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Espinosa lifts Nationals over Padres

Jun 13, 2011 - 1:08 AM San Diego, CA (Sports Network) - Danny Espinosa launched a sacrifice fly in the ninth inning for the deciding factor in Washington's 2-0 victory over San Diego to take three out of a four-game set.

Todd Coffey (2-0) earned the win with a scoreless inning of relief for starter Jordan Zimmermann. Zimmermann fanned 10 through seven shut out innings, allowing four hits and a walk in the Nationals' fifth win in eight games.

"I'm just proud of the way we played. The way we battled out there today. The way we pitched and played defense. You do a lot of little things and you come away with a win. It's good for the ballclub," Nationals manager Jim Riggleman said about the win.

Heath Bell (2-3) took the loss when he allowed the deciding runs in the ninth. Tim Stauffer started the game and threw seven scoreless innings, allowing five hits and three walks while striking out five for the Padres, losers in five of their last seven contests.

After falling short several times throughout the game, the Nationals finally got the clutch hit they were looking for in the ninth. Washington loaded the bases off of Bell with one out on a pinch-hit single by Matt Stairs, a single by Alex Cora and a walk by Jayson Werth. Espinosa then sent a ball to deep right field that allowed pinch-runner Brian Bixler to cross the plate for the game's first run.

Laynce Nix followed with a base hit to score Cora, but Werth was thrown out at home when he tried to score as well to end the inning and make the score 2-0.

Drew Storen pitched a scoreless ninth for his 15th save of the year.

The Nationals had bases loaded in the first, a man on third in the second, runners on second and third in the fifth, a runner on third in the sixth, runners on second and third in the seventh and man on third in the eighth. But each time they could not find a way to push a run across until they broke through in the ninth.

"When we're going out there and getting the pitching and defense that we are, you feel like you should be getting some of those games. I think that's the most frustrating thing about it," Padres third baseman Chase Headley said about the loss.

San Diego's best chance to score came in the second inning after they loaded the bases with one out. Anthony Rizzo walked, Nick Hundley reached base on an infield single and Will Venable singled to fill the bags. But Alberto Gonzalez and Tim Stauffer both struck out to end the inning.

Game Notes

San Diego was shut out for the 11th time this season...The Padres fell to 16-9 this season in day games...The Nationals finished their 11-game road trip 6-5...San Diego, which had 11 strikeouts as a team, struck out eight or more times in six times during its 11-game homestand. They finished 5-6 in that span...Washington went 1-for-13 with runners in scoring position and stranded 10 while the Padres hit 1-for-7 in those situations and stranded six.