Skins Win 2nd Preseason Game, RGIII Hurt

After taking the preseason opener over the Browns, the Redskins returned home to FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland hosting the Detroit Lions.  The Redskins got off to a poor start especially from their starters.  With absolutely no help from the offensive line, Robert Griffin III struggled.  He went two for five for eight yards, and got sacked three times including two fumbles.  RGIII struggled all night in the pocket during those four drives.  As he dropped back to pass, he got hit six of the eight times including a pass batted down.  On his last play of the night in the early second quarter, he scrambled and dropped the ball despite no contact.  As he fell on top of the ball, some Lions players ended up right on top of him.  As a result, RGIII left the game with a concussion.

Despite the injury, the Redskins backups stepped up.  Trailing 10-0, Colt McCoy led the team down the field as Matt Jones ran it in for a touchdown.  In the third quarter, McCoy fired a 19 yard touchdown strike to Reggie Bell to take a 14-10 lead.  After Detroit scored to go up three, the Skins answered in the fourth quarter when Kirk Cousins threw a touchdown pass to Rashad Ross.  Final score 21-17.

Washington will continue their preseason slate when they head up the beltway to take on the Baltimore Ravens next Saturday August 29.  Kickoff is at 7:30.

Redskins Take Preseason Opener

Despite trailing in the first half by 11, the Redskins were able to come back and take their preseason opener over the Cleveland Browns.  The Redskins starters only played in the first two possessions of the game.  Quarterback Robert Griffin III went 4 of 8 passing for 36 yards.  He nearly threw a deep touchdown pass to Pierre Garcon but he dropped it.  It was a good throw regardless.  

Redskins tight end Niles Paul left the game in the first quarter injuring his left ankle.  He is expected to undergo an MRI soon.

Trailing 14-3 in the second quarter, backup quarterback Kirk Cousins ran it in from four yards for the Skins first touchdown of the year.  A field goal by Kai Forbath at the end of the half made it a 14-13 game.  The Redskins took the lead for good on a Trey Williams one yard touchdown run in the third quarter.  The final was the Redskins winning 20-17.  

Leading the Redskins, Cousins went 12-14 with 154 yards.  In rushing, Alfred Morris ran for 42 yards on eight carries.  Andre Roberts led receivers with four receptions for 71 yards.  The Redskins continue their preseason action next week as they return to FedEx Field to host the Lions with a 7:30 kickoff.  

NYCFC Late Comeback Stuns DC United

New York City FC desperately needed a win to keep their playoff hopes alive.  They had to do it against the team with the best record in the MLS, DC United.  It wasn't easy as the game was a tale of two halves in front of a sold-out crowd at Yankee Stadium.

DCU took the lead in the 36th minute on a goal by Alvaro Saborio.  It was 1-0 United at the half.  In the second half, NYC tied it in the 51st minute by Tommy McNamara.  NYCFC grabbed the lead on a goal by David Villa in the 80th minute and sealed the win in the 88th minute with a goal by Kwadwo Poku.

DCU will be back in action on Wednesday at 8 pm as they head to Panama to take on Arabe Unido in CONCACAF Champions League action.  NYCFC will travel to Columbus on Wednesday to take on the Crew at 7:30.

Nats Rebound, Split D-Backs

A crowd of over 30,000 saw some good offense in the Nats 8-3 victory

No rain this time as weather was decent 

The Nationals were having one of their worst weeks of the season.  Getting swept by the Mets, losing five of their last six games and getting trounced 11-4 on Wednesday night, the Nats were looking for a big win to split the four game set with the Arizona Diamondbacks.  I was there and unlike my previous trips to Nats games, we won.  It was the first time seeing a win at that ballpark in two years and first time seeing one in the Matt Williams era.  I didn't even make it on time for first pitch because I was running with some friends in Great Falls.  Maybe I should start showing up to games late.

Okay enough about me, here's what happened on the field.  Ian Desmond has been on and off all year long but he looked like the Ian Desmond of old when he homered into the visitors bullpen out in left field to take a 1-0 lead.  They took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the fourth on a RBI fielders choice by Michael Taylor as Desmond scored.  The D-Backs made it a 2-1 game when Jarrod Saltalmacchia homered to right field.

Bryce Harper stepping in the batter's box

In the bottom of the fifth, with the bases loaded, Wilson Ramos singled to left field to score Bryce Harper and Jayson Werth to go up 4-1.  The D-Backs wouldn't go away as they cut the deficit to one in the top of the seventh.  In the bottom half of the frame, Ryan Zimmerman came into the game to pinch hit and hit a double to the centerfield wall to score Taylor, 5-3 Nats.  The Nats put it away in the bottom of the eighth.  Harper and Anthony Rendon got on base and Clint Robinson drilled a three run homer to right field.  Final score: 8-3.  

The Nats will host the Colorado Rockies in the district this weekend with game one of the series tonight at 7:05 p.m.

Here are some more images from the game:

Pretty decent crowd for a 4:05 weekday game

Bryce Harper

Mets Sweep Nats, Tie For First Place

The New York Mets are now in first place, at least in a tie, for the first time since 2008.  Entering the weekend the Nats had a chance to bury the Mets in the NL East but they failed, miserably.  Now the Nationals leave New York with their division foes tied with them in the division.  In front of a ruckus crowd at Citi Field and a national TV audience these ball clubs took center stage for Sunday Night Baseball.

The Nationals looked to make a statement to start the game and they got it on an Anthony Rendon home run in the first inning.  Rendon, batting second, hit one just above the centerfield wall.  It was originally ruled a base hit but the play got reviewed and overturned for the homer.  After allowing that home run however, Mets rookie starting pitcher Noah Syndergaard settled down.  At one point he retired 13 consecutive batters on the way to his sixth win.  He allowed seven hits and two runs, walked none and struck out nine.

In the bottom of the third, Curtis Granderson hit a two run homer into the right field stands to give the Mets a 2-1 lead they wouldn't relinquish.  Before the crowd could sit down, Daniel Murphy followed with a home run to right field right into the Pepsi Porch.  The back-to-back homers put the sellout crowd into a frenzy.  Two batters later with Yoenis Cespedes on, Lucas Duda continued his hot streak as he homered to right field making it 5-2 Mets.  Duda has now homered nine times in the last eight games, all at home.  All five runs in that third inning came on two outs.

The only run the Nats could muster the rest of the game came in the top of the sixth with a solo shot by Yunel Escobar but the Nats bats were quiet much of the night facing a pitcher the fans of NY call "Thor."  Syndergaard threw a total of 109 pitches with his last pitch thrown resulting in a strikeout of Bryce Harper.  To add insult to injury Tyler Clippard, a former Nat, picked up the save.  Clippard got traded to the Mets earlier last week and said the Nats were "beatable."  After this weekend, he could be right.

It was only August 2 yet this contest felt like a playoff game.  Citi Field was rocking all weekend long like those days the Mets played at Shea Stadium.  I have never heard that place this loud.  The Nationals look to regroup with a four game series beginning tonight at Nats Park against the Arizona D-Backs.  The Mets will be in Miami for a three game set against the Marlins.

Mets Rally To Stun Nats, Race Is On

On Friday night, the Mets got one of their biggest wins in a long time as Wilmer Flores hit a walk-off home run to take game one of the series.  Game 2 featured a pitching matchup between Joe Ross for the Nats and Jacob deGrom for the Mets.

Before the second largest crowd in Citi Field history, these teams put on another great show.  The Nats jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first.  With the bases loaded, Ian Desmond smacked a single to centerfield that scored Yunel Escobar and Bryce Harper.  The Mets got on the board in the bottom of the fourth thanks to a home run to right-center by Lucas Duda, who has been on a tear this week.  In the bottom of the seventh, Duda hit his second homer of the game, this time to left-center which tied the game at 2.

In the bottom of the eighth, Curtis Granderson and newly acquired Yoenis Cespedes got on base.  A line-drive base hit would scow Granderson to give the Mets the lead.  Who hit it?  Lucas Duda.  His RBI's made the difference as Jeurys Familia got the save in the 3-2 Mets win.

With the win the Mets pulled to within one game of the Nationals for first place in the National League East setting the stage for an epic Sunday Night Baseball game under the lights on ESPN.