Redding Leads Nationals Past Phillies

[April 03, 2008]  PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- Tim Redding took a one-hitter into the eighth inning and Ryan Zimmerman hit a solo homer to help the Washington Nationals stay unbeaten with a 1-0 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday night.

Redding allowed just a single by Pedro Feliz in the second inning and walked three batters in seven innings. He outpitched Cole Hamels, who gave up one run and five hits in eight innings.

Redding retired 14 straight batters after Feliz grounded a single to center. He walked Ryan Howard in the seventh and left after walking Geoff Jenkins to start the bottom of the eighth.

Luis Ayala came in and retired the next three batters. Jon Rauch pitched a perfect ninth for his first save in two tries. Rauch got the win in the opener after blowing a save while filling in for ailing closer Chad Cordero.

The Nationals are 3-0 for the first time since 2003, when they were the Montreal Expos.

The defending NL East champion Phillies fell to 0-2. Poor starts are nothing new in Philadelphia. The Phillies opened 1-6 three times in the last four years and were 4-11 after 15 games last season.

Zimmerman gave the Nationals the only run they'd need with his second homer in the sixth. He hit a 1-2 pitch the opposite way into the right-field stands leading off the inning.

Zimmerman also made an outstanding defensive play at third base to prevent trouble in the seventh. He started an inning-ending double play with a diving stop on a hard shot by Pat Burrell.

It was Zimmerman who hit a solo homer with two outs in the bottom of the ninth to give Washington a 3-2 victory over Atlanta in the debut of $611 million Nationals Park on Sunday night.

A 30-year-old right-hander pitching for his fourth team in the majors, Redding shut down a potent lineup that's led the league in runs the last two seasons.

Redding improved to 2-1 with a 2.19 ERA in seven starts against the Phillies. He was just 3-6 in 15 starts in his first season with the Nationals last year, but should've had a better record because his ERA was only 3.64.

Hamels, an All-Star in his first full season in the majors last year, was sharp. But the left-hander made one mistake more than Redding.

Notes: Nationals GM Jim Bowden said there's no timetable on a return for LF Elijah Dukes, who was put on the DL after straining his right hamstring in the season opener. ... The Phillies had been 6-0 when Hamels pitched at least six innings against Washington. Hamels is 4-2 with a 2.49 ERA in 10 starts against the Nats.

[Associated Press; By ROB MAADDI]

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