64th Plate Appearance

Ubaldo and his high socks stand tall on the mound, awaiting Adam's return to the arena.

Adam takes a deep sigh. Sentiment is therewise banished from his rectangular domain. Adam is fully, actively, gum-smackingly in the moment.

Ubaldo's 97-mph pirahnas nibble the inside of the zone, inducing by a thousand bites a 2-2 count. As he sets his feet, Adam swings THB low at the knees. He's ready to cook some fish.

Ubaldo sends a slider down the stream. And yea, though Adam's momentous chop could cleave the waters, it cannot hack this slider.

60th Plate Appearance

Teammates Morgan and Zimmy, besting the fool Hammel, reside on 2nd and 1st bases respectively. Adam points his bat to the outfield - "Thattaway" says he.

First ball absurdly low. The giant smiles. Second ball whistles foul at 100 times 100 miles per hour. It rests in the seats until a passing Washingtonian happens upon it. Adam inspects Thunderhammerbat in admiration.

Next pitch pulled down the line, past the bumbling Giambi, to the outfield. Morgan is driven home easily while Lil Zimmy, wafted on the wind of fate, scurries home and avoids the tag.

A two-run double! The critics hide their faces, and scuttle back to their dark and dirty places.

56th Plate Appearance

Little Zimmy's Adam-prenticeship is in full bloom, for the Mighty RyRy has just taken a Dunn count payoff pitch and sent it on a perfect parabola into the Rockies bullpen.

Flushed with pedagogic pride, Adam takes his own mighty rip on the first pitch.

Thunderhammerbat sends it bouncing fast down the first base line, and the ball stuns Todd Helton. He can only barely manage to knock the ball to the ground, paw it with his now-thoroughly-numbed bare hand, and flip it to de La Rosa at the bag.

49th Plate Appearance

Since Adam last saw home plate, the Nationals have scratched two more runs out of the Brewers, and Milwaukee has answered with one more. It's 11-7 as Adam gets one more chance to decimate the nine-PA baseless streak he has going in this series vs. the Brewers.

Little Zimmy has grounded out ahead of Adam to leave the bases empty. Adam's first pitch from Carlos Villanueva chips the inside corner for a strike. The second pitch finds its way down in the zone, and--did I just hear a peal of thunder?! Adam lifts a liner to center field.

Adam returns to his favorite base on the diamond, and exchanges a respectful nod with Fielder.

48th Plate Appearance

The Brewers started this game by scoring ten runs, the most they've ever recorded in a first inning, and more than they have in any inning over the past eight years. But, undaunted, and burning with the desire to honorably serve their polis, the Nationals have answered with five runs over the intervening innings. Little Zimmy starts the Washington half of the 7th by looking at a strikeout. It's a golden opportunity for Adam to lead the charge.

Adam jumps on the first pitch from Claudio Vargas, and it screams, a line drive down the first base line.

Fielder nimbly pivots and catches the liner on the fly.