. >> announcer: the following is  a masn presentation. >> presentation. >> bob: the rockies took advantage of colin balester last night knocking him out. come back hits from ryan zimmerman kept it close in d.c. the bullpen got 23 outs in eight innings but fell just short of stopping the rockies. tonight, garrett mock seeks to earn his third curly w in a row.  

 . >> bob: in a town s history another step into the future and some history as well for the acknowledges today. a new general manager. but the more things change the more they stay the same. fans coming in for game 3 of this series, bob carpenter, rob dibble, rob it was four months ago when ryan zimmerman signed his contract, mike rizzo signed his today. >> rob: and folks who don't know mike rizzo, he has been around the game for an awful long long time, he has done it as a player, as a development guy, this is some of his stuff done with the washington nats, been a part of the last three drafts, so obviously signing the extension for the base of the franchise, the trades, and then revietnamping a lot of this team, a lot of guys that

were left over from jim bowden's rein he has been able to trade or get rid of or send back somewhere else, hence they came. but i think you know you look at the bullpen, he has revamped the bullpen. manny acta was changed with jim wriggleman, so all the things he has done is positive. but i like listening to him. he wants to win. not just about developing for the future, stephen strasburg, etcetera, he wants to win right now and be competitive right now but his long-term goals are to win championships and i think kasten, the lerner family, they are all going in the right direction. >> everybody in the organization wanted to him to get the job. we're going to cover the bases, with sean burnett, one of mike rizzo's acquisitions, 26 years of age from dunedin florida, a # 1/2 e.r.a., a win, and so far anchoring the left side of that bullpen.

high cholesterol. you've taken steps to try and lower both your numbers. but how close are you to your goals? there may be more you can do. only caduet combines two proven medicines... in a single pill to significantly lower... high blood pressure and high cholesterol. in a clinical study of patients... with slightly elevated blood pressure and cholesterol, caduet helped 48% reach both goals in just 4 weeks. caduet is one of many treatment options, in addition to diet and exercise... that you can discuss with your doctor. caduet is not for everyone. it's not for people with liver problems... and women who are nursing, pregnant or may become pregnant. to check for liver problems, you need simple blood tests. tell your doctor about any heart problems... and all other medications you are taking... or if you experience muscle pain or weakness, as they may be a sign of a rare but serious side effect. how close are you to where you want to be? ask your doctor if caduet can help you go... for both your goals.

 . nats baseball on masn, brought to you by southwest airlines. book your next trip at southwest.com. and by pnc bank. pnc, leading the way.   . it is sizzling in our nation's capital tonight, it's gonna be in the low 90s when we get this ball game under way. the nats and the rockies in game 3, the rock rockies have dominated since 05 winning 25 of 35 will send this lineup out there. carlos gonzalez has homered in four straight games and brad haunt has had a good series, a couple r.b.i.s and a couple walks. the rockies are tough to hold down. their selective hitters, they are second to the phillies in runs and home runs. and for garrett mock, it will be his 20th appearance and start number 7. rob ball has

won his last two times out. if. >> rob: he has won his last two times out, throwing strikes, getting ahead in the count. that's been the key to his success. let's give you the scouting report on mr. mock. there is cause foray applause because he has gone out there, won his last two starts after four so-so starts, pushed the nfl. this season he has been very effective, third trip not so good, got to be better in later innings and help out that bullpen after last night's disaster by balester and stick to your game plan and if you get a lot of runs don't deviate.   . >> bob: carlos gonzalez, we under way at 7:06, 91 degrees, and mostly a little bit beyond partly cloudy skies right now.   but it is nice to have some cloud cover, i bet those people in the upper deck in right field are glad it's cloudy.

gonzalez hitting .289, on-base percentage of .350. and he has homered in four consecutive games and six of his last eight. so a week and a half ago this guy had two home runs all year, now he has eight. and they like him a lot, rob, he is only 23 years of age, they got him in the deal with oakland. with left-hander rob street and closer matt halladay.   mock goin' right after him, ryan spilborghs had to get out of the way in the on-deck circle for a line drive that went right by his ear. >> when i talked to don baylor about him up in colorado he just talked about this kid is hitting the ball real well. they just wanted him to make more contact during the game and once he is making more contact during the game, balls are flying out of the ball park all over the place, average has shot right up there where it

should be, and they are very comfortable with him. >> bob: nine strikeouts, 15 walks under this don baylor's instruction, an outstanding hitter and a former manager and hitting coach and a pretty good off-speed pitch by mock to get a strikeout.   . >> well and garrett mock do great job. >> rob: on the pitch track, throws a great drop out the bottom change-up on the young man, a lot of young players, especially when they get to this level, have trouble with change-ups, breaking balls, and things that are off speed. one thing they can consistently hit at any level is a fastball. so i think we learned last few nights with gonzalez, stay away from stuff that he can get extension on. >> bob: 29-year-old outfielder ryan spilborghs. haven't seen him yet in this series. 

 6'1", 190 out of santa barb seventh round draft choice back in '02. mock has good stuff tonight. quickly 0-2. 11 year veteran hunter wendelstedt has the plate, doug get its at second, brian night at third.   i wonder why he hasn't been playing the last couple nights the way he has been hitting? mainly because they've had gonzalez and young dexter fowler together in the outfield. >> zimmerman has to back up. he doesn't like to do that, he throws it so short, it was a long bounce for adam dunn.   that's better than a short hop.   and here is the nationals defense, still at the bottom of the league, but much much better over the last month and a half. nyjer morgan and elijah dukes

have combined for 24 outfield assists, guzman, gonzalez up the middle, josh bard behind the plate. and as debbie taylor told us last night, jesus flores start to go resume baseball activities, threw for the first time yesterday after severely bruising that shoulder a couple months ago.   that one right in there for todd hilton. >> rob: frac touring the bone inside the shoulder, and that fracture caused him to miss a lot of time and they had to make sure that bone was completely healthy before they aloud him to do baseball stuff. >> bob: todd hilton, two hits and five walks in this series. for the most part, the nationals haven't had much to do with him, if anything. it has kept him from driving any runs in and maybe that's why. hitting nearly .400 career against the nats, almost an r.b.i. per game and a home run every

three times out. and that goes back the montreal days as well.   . >> rob: maybe there is something to the fact that todd helton loves fried baloney sandwiches. >> bob: he does? >> rob: yes he does. >> bob: breakfast of champions? >> rob: i think he eats them at the ball park every day. i don't know if he still does that, i know we have had conversations over the last decade. we kid him about that, that used to be something i liked, he liked. >> bob: fried baloney. you throw it in a pan, you fry it up, maybe melt some cheese on a roll.   maybe become a future hall of fame hitter by eating fried baloney sandwiches, kids.   . >> bob: yeah, either that o appointment down at the knute risk system center. >> rob: eh now. >> bob: tulowitzki is up next

with nobody out and two aboard here. gets a little pop-up for ryan zimmerman, and a very good one- two-three top of the first for garrett mock. for our 737s fly to over 65 cities across the country every day. pa announcer: final boarding call... all passengers... each with an average speed of 590 mph... almost as fast as you. nothing's gonna hold you down. ou hawpe restgrab your bag . it's on™ ( ding ) book now at southwest.com.

 . >> bob: the hard-hitting washington nats are third in the national league, hitting at .268, eighth in runs and home

runs. and an offense that nyjer morgan has brought alive lately. adam dunn is the clean-up man. a walk and four strikeouts but like the man in front of him, ryan zimmerman who is hitting .431 this month, having a very good dog days of august. this is jason hamell. his 4.7 e.r.a. is a bit deceptive because on the road this year in 10 of his 11 starts he has given up three earned runs or fewer. he is a big 26-year-old right- hander, 6'6".   220. they got him from tampa bay a trade back in april. and here is nyjer morgan, 5 out of '8, a couple runs, a stolen base. and an r.b.i. in this series, in fact two stolen bases. that's a slow roller to tulowitzki, he knows he has to hurry and got him by a step. >> rob: pnc scouting report on jason hamell coming up.

  prefers d level, that means t road. 5-4 with a 3 e.r.a. on the road, .267 batting average against, .379 at home, us that the 370, the straight arrow, gets in trouble when his stuff is flattened out. he was a great pick up, especially the back end of the rotation, 21 starts, 7 wins.   . >> bob: guzman, first pitch swinging and two outs.   rockies defensively are fifth in the national league. the kid, gonzalez, hasn't made an error in the outfield yet this year. troy tulowitzki is probably the frontrunner for the gold glove at shortstop. he only has six r.b.i.s on the year. up the middle deep as they talk about it all the time whether gonzalez is in left or center

he is pretty solid. then you have tulowitzki and bar mass. ryan zimmerman has been on base, he got his r.b.i. total up to 80. the only batter hotter in august than ryan zimmerman is minnesota's joe mauer. mauer at .465, zimmerman at .431. this month he is 25 for 58.   . >> rob: in those 21 starts rockies have won 12 of those games that hamel has started. . >> bob: there's some high gas, a swing anna foul tip. each pitcher gets a top of the first, the pitcher is looking good so far. ♪

♪ i always feel like (announcer) it's right here, it's easy... ♪ somebody's watching me. ...it's the money you could be saving with geico. ♪ who's watching? ♪ tell me who's watching. (muffled music) (announcer) it's right here, it's easy... ♪ i always feel like somebody's watching me. ♪ it's the money you could be saving with geico.

 . >> bob: nats park on august t 20th and the top of the second rolls around. tulowitzki, hawpe and stewart for the hard-hitting colorado rockies who have a one game, actually it's a 1 1/2 game lead over the giants today. they lost at cincinnati on a walk off homer in the bottom of the 10th. and the rockies lead the marlins by three, the braves by four, in the national league wildcard.   jim tracy, 49-25.   

since taking over. but jim tracy would tell you "no, bob, my players are 49- 25". he is the ultimate behind-the- scenes not out front type of manager. that suits them well. >> rob: goodman though, fundamentally sound, like jim wriggleman, quiet. >> bob: troy tulowitzki. if adam dunn takes cares of this 1 or 8 or for the series. 4 of 8 to start the series. >> rob: both managers only get loud when they have to. and that means if you're not playing well like the nationals did that one night they made four errors and they had a closed-door meeting to figure things out.   . >> bob: brad hawpe steps in hitting .304.   this is sort of interesting.

i was told by some colorado personnel last night that the general manager candidate the nationals did not hire once said brad hawpe will never see a pitch in the major leagues.   . >> rob: well then. >> bob: also said that clint var mass will never be more than a utility player. >> rob: ho nellie. >> bob: one ball and one strike to hawpe who is a very good major league hitter and a superior outfield player. >> rob: weekend will stat takes a hit right in the mafnlg. a hello, how do you do. yeah, but i had a pitching coach become my major league pitching coach at the major league level and he told me when i was 19 "you'll never pitch in the major leagues with those mechanics." >> bob: what did you say to him when you were reunited?

>> that's classified but it did cost me a thousand dollars when he came out to the mind. but i was blessed, george bam burger and joe alta belly were positive with me down there, i went to extended spring training in the early '80s, after i had already pitched a half season in the minor leagues and both of those men, george bam burger at the time working with the brewers organization and alta belly with the organization, said "you throw strikes with that velocity -- see the strikeout there to hawpe -- you'll pitch in the big leagues. just repeat your delivery." that was their message. >> bob: garrett mock with a fantastic change-up against a hitter who looked like he was geared up for #-2 gas. >> rob: a lot of hitters think fastball is coming, looking for a fastball. way out in front of that. no shot. >> bob: two strikeouts for

garrett mock and he faces ian stewart.   and there is the heater.    gets it up there at 91.   . >> rob: but i also think sometimes when someone does make that kind of comment it's motivational so all, you know, it was to me anyway. >> bob: uh-huh. >> rob: you're 19 years old, you've already been demoted and then somebody on top of it says "well your mechanics stink," that's not why i was there. i was there to actually work on my breaking stuff to go along with the velocity. >> bob: mock has a hitter 3-2. 0-5 in this series, 0 for the last seven. this is a young player that has got lots of pop but he is batting .229.   former number 1 draft choic and off speed gets him.

garrett mock great command to go with his good stuff in the early going and six in a row. adam dunn will be next. what is it to lead? at pnc, it's doing what most benefits our customers. whether that's building more certified green buildings than anyone on earth. creating online banking tools for the next generation. or making a 10 year, $100 million investment in kids. it's how we've always done business.

and will for a very long time to come. pnc. leading the way.  . >> deb: welcome back to nationals park everybody. we're covering the bases as we move through the bottom of the second inning. this is a scoreless game. we're covering the bases with reliever sean burnett, one of the acquisitions. he describes himself as shy, reserved, once he gets out on

the mound a different character, very competitive and tense.   . >> bob: and we'll hear from sean in just a second. who was offered a scholarship at the university of miami out of florida and sided to sign his first professional contract. adam dunn leads off in the bottom of the second. 2 for 7 in this series with a walk and the rockies have struck him out four times.   off speed, well done. >> rob: by the way, i wanted to bring this up because we barely got a chance to talk about it after thga last nit, the nationals bullpen did a tremendous job, got 23 outs, only allowed two solo home

ns, gave the nationals a chance to win last night. and so, hopefully, garrett mock can give them a little t of a rest tonight. >> bob: adam dunn gone again on a fastball, outside corner. well let's just turn things around, rob, if you had a standardter who gow 3 outs gave up two so home runs we would be talking about him for the next two days. >> rob: ablutely. absolutely. because that would be a great start and give your team an opportunity to win. there you see hamel, on the top of his game tonight, hitting that outside of the plate on adam dunn. so it's evaluation time. you want to win some ball games but some of these young starters are being evaluated for the winter meetings that will come up after the season ends and e where their professional life will lead. and you want tomae.a $ ó fivm fhuhse/óotommúmtoav right now. >> bob: josh willingham and elijah dukes combined 2 for 

16 this series. willingham goes to right field. that will be easy for brad hawpe. and a moment ago debbie taylor started telling you about our cover the bases guy sean burnett and sean talks about himself and how he likes to compete. >> my dad, i guess, is very competitive, i grew up competing against him but it's just something i've had my whole life and i always tried to be the best i could be and that's where i'm competitive. playing ball in the street i always wanted to win or be the best. that's just the way i am and hopefully i can pass it down to my son because it's one of the good traits i have and you can be successful at life. >> bob: you have to be competitive to do what zaun sean did a couple years ago. he was a starter until last season. he had made as many as 27 starts in the minor leagues in one year before that. former number 1 draft pick. we'll have more on sean, debbie will check in with us later as well and tell you more about our cover the bases guy.

sean burnett. bases empty, two outs, elijah dukes hitting .240. and he gets under that one as the fastball overpowered him. right field for brad hawpe. and both pitches setting down their first six batters in a hurry tonight. at some restaurants when you get boneless wings... what are you really paying for? whoa! ha ha! i say "happy," you say "birthday!"

happy... birthday! who's hungry? why pay for flair when you can get all the flavor for just $3.99 with wendy's new boneless wings. tender, juicy chicken, hand tossed in our signature buffalo or bbq sauce. it's waaaay better than fast food. it's wendy's.  . >> bob: it's a hot night in nation's capital, both pitchers flawless as we go