5/30/06 Ryan, Ryan and Lastings

May 30, 2006

    

Ryan Zimmerman of the Washington Nationals and Ryan Howard of the Phillies both saw significant time in the Majors last season, Zimmerman filling in for the near legless Vinny Castilla, and Howard for a recovering Jim Thome. Zimmerman was up long enough to leave a good impression, Howard, long enough to win rookie of the year. But this season both players were told the starting positions, at third for Zimmerman, and first for Howard, were theirs to lose.

     Meanwhile…in another part of the country, Lastings Milledge is starting in right field for the New York Mets, in his Major League debut, in the second game of three at Shea Stadium. Milledge’s name came up in nearly every deal the Mets were involved in this season, but General Manager Omar Minaya wouldn’t let Milledge go, and with Xavier Nady sidelined, recovering from an emergency appendectomy, Milledge finally gets the call.                            

     Zimmerman’s bat is quickly catching up to his above average glove. Zimmerman pops up in his first at bat against the Phillies Brett Myers. Zimmerman’s welcome to the Majors moment might have been his game tying home run off Mets closer Billy Wagner in the second game of the season. Last season, the Nationals announcers noted that since switching from the collegiate ping of the aluminum bats, to the sweet crack of the wood, Zimmerman had inexplicably started hitting more home runs. Within the last few weeks fans have seen the same, and Zimmerman finds himself inserted in the clean-up spot in an admittedly injury filled team. So far for Zimmerman (before tonight’s game) a .277 AVG, 9 HR’s, 10 doubles, 1 triple, 4 SB’s, 32 RBI’s, and 46 K’s in 195 AB’s.

     Howard gets his first AB in the second against the Nationals starter Tony Armas. Howard has a home run pulled back from the top of the wall that Phillies center fielder Aaron Rowand ran into several weeks back. Howard, who doesn’t make it through a game without being compared to a young David Ortiz is quickly becoming one of the most feared hitters in the National League. Howard’s stats before the game, .304 AVG, 18 HR’s, 4 doubles, 47 RBI’s with 47 K’s in 181 AB’s.

     Lastings MIlledge, the so-called jewel of the Mets farm system will get his first AB of the season in the top of the second at Shea, coming up third against the Arizona Diamondbacks starter Miguel Batista. Two men on with Milledge coming to the plate, and he rips a line drive that is caught by the shortstop. Milledge got hold of that fastball, and his .291 AVG, 4 HR’s and 19 RBI’s at the Mets Triple-A affiliate in Roanoke VA, seem to warrant a call-up regardless of the circumstances.
     Zimmerman stares at a nasty Myer’s curve for strike three in the fourth. Howard, K’s swinging at a rising heater from Armas that Howard chases up in the zone. Milledge grounds out to third with Cliff Floyd in scoring position at second in the fourth inning in Queens. Zimmerman grounds out to short in the top of the seventh. Howard leads off the Phillies half of the seventh with a ground out to short. Lastings Milledge doubles to left on a sharp line drive in the seventh. The trainer collects the ball. Milledge’s first Major League hit off Miguel Batista. Milledge moves to third on a ground out, but is stranded there as the inning ends.

     Zimmerman grounds out to give the Philliies the 4-2 win. Marlon Byrd’s two-out home run in the eigth, is the only offense the Nationals can muster. Bobby Abreu’s 3-run homer is all the Phillies can get off Armas. Zimmerman goes 0 for 4. Howard 0 for 3. Milledge is 1 for 4 in lopsided Arizona win over the Mets.
      Ryan Zimmerman appeared almost every night last week on Baseball Tonight’s "Webgems", Howard is having a tough time in the field, but will be out there everyday the way he’s hitting, while Milledge will in time develop a style all his own, and a reputation for something other than being oft-mentioned in trade talk.

Nationals now 21-32.

Written by mlblogsdcdaily Posted in Dailies