*The Umpire Strikes Back: (asterisk) Nats 4, Phils 3 in 11.

On National Star Wars Day Joe West and his Diahrea Davey Johnson and the Washington Nationals officially shut the window this evening, and took their rightful place upon the top of the National league east pecking order by defeating the Phillies by a score of 4-3 in 11 innings.

With the two most dynamic young players in the game, 19 year old Bryce Harper batting third, and Phenom Stephen Strasburg on the hill, the outcome really was written in the stars In fact, the massive over match we saw tonight, was so predetermined, that Charlie Manuel started Kyle Kendrick in place of a totally ready but not worth the blow to his stats an injured Cliff Lee.

In fact, the game was so brutally lopsided coming in, Joe West didn't even bother to show up to work. So we played 1 ump short. This had absolutely no bearing on the outcome of the game, as the umpiring was flawless the rest of the way*

After Strasburg struck out Rollins and retired the side in order in the top of the first, and Harper showed eagle eyed professional hittin' like discipline with his first of three walks on the night, Charlie faked an argument to get himself ejected so as to let his Bench coaches deal with this hot pile of dung.

Kyle Kendrick was Kyle Kendrick for 5 fairly solid innings, giving up 1 run on 7 hits, with 2 walks and 2 K's. The sole run coming on a Bryce Harper Chad Tracy Home run in the 4th. Kendrick made things interesting along the way, by letting lots of runners get on base, and then inducing double plays to end the inning twice, and striking out Werth with the bases loaded to end the 3rd. A typical Kyle Kendrick start.

Stephen Strasburg hurt RPT's FIP scattered 3 hits over 6 innings limited innings, walked one and struck out 4. 2 of those hits, however were home runs to right handed batters, (Pence and Ruiz) only the 2nd and 3rd time in his career that a RHB has homered off of him.

Kendrick handed a 3-1 lead to Joe Savery in the 6th. and by the time the inning was done, A run had scored, Jose Contreras hit a batter on the kneecap, and at least one more would have scored if Jimmy Rollins hadn't made what may be my early contender for play of the year, with an absolutely brilliant diving grab of an Ian Desmond single. If you missed the game, this is really the only thing worth watching, and you should, if just to see how he caught Rick Ankiel rounding too hard at third, and his throw to polly to end the inning

Nothing happened worth talking about in the top of the seventh inning*

Antonio Bastardo, last years lights out set up guy for Ryan Madson, came out for the seventh inning, and was lights out. striking out the Phenom and everything.

Chad Qualls, this years set up guy for Jonathan Papelbon, was not so lights out. He threw 16 pitches to 7 batters. 5 were strikes. 2 hits, 2 walks, 1 run 1 blown save.

The Nats brought in their own lights out closer, Henry Rodriguez in the 9th inning, and after walking Shane Victorino on four straight pitches to start the inning, he was pretty much lights out, striking out Wiggy and Ruiz. and getting Galvis to pop out. In fact, Tyler Clippard was lights out in the 10th, and Ryan Perry held his own in the 11th.

We countered by Sending out Michael Schwimmer for three innings, while letting Jonathan Papelbon rot on the bench on the road. In the end, Schwimmer loaded the bases in the 11th and really, did anyone expect a different outcome when he came back out?

This is normally where I blame Charlie, but at least he had the foresight to get kicked out in the first so as not to have to watch this travesty of a game. And really, the bullpen sucked pretty bad tonight, save The bASStard and Papelbon, who, you know, DIDN'T PITCH.

Once again, the umpiring was FLAWLESS!!*

Not gonna complain about it, we brought this on ourselves!*

*after the jump

*I am marking this game with an asterisk. We win 4-3. ARE YOU F'ING KIDDING ME? Not only were the swing calls atrocious, how in the name of Babe Ruth can you call that ball foul in the 7th? Ok, Ok! Forget about that. HOW DO YOU CALL A GUY OUT ON A SLIDE WHEN THE GLOVE NEVER TOUCHED HIM FROM A BASE AWAY??

WHAT IS THIS A LITTLE LEAGUE GAME?

And seriously. How does MLB not have another umpire there when its a game like this? Id protest. I am so freaking pissed I want to scream!! I never get like this. Never. I'm cool. I'm calm, I'm collected. I understand the human nature of the game.

BUT IF I HADN'T PAID OVER $1,000 FOR MY TV I'D THROW MY FREAKING COMPUTER THROUGH THE SCREEN RIGHT NOW!!

I HATE JOE WEST. I HATE HIM REAL GOOD.

Somebody else do the stupid fan graph. I don't wanna look at it and its ugly stupid inverse line of umpire crap!

We play tomorrow. Someone pitches against someone. In Washington. I'm too pissed to look it up.

Catz Out.