not have an outfielder that goes back on balls as well. the rays lead 8-2. >> rob: in defense of elijah, he's been playing right, center, and left. he hasn't really been in one field for more than a day or two this the last couple of weeks. >> bob: seems like he's still looking back trying to check exactly how far away that wall

is. probably taking some heat from the tampa bay tans out there. -- fans out there. >> rob: they've been standing around. >> bob: see, elijah is starting to turn around and let the fans affect him. >> rob: let it go. >> bob: we just caught a fan making an on seen just tour to him. and a 1-1 pitch. 

>> bob: pena got the rays the board, turning around a jordan zimmermann fastball leading off the bottom of the fourth. >> rob: john smoltz will be starting against syracuse on friday. the knights, right now pawtucket leads syracuse 1-0 after three. >> bob: i think syracuse took a double-header from them yesterday. corey patterson played in both of those games before getting called up. >> rob: smoltz is not in there. pitched yesterday. >> bob: my gosh that, ball was

six feet outside. but this is jesus colome's m.o. great arm, lots of velocity, but never in his career very much command. >> rob: his tempo is terrible for fielding. he's just so slow and meticulous, slows down the game. gets it to his own tempo, but that hurts your defense. they start to fall back on their heels. >> bob: pena tried to pull an outside pitch. nick johnson will go to the bag himself. p - oh, it's on. - it's on. - it's on. - ( music playing throughout ) - it's on. - oh, it's on, all right. - it's on. - totally on. jimmy, it's on. - it's on. - oh, yeah, it's on. affirmative, it's on. announcer: southwest airlines announces new service out of bwi airport,

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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. >> bob: top of the 7th, nat who led the entire time now down big. celebrate father's day at nats park. get your tickets at nationals.com. >> rob: bill parcells taught me you can't give up a touchdown in the first two-minute of the second half of the ballgame. oh, that's football. >> bob: the nats just gave up seven. >> rob: byron kerr handed me a note, seven runs is the most

runs given up in an inning so far this year since may 6 against the dodgers in the 6th inning. the nationals ended up losing 10-3. >> bob: that was against mike hinckley and logan kensing. daniel cabrera start that had game and pitched into the sixth inning, but not for long. that was one month and one week ago and none of those pitchers are still around. willie harris, austin kearns and wil nieves here in the 7th. andy sonnanstine. >> rob: look at that stat. >> bob: that's how you go 4-6 with a 7 e.r.a. >> rob: second in the major leagues with run support, over eight runs per start. >> bob: you brought this up numerous times. what is it about these guys with 6 and 7 e.r.a.'s, our ball

club can't hit them. >> rob: i don't know. maybe we take them for granted that they're not throwing the ball well. >> bob: that's a way to help out a pitcher. willie harris will fly out on a pitch that was way up out of his zone. the nats now have been set down 13 in a row. >> bob: last night matt garza with amazing stuff. then let them off the hook after that. you've got to keep charging every inning. >> bob: the nats had one hit out of the fourth inning yesterday. tonight they had no hits after the third. kearns puts a charge into one, straightaway center field. it keeps on going. but it's caught by b.j. upton. verizon fios has "nats xtra"

post-game. how jordan zimmermann was able to sting the rays, but he only lasted five innings tonight. ryan got it going with a home run early. debt wierl storm and james shields for the rays. that guy's legit. suffice to say he has not received the run support andy sonnanstine has. breaking ball low and away. wil nieves 0 for 2. the nats have one base hit below the 3 spot in the batting order. two, pardon me. one by kearns, one by hernandez, a bunt. a two hopper to the shortstop brignac.

15 in a row for sonnanstine. ú how far can you see? at pnc, taking the long view is how we help you take the right path. even to change it when conditions demand. keeping you on the road to achieving your goals. it's something we've been doing for over 150 years. let our strength and stability be the basis for yours. pnc. leading the way.

>> bob: bottom of the 7th inning. zobrist, pearl and gross. more of the tampa bay rays who

lead 8-2. elijah dukes first major league home run in his first career at-bat. we already figured it out, but it was carl pavano but it wasn't here, it was at yankee stadium, something elijah can treasure forever. it's pretty cool. we even have the videotape. we'll let you have a look. i was just delighted in the 7th inning stretch here. it's african-american heritage night here and a black rapper artist by the name of black zeppa did "take me out to the ballgame." i've never heard that song booed before. >> rob: i don't think they were booing the song. it was the effort. >> bob: and they have ludacris here after the game. by the way, virginia has tied that ballgame with lsu, 1-1 bottom of the third at the

college world series. >> rob: well, i think black zeppa was watching colome throw. kind of slowed him down on his rendition. >> bob: it was about the same pacing. >> rob: as this game has come to a screeching halt. >> bob: that's the worst thing i've seen in a ballpark since two women with orange hair were booed off the dodger stadium years ago for doing a real buy bad national anthem. >> rob: i'm going need some standing can an here in a minute. >> bob: pulled to the right side, anderson hernandez throws out ben zobrist. it was also elijah dukes first career hit.

straightaway center. >> rob: they retired those uniforms along with the devil in front of the ray. >> bob: they got rid of that green color. >> rob: that wasn't the greatest uniform combo. >> bob: that was in 07. elijah would hit only .190 that year, but he drove in 21 in 52 games. 184 at-bats. drafted in the third round in 02 by the rays. out of hillsboro high school in tampa. there's a pop-up to the right side. off the bat of pat burrell. nick johnson has it. two outs. gabe gross last time gave the rays a big pushing, so that was

five hitters, five runs given up by jason bergmann and manny had to go get it. >> rob: you saw wil nieves wanted that ball down and away. jason ran that ball a little bit too close to the inner half on the lefty, down and in on the lefty. the place you want to throw it. even jordan zimmermann found out these guys can hit. why they're in first in offense in the american league. 95-mile an hour fastball and turned around by carlos pena. jordan zimmermann. then he comes up the next time and lays down a bunt. >> bob: 0-2 to gross. 

>> bob: having to soak up inning-plus work here for colome. he's given up two runs on three hits. and that ball out to left center. willie harris is tracking it. waved off elijah. the rays go in order, bottom of the 7th. 

>> bob: beautiful evening in st. petersburg, florida, especially for the rays fans. they lead it 8-2 as we go to the 8th. you can follow the nats on your iphone and ipod touch. featuring play-by-play, video highlights and live audio

broadcasts. visit nationals.com on your iphone or ipod touch to purchase. anderson hernandez, cristian guzman and nick johnson. andy sonnanstine, seven innings, 77 pitches. he's well on his way to his second career complete game. this guy pitches like this, it's hard to believe he's only had one. >> rob: i watched him a lot last year and he was really tough down the stretch for this team. when he's on, he's really on. >> bob: that ball well hit by hernandez, unreachable even for b.j. upton. it will one hop the wall for a double and the nats will have their first base hit since guzman back in the third. anderson hernandez 2 for 3 tonight. it's a pretty good muscle for a guy who bunted for a base hit

first time. >> rob: you're going to see him try to roll this curveball over. he hangs it in the zone. you're swinging hard early in the count. connects for a double. top off the order guzman. >> rob: remember he tried to do basically a slap hit, like a hockey slap shot and failed. but i like the idea. >> bob: you cocall that three quality at-bats tonight. >> rob: absolutely. having an idea, having a great approach. watch -- i watch rick work with these guys every day. he wants them to have the same approach when they go up

but get a productive out. you can't put it in play, you can't get a base hit. that's wh >> bob: guzman will have to walk that one off. left-hander randy choate throwing for the rays. they have five different relievers in their bullpen who have saves. >> rob: a lball off your instep. that was off sh. i had a pitching coach that would rip ground balls back at us when we were on mod, we'd call those shin burgers. passed away a w years ago. loved that man dearly.

>> bob: one of those guys who caught you haw to play early in your creer. >> rob: absolutely. there's julian tavarez warming up in the bullpen. harry was maybe 75ish, old school pitcher in the major leagues. one of those hard crusty older guys. he just ed you todoyour job. he'd get you ready. >> strikeout number five for sonnanstine. we're back with you tomorrow for the wrap-up of this series, 1:30 2. ross detweiller with a 5.06 e.r.a. owe pone he -- opponents are hitting .268 against him. for the rays, coverage begins at 1:00, "nats xtra" starring johnny holliday and ray knight. >> rob: wow, starring?

>> bob: top billing for those boys. >> rob: a broadway show. >> bob: and people think we're the odd couple. >> rob: so you're felix? >> bob: i'm pretty sure you're the messy guy. >> rob: i'm without a doubt the messiest guy you'll ever meet. >> bob: no, you're not. >> rob: except for my cars and my garage, whatever. >> bob: your car is spotless. >> rob: i didn't know whether to strap it or genuflect. >> bob: nick johnson reaching for a pitch away. manny made this point last week when talking about guzman. he said when hitters start to struggle, they expand their zone and then they get strikes on pitches they would normally just spit on and not even swing. so now nick looks up and he's 0- 2.

cow bells are ringing. nick will hook a base hit to right field. hernandez had to hold up to make sure that ball got through. and then launching a bad throw, gabe gross, everybody will move up. the pitcher sonnanstine was very slow in backing up. so the nats will score making it an 8-3 game. that will be a throwing error on gabe gross, when all he had to do was hit the cut-off man. >> rob: all he had to do was get it in. he could have four hopped it in. defense is so important right here. gabe gross, wanting to show off his arm. he does just that. short hops the catcher hernandez, right through the five hole. now anderson can walk home. >> bob: bad throw. nick johnson ends up at second base. then ryan zimmerman will be the hitter. hernandez had no intention of scoring.

but then he walked home. on the errant throw. zimmermann could make this interesting with one swing. but the nats need it to happen fast. they're down to their final five outs. >> rob: adam dunn on deck. >> bob: if you weren't with us, nationals got a quick run in the first inning off sonnanstine. the bat of ryan zimmerman. >> bob: ryan with two rbi's tonight. followed with a bases loaded grounder in the third.

at that time the nats led 2-0. >> rob: randy choate still throwing, getting ready for adam dunn, if need be. >> bob: i'm sure adam will be crazy about that match-up the way that guy throws. adam dunn, 0 for 3 tonight. and 1 for 4 with two walks in the series. he had a base hit for an rbi and two walks last night. fastball up and zimmerman late for it. the count is 2-2.