Zimmerman Returns to Woodbridge

Woodbridge, Va. –– Washington Nationals’ All Star third baseman Ryan Zimmerman continues his rehab assignment Wednesday at Pfitzner Stadium in Woodbridge.

Zimmerman, who went 2-for-3 with a double in his Potomac debut Monday night, returns to the lineup Wednesday evening.

Wednesday night is Belly Buster Night at the Pfitz: for just $15, fans get an All-You-Can-Eat Uncle Julio’s Belly Buster Package and a seat to the game.

Zimmerman is working back from a torn abdominal muscle; he had surgery on May 3. Zimmerman was hitting .357 with a home run and four RBI in eight games before the injury.

Zimmerman has a career .289 batting average with 117 home runs and 453 RBI. He was an All-Star, Gold Glover, and Silver Slugger in 2009. He repeated as Silver Slugger in 2010. The Nationals took Zimmerman with the fourth overall pick in 2005.

This will be the second time that Zimmerman has played for the P-Nats. Back in 2008 he played two games at Lewis-Gale Field in Salem against the Red Sox as he recovered from a torn labrum in his left shoulder.

-Press release

LAST NIGHT’S GAME RESULTS

By Will Flemming

Woodbridge, Va. ––  With two on and two outs in the bottom of the seventh of a 4-2 ballgame, Sandy Leon hit a fly ball deep to right field that very nearly gave the Nationals a lead. It was called foul, however, and the Nationals would never threaten again in an eventual 7-2 loss to the Frederick Keys at Pfitzner Stadium.

Mark Harris, the Nationals’ hitting coach and first base coach was ejected after arguing the call; from his vantage point right on the line, he thought the ball stayed fair. Home plate umpire Thomas Newsom disagreed and tossed Harris from the game after a brief discussion.

The Keys have now won seven straight and 12 of 13. Having stretched their lead over the Potomac Nationals in the first half to 14 games with 13 remaining, the Keys mathematically eliminated the Nationals from the first-half title race.

Sloppy defense let the game get out of hand in the late innings, though the Keys led early for the second straight night.

A two-out rally in the first staked Frederick to a 1-0 lead. A double by Tyler Townsend was cashed in by a Kipp Schutz single. The Nats tied the game in their half of the first when Justin Bloxom hit a sacrifice fly to center.

But Frederick took the lead in the third off Nats starter Paul Demny, and they would not relinquish it. Leadoff singles by Garabez Rosa and Trent Mummey were followed by a sacrifice bunt by Bobby Stevens. Townsend then hit a grounder to first that made it 2-1 Keys.

They tacked on a third run in the fifth when Mummey hit a leadoff homer – his first big fly of the season. Mummey contributed to yet another run when he reached on Josh Smoker’s throwing error that opened the seventh; Townsend brought him home with a single to right past the drawn-in Potomac infield.

The Nationals did get a run back in the controversial seventh. A single from Bloxom opened the frame, and he scored when Brian Peacock scorched a double to the left field wall. J.P. Ramirez was then hit by a pitch to bring Leon to the plate. After the long foul to right, Ramirez struck out for the inning’s second out. Eury Perez fanned with the bases loaded to end the Nationals’ last real threat.

The defense unraveled for the Nationals in a wild final two innings. After catcher’s interference extended the eighth and loaded the bases, Justin Bloxom could not field a grounder to third and an unearned run made it 5-2 Frederick. Bloxom’s defense factored into two more unearned in the ninth: with the bases loaded and one out, catcher Brian Ward hit a grounder right to Bloxom, but his throw home went to the backstop and allowed two more Keys to score and push their advantage to five runs at 7-2.

Potomac was retired in order in the ninth by Clay Schrader, who earned his second save with three scoreless, hitless innings.

After an off day Tuesday, Ryan Zimmerman is back in the Nationals’ lineup Wednesday night at 7:05.