NewsNationals walk off, sweep Mets
Home slate wraps on high note with Maxwell's slam
By Bill Ladson / MLB.com
09/30/09 10:07 PM ET
WASHINGTON -- About 30 minutes before Wednesday's home finale against the Mets at Nationals Park, general manager Mike Rizzo thanked the fans for supporting the Nationals and acknowledged that it has been a trying season for the team, but he also said this:"We are looking for brighter and better days in 2010."
The Nationals took a step in the right direction, defeating the Mets, 7-4, on Fan Appreciation Day in thrilling fashion. Down 4-2, Washington made its comeback in the bottom of the ninth.
With the bases loaded, two outs and closer Francisco Rodriguez on the mound, Adam Dunn walked to force in Alberto Gonzalez. Justin Maxwell followed, and on the ninth pitch of the at-bat, the young outfielder hit the ball over the left-field wall for a grand slam to end the game and send the fans home happy.
The Nationals ended a streak of 150 losses when trailing after eight innings.
Batting seventh in the ninth, Maxwell had an idea he might get an at-bat, and he said he was successful because he watched everyone's at-bats that inning. It proved that the Nats' patience paid off. The hitters who reached base or advanced runners saw 25 pitches before Maxwell hit the slam.
"We all had good at-bats," Maxwell said. "I was trying to put the ball in play and give us a chance. I know Frankie has good stuff. I just had to put it in play. It worked out for a grand slam.
"That was the first time I ever faced him. I now know what his slider and changeup look like. He has good stuff. I was in there battling to help the team win."
The grand slam was Maxwell's second of his career. The first came during his rookie season on Sept. 11, 2007, against the Marlins.
"This one is going to be better, because we won the game," Maxwell said. "I remember my first one. We took the lead on my grand slam, and we ended up losing the game. I think the walk-off [homer] is the best thing in sports -- by far. This is definitely better."
For Rodriguez, he was understandably upset after blowing the save.
"It feels like all your work you [do] the whole year just go away pretty much in one pitch," Rodriguez said. "All the fans that were watching that poor effort that I got out there, I just apologize. I was really embarrassed. I got to suck it up and keep working hard and make sure that won't happen again.
"I was too fine. You cannot be too fine at all. You just got to make one pitch, and I have plenty of time and plenty of opportunity to make just one, and unfortunately, I didn't. It was really embarrassing."
It looked like Mets right-hander Tim Redding was going to notch a win, pitching six innings and allowing up one run on four hits.
Nationals left-hander John Lannan was nearly as good, lasting seven innings and giving up three runs (two earned). With runners on second and third and no outs in the second, Fernando Tatis hit a sacrifice fly to send Carlos Beltran home. Omir Santos followed and singled to center to drive in Jeff Francoeur.
Thanks to errors by Ryan Zimmerman and Ian Desmond, the Mets scored their third run on a single by Beltran in the sixth.
The Nationals made it a one-run game in the bottom of the eighth inning, when Zimmerman took a Bobby Parnell pitch and hit his 33rd home run over the center-field fence.
But 23,944 fans hung around and watched the Nationals win their 55th game of the season.
"There is no way I could explain how good a feeling that is," Nationals interim manager Jim Riggleman said. "The fans' excitement, and the players' excitement speaks for themselves.
"It's just indicative of what we have been doing. We have been playing hard. Guys have been battling. It seems we had so many games where we were in those situations -- win or lose. If they were down early, they really hung in there and gave us quality at-bats to get in the game. It has been so many nights. That excitement there is what is in store for the future here."
Bill Ladson is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
