Kearns delivers walk-off win vs. Padres

By Mark Selig / MLB.com

WASHINGTON -- When Austin Kearns stepped up to bat with two outs and two on in the bottom of the 10th inning at Nationals Park on Sunday, it wasn't a foregone conclusion that the contest would extend to an 11th inning, but that circumstance was certainly the most plausible.

Kearns, who was batting in the fourth slot as a defensive replacement in the ninth, went into the at-bat hitting .196. He had not driven in a run all month.

But in came a fastball from Padres reliever Greg Burke, out went a sharp line drive to the right-center field, and home came Nyjer Morgan from second base, giving the Nationals a 3-2 victory and Kearns the biggest hit of his season.

Kearns delivers walk-off win vs. Padres....

San Diego AB R H RBI BB SO LOB AVG
Cabrera, E, SS 4 0 1 0 1 0 1 .237
Venable, CF 4 1 1 0 0 1 1 .218
Headley, LF 4 0 0 0 0 1 2 .235
Kouzmanoff, 3B 4 0 1 1 0 0 1 .244
Blanks, RF 4 1 1 1 0 0 1 .191
Salazar, O, 1B 3 0 0 0 0 1 0 .341
Gonzalez, A, 1B 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .246
Rodriguez, L, 2B 4 0 1 0 0 0 0 .200
Alfonzo, C 4 0 2 0 0 0 0 .205
Gaudin, P 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 .037
a-Gwynn, PH 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .289
Gregerson, P 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
Adams, M, P 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
b-Macias, D, PH 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 .188
Burke, G, P 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
Totals 36 2 7 2 1 3 9

a-Flied out for Gaudin in the 8th. b-Flied out for Adams, M in the 10th.

BATTING
2B: Venable (6, Lannan), Kouzmanoff (18, Lannan).
HR: Blanks (3, 9th inning off MacDougal, 0 on, 2 out).
TB: Cabrera, E; Venable 2; Kouzmanoff 2; Blanks 4; Rodriguez, L; Alfonzo 2.
RBI: Kouzmanoff (53), Blanks (8).
2-out RBI: Kouzmanoff; Blanks.
Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Kouzmanoff; Gaudin; Blanks.
Team RISP: 1-for-6.
Team LOB: 5.

BASERUNNING
SB: Cabrera, E (11, 2nd base off Lannan/Bard, J).
PO: Cabrera, E (1st base by Lannan).

FIELDING
E: Rodriguez, L (5, missed catch).
DP: (Gonzalez, A-Cabrera, E).


Washington AB R H RBI BB SO LOB AVG
Harris, W, CF-LF 2 1 1 0 2 0 1 .233
Johnson, N, 1B 4 0 0 0 1 0 2 .298
Zimmerman, R, 3B 5 0 0 0 0 3 6 .284
Dunn, A, LF 4 0 1 1 0 0 0 .275
Kearns, RF 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 .201
Willingham, RF 4 1 1 1 0 1 2 .291
MacDougal, P 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
Beimel, P 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
Bard, J, C 4 0 1 0 0 0 0 .262
Gonzalez, Al, SS 4 0 1 0 0 1 1 .296
Hernandez, A, 2B 4 0 0 0 0 1 1 .250
Lannan, P 2 0 2 0 0 0 0 .167
a-Morgan, PH-CF 2 1 1 0 0 0 0 .299
Totals 36 3 9 3 3 6 13

a-Flied out for Lannan in the 8th.

BATTING
HR: Willingham (14, 7th inning off Gaudin, 0 on, 0 out).
TB: Harris, W; Dunn, A; Kearns; Willingham 4; Bard, J; Gonzalez, Al; Lannan 2; Morgan.
RBI: Willingham (31), Dunn, A (71), Kearns (17).
2-out RBI: Dunn, A; Kearns.
Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Zimmerman, R; Willingham.
S: Harris, W.
GIDP: Hernandez, A.
Team RISP: 2-for-7.
Team LOB: 8.

BASERUNNING
CS: Harris, W (2, 2nd base by Gaudin/Alfonzo).

FIELDING
Pickoffs: Lannan (Cabrera, E at 1st base).


San Diego IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA
Gaudin 7.0 5 1 1 2 4 1 4.57
Gregerson 1.0 2 1 0 0 1 0 2.89
Adams, M 1.0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1.06
Burke, G (L, 2-3) 0.2 2 1 1 1 0 0 4.03

Washington IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA
Lannan 8.0 5 1 1 1 2 0 3.25
MacDougal (BS, 1) 1.1 2 1 1 0 1 1 4.05
Beimel (W, 1-5) 0.2 0 0 0 0 0 0 3.43

IBB: Johnson, N (by Burke, G).
Pitches-strikes: Gaudin 98-61, Gregerson 26-19, Adams, M 16-13, Burke, G 13-6, Lannan 81-59, MacDougal 16-11, Beimel 7-3.
Groundouts-flyouts: Gaudin 8-8, Gregerson 0-2, Adams, M 2-0, Burke, G 1-1, Lannan 11-10, MacDougal 1-2, Beimel 0-2.
Batters faced: Gaudin 26, Gregerson 6, Adams, M 3, Burke, G 5, Lannan 29, MacDougal 6, Beimel 2.
Inherited runners-scored: Beimel 1-0.
Umpires: HP: Chad Fairchild. 1B: John Hirschbeck. 2B: Marty Foster. 3B: Wally Bell.
Weather: 86 degrees, cloudy.
Wind: 4 mph, Out to LF.
T: 2:48.
Att: 20,747.
July 26, 2009