LiveBlogging the NBA Draft

On June 16, 1986?

I was a sophomore at St.Joe's Prep probably sweating out a geometry exam or celebrating that I somehow got a 70 in it. Didn't mind Latin, but I hated geometry.

On June 16, 1986 Jamie Moyer, today's starter, was throwing the first pitch of his major-league career. Moyer was with the Cubs and making his debut at Wrigley Field against, ironically, the Phillies.

Phils outfielder Ron Roenicke greeted him by doubling. Moyer settled down somewhat and pitched into the seventh inning. He outpitched Steve Carlton for the first of his 230 career wins as the Cubs beat the Phils, 7-5. So what if Lefty was in the twilight of his career. Beating a Hall of Famer that you grew up cheering for was an unbelievable way for Moyer, the Sellersville, Pa. native, to begin his career. And it's much, much better than fumbling around with the bleepin' Pythagorean theorem.

So where were you on June 16, 1986?

With today being a day game after a night game, both backup catchers will start. It'll be the first time Chris Coste has started a game as Jamie Moyer's battery mate since July 7, 2007 -- a 6-3 loss at Colorado.

Nationals manager Manny Acta is giving first baseman Nick Johnson a breather as well. Johnson missed all of 2007 with a broken leg.

For Washington:
1. Christian Guzman ss; 2. Lastings Milledge cf; 3. Ryan Zimmerman 3b; 4. Austin Kearns rf; 5. Aaron Boone 1b; 6. Ronnie Belliard 2b; 7. Felipe Lopez lf; 8. Jesus Flores c; 9. Jason Bergmann rhp.

For the Phillies:
1. Jimmy Rollins ss; 2. Shane Victorino cf; 3. Chase Utley 2b; 4. Ryan Howard 1b; 5. Pat Burrell lf; 6. Geoff Jenkins rf; 7. Pedro Feliz 3b; 8. Chris Coste c; 9. Jamie Moyer lhp

It's a brisk 49 degrees here at the Park and the Nationals are rallying already.

Cristian Guzman led off with a double to deep right and Lastings Milledge beat out an infield single that Ryan Howard should have made the play on. It was a slow bounder and Jimmy Rollins had to hurry. The throw wasn't perfect, but Howard should have made the play.

Washington scores when Chase Utley's doubleplay relay throw is wide of first base allowing Guzman to score.

On Monday, it was the Phillies bullpen that let them down. Last night, the offense managed just one hit. Today, the defense comes out shaky. RBI single by Aaron Boone.

The Nats continue to punish the Phils for their defensive lapses as Ronnie Belliard drills a two-run double. A pop-out by Felipe Lopez generates sarcastic cheers from the crowd.

RBI double by Jesus Flores makes it 5-0 before Moyer gets pitcher Jason Bergmann to strikeout swinging to end the rather ugly inning.

Now here's something you get with Jimmy Rollins as your leadoff hitter. Down 5-0, Rollins swings at the first pitch and, though he hit it hard, lined out to second base.

Impossible to gripe with a guy who won the MVP award last year, but a true leadoff hitter takes a few pitches there. Again, I realize Rollins isn't a true leadoff guy, but in that instance, I wouldn't mind seeing him make Bergmann work a little.

Victorino and Utley follow with soft popups to end it. Moyer threw 27 pitches in the first inning; Bergmann 8.

Moyer is wild in the strikezone and leaves one up that Guzman drills for his second double of the game. Milledge legs out an infield single. Rollins had no shot at getting Milledge, but it's concerning that Howard once again dropped the throw. First and second for the Nats, no outs.

The Phils bullpen already is stirring.

Moyer turns a possible doubleplay into an error after knocking a ball down and throwing late to first. That's three errors in an inning-plus. What in the name of Manny Trillo is going on here?

All we had to do is invoke Manny Trillo's name. Moyer makes a great play on a comebacker to start a 1-2-3 doubleplay. Moyer gets Kearns to strikeout. Chad Durbin is ready to relieve Moyer. It remains to be seen if the veteran lefty's rally at the end of the inning bought him some time. Would you make the move if you were Charlie? I wouldn't, yet.

The Phils go quietly, though Geoff Jenkins did get the Phillies first hit.

OK, let's get a trivia question going. Who are the four active pitchers with more wins than Jamie Moyer?

Moyer is back out there and he starts the inning by getting Ronnie Belliard to strikeout. After a double to Flores, Moyer retires the side on a groundout to short in which Ryan Howard uses two hands to grab. Give Flores credit for turning over the lineup

Glavine, Johnson, Maddux are correct, but not Schill.

Chris Coste gets the Phils on the board with a solo homer to left. Maybe that second-inning 1-2-3 doubleplay snapped the Phils out of their early funk. Moyer will bat.

Jamie Moyer strikes out feebly. Throw in that iron glove that Ryan Howard is wearing today and you can see why the AL has the DH. Hate the DH rule, though.

After a Rollins popout, Victorino walks. Let's see if he's on the move.

Victorino stayed put as Utley popped out to left.

Moyer's at 60 pitches. With any luck, the Phils can get another two innings out of him (or one if his turn to bat comes up).

Pedro Feliz boots a Guzman grounder giving the Phillies their fourth error of the game. Ironically, the only infielder without an error today is Howard, who, by the way, dropped Feliz's throw.

All these extra outs are killing the Phils.

It looked like Moyer was getting out of the inning, but a borderline third strike was called a ball and the next pitch was deposited into rightfield by Kearns for an RBI single. Really wish Geoff Jenkins would have thrown to second instead of trying to get the speedy Milledge. The throw home, which was off line and not terribly close, allowed Kearns to move up to second.

Chad Durbin comes in and gets Aaron Boone on a weak grounder. Rally caps on.

A little housecleaning here. Mike Mussina (250) was the fourth guy with more wins than Jamie Moyer (230). Maddux (347), Glavine (303) and Johnson (250) are the others.

The Nationals go into the shift that leaves the right side of the infield wide open. Howard fouls off a bunt attempt. Not a bad idea considering the Phils do need base runners, but would be curious what you think. (He subsequently struck out.)

Jason Bergmann then fanned Burrell and Jenkins for his fifth strikeout of the day.

Durbin has an efficient fifth inning, getting Flores to end it with a 1-6-3 doubleplay. He's due to bat fourth in the bottom of the inning.

The Phillies are making errors, so why can't I? Durbin was scheduled to hit third, not fourth. So Taguchi is hitting for him. E: Barkowitz.

Taguchi fanned and Rollins flied out softly to left. There is one interesting development: the Rudy Seanez era is about to begin.

The Phanatic spent the intermission between innings firing hot dogs out of that machine of his. He shot one at the Phillies infield and they misplayed it. (Bada Bing.)

Seanez is on to face Nats pitcher Jason Bergmann. If he gives up a hit here, he'll probably get booed ... Jenkins makes a great catch on a sinking liner by Bergmann to bail out Seanez. All kidding aside, that was a heckuva play.

Perhaps inspired, Ryan Howard makes a terrific stretch on a grounder in front of the plate to get Cristian Guzman for the second out of the inning. So much for that hotdog joke.

Utley and Howard rip a pair of one-out singles as the Phils have their first rally of the day. Pat Burrell up.

Burrell hits one down the line that rolls just inside the bag. Utley scored, but first base coach Jerry Martin must have handed Burrell a piano as he was rounding first. Burrell might be the only guy on the roster who couldn't have gotten a double on that hit.

Bergmann is right around 90 pitches as the Nats get Saul Rivera up in the 'pen.

Jenkins singles in Howard and Rivera is coming in.

Rivera comes in and promptly uncorks a key wild pitch that takes the doubleplay out of play. Two-run single by Feliz under shortstop Guzman's glove. It's the fifth consecutive hit for the Phils' offense.

After a Coste single, pinch-hitter Greg Dobbs ties it with the seventh consecutive single. Dobbs' hit scored scored Feliz, but leftfielder Felipe Lopez made a fine play holding Dobbs to a single and keeping Coste on second with one out.

After a Rollins HBP, Victorino gets his first hit of the year to give the Phils the lead. Bases juiced, Utley coming up.

Utley grounds into a doubleplay ending the rally.

Ryan Madson on the hill for the Phils. Here's a guy that really could use a strong outing. The victory is within the Phillies grasp, it's up to the bullpen now.

Oh, and oots69 (I think) was pointing out a Phils record from last year. They were 1-5 in Thursday day games at home last year, 3-5 overall. Now THAT'S a fan.

Madson has an 11-pitch inning to retire the side in order. How about if Charlie brings Madson back for the eighth and uses Romero to pitch the ninth? Go on philly.com and see the lead item from Bill Conlin's column from Wednesday.

Howard starts off the inning by drilling a single through the overshift. With the righthanded Pat Burrell coming up, Nats manager is bringing in righty Joel Hanrahan. Looking ahead, he'll probably stay in to face Jenkins. Would be nice if Burrell avoids a doubleplay here.

Burrell not only avoids the doubleplay, but doubles to set up second and third. Adam Eaton, yes ADAM EATON, is in to pinch run for Burrell. OK, best line about Adam Eaton pinch-running for Burrell gets a special mention in the postgame wrapup. Make it good. One entry per email address.

The Phils strand the runners. Hope it doesn't come back to bite them like it did Monday. Romero warming up. Not sure who's pitching yet, though.

Madson is staying in to start the inning. Jayson Werth replaced Burrell in left. Had Coste gotten on, Madson would have been lifted for Werth, who was on deck. Let's see what the baseball gods have in mind for the Phils today. They usually don't look favorably on teams that commit four errors and strand runners late in the game.

A leadoff walk and a one-out single has the anxiety level ratcheted up. J.C. Romero is coming in to face pinch-hitter Paul Lo Duca.

Lo Duca popped out, but Guzman singled through the right side to tie it. The run is charged to Madson.

Milledge with an infield single when Feliz makes a nice play to stop a grounder, but hesitated slightly. He looked at second, before throwing way late to first. He did save the run by keeping the ball in the infield. Bases juiced.

Romero gets the dangerous Ryan Zimmerman to ground out to end the inning. Two hours, 45 minutes and we're right back to where we started. Eric Bruntlett will pinch hit to lead off the bottom of the inning.

Bruntlett with a leadoff single. J. Roll with a good chance to help get the first of those 100 wins he was talking about.

Rollins ground out, but made Luis Ayala throw 11 pitches and moved Bruntlett over to second. Good at-bat.

They're walking Utley here and might walk Howard to get to the righty Werth. Interesting.

Forget it, they're pitching to Howard.

Of course, Ayala's first pitch is wild and they WILL walk Howard to load up the bases.

Werth grounds out as the Phils leave three more stranded. Flash Gordon coming in.

Austin Kearns leading off with dangerous lefty Nick Johnson on deck to pinch hit for Aaron Boone.

A 2-2 fastball that home plate umpire Brian O'Nora squeezed Gordon on. Not a good omen.

Gordon fools Kearns with a nasty curve ball. That IS a good omen. Football cornerbacks and baseball relievers better have short memories.

Johnson drills a single off the glove of a diving Chase Utley.
The linescore for each team: Washington 7-14-0, Phillies 7-14-4

A walk to Belliard leads to a visit from pitching coach Rich Dubee. After a flyout, Gordon issues another walk. Bases juiced for pinch-hitter Willie Harris.

Never a doubt. Harris grounds out, Howard to Gordon (another adventure altogether). If this thing goes extra innings, Clay Condrey almost certainly would pitch the 10th.

My scorecard is a mess. I think Jenkins is leading off for the Phils.

Jenkins leads off with a double. Now let's see if Pedro Feliz can get a bunt down here. Author Chris Coste is on deck.

Not only doesn't Feliz bunt, but he pops up on the FIRST BLEEPIN' PITCH. What's wrong with making the pitcher work a little bit? Make him sweat. It's Jesus Colome out there, not Mariano Rivera.

Coste works a walk and Carlos Ruiz, the last position player left on the Phillies roster according to my scratched out scorecard. First and second, one out.

Ruiz grounds into a 6-3 doubleplay. We're going to the 10th. That's two more left on base by the home club.

Ruiz will stay in and Condrey enters in a roundabout double-switch. Condrey will hit eighth.

Condrey breezes through the top of the Nationals order, striking out Milledge and Zimmerman. Phils send up the top of their lineup against Colome.

J. Roll, 0-for-4, has to get on base here.

After getting in an 0-2 hole, Rollins singles. Will Victorino bunt?

Victorino bunts and Rollins takes advantage of the Nationals not covering third and dives in headfirst. Not sure what the shortstop (Guzman) was doing. They walked Utley and Howard. It's up to Werth. Bases loaded, one out. Nobody up in the Nats bullpen.

That was a tremendous play by Rollins, by the way.

Werth walks on four pitches. Phils win! ... See what happens when you take a few pitches on Jesus bleepin' Colome.

They keep this up, dollar dog day will be replaced by all you can eat Pepcid AC.

Want to thank everybody who joined in. My favorite Adam Eaton/pinch-running comment came from slauber67 who noted that "Apparently Charlie believes Eatons legs move better than his fastball." Good stuff.

My three stars of the game are 1.Clay Condrey, 2. Jimmy Rollins, 3. Jesus Flores. Chad Durbin (1 1/3 scoreless innings) also came up huge. The goat of the game is Guzman, who had three hits but failed to cover third on the biggest play of the game. He bailed out Jamie Moyer, who gave up nine hits and six runs in 3 2/3.

Thanks to all who joined in. Don't forget to post your stars/goats of the game.

-- Ed B.