The Washington Times’ Ken Wright takes time out from selling flowers by the exit ramp to deliver the following tidbit about the (not-as-sucky-as-the-Phillies) Nationals.
Manager Manny Acta (above) said he hopes Jerome Williams’ comments following Tuesday’s loss to Atlanta were a result of the heat of the moment.
Minutes after the 6-4 loss, Williams told a group of reporters he’s “not confident” when pitching.
“He talked too quick,” Acta said. “He didn’t think [through] what he was saying, because that doesn’t send the right message to me or the rest of the league.”
Williams allowed three runs in the first inning but allowed just one over the next four.
“I’m not confident out there,” Williams said after the game. “They gave me a shot to be a part of this rotation, and they gave me a shot to be here, and I’m not taking advantage of it. I’ve got to go out there and pitch the way I was pitching before and prove to people I belong here and prove to people I’m a good pitcher.”
Acta said Williams (0-3, 5.63 ERA) lets his emotions take over on the mound.
“I had a talk with him in the middle of the game yesterday about showing his emotions and being so mad out there,” Acta said. “I don’t think being mad helps anybody. I don’t think when people are mad they can think straight. I actually kind of threw a weird example to him that when people commit murder they are not in the right frame of mind. And then, the next day after they get collected, they’re like ‘what have I done,’ but you’re already going away for 30 years.”
In this afternoon’s battle for the heart and soul of the NL Least, Jamie Moyer has held the Nats to a pair of hits, while Aaron Rowand connected off John Patterson for his first HR of the season, as Philadelphia leads Washington, 4-0 through 8 innings.
In the Bronx, Yankee reliever Luis Vizcaino has had a nightmare 7th inning, allowing 4 earned runs on 2 hits and a pair of walks, the fatal blow being a 3 run blast by the Indians’ Victor Martinez. Cleveland holds a 5-2 advantage in the top of the 7th.
Boston scored a pair of runs in both the 8th and 9th innings today for in a 5-3 comeback victory over the Blue Jays.Manny Ramirez ended his HR drought with a two-run shot off Toronto’s Shawn Marcum, while Jonathan Papelbon pitched a scoreless 9th for his 4th save, having induced Alex Rios to fly out to right with Greg Zaun stranded on 2nd.