Game 12: Astros at Nats, April 17, 2012

Gio Gonzalez tossed his first HOV-3 of 2012.
Getty Images/Greg Fiume

Gio Gonzalez had an impressive performance and earned his first win as a Nat, and Brad Lidge saved it for him.  The Nats spun another shutout in 2012 and beat the Astros 1-0.  For their efforts, the club improved to an astounding 9-3 and guaranteed that, once again, they would not lose a series.

Second Inning: It has been reported that the Nats’ starters are very competitive with one another.  If that is true, then Gonzalez did his best to keep up with Edwin Jackson.  After Jackson pitched the first HOV-3 by a starter three days prior, Gonzalez threw his own.  He sat down Chris Johnson, Travis Buck, and Chris Snyder to keep pace.

Game 11: Astros at Nats, April 16, 2012

Stephen Strasburg sent five batters down K Street.
Getty Images/Greg Fiume

Stephen Strasburg earned his second win of the season, and the Nats took it to the Astros as they improved their record to 8-3.  For the second time in as many nights, the pitching staff struck out ten opposing batters, including their hundredth of the young season.  Henry Rodriguez earned his second save of the season.

First Inning: Strasburg finished the first inning with an HOV-2 by striking out Jed Lowrie and J. D. Martinez swinging.  Martinez became the hundredth visitor to K Street with this first trip.

Third Inning: Strasburg sat down Jordan Schafer looking.

Game 10: Reds at Nats, April 15, 2012

Series E-ZPass winner Drew Stubbs.
Getty Images/Rob Carr

The Nats were hard-luck losers on Jackie Robinson Day, the victims of some dubious calls early in the game.  They dropped the series finale 8-5 to the Reds to lower their record to 7-3.  Despite the loss, the pitching staff recorded double-digit Ks (not to mention the Ks that should have been).  The Traffic Report saw the congestion on K Street for the first time this season.

First Inning: Joey Votto got an early look at K Street when Ross Detwiler set him down in the first.

Fourth Inning: Detwiler fanned Jay Bruce to start the fourth.

Game 9: Reds at Nats, April 14, 2012

Edwin Jackson recorded the first HOV-3 by a starter.
AP/Susan Walsh

Edwin Jackson tossed the first complete game of the young season and earned his first win.  The Nats ran their record to 7-2 and won their third straight series.  Jackson sent nine more batters down K Street.  Just another day in Nats Town.

Third Inning: Jackson sent his counterpart, Homer Bailey, and ex-Nat Willie Harris down K Street to get his first HOV-2 of the night.

Sixth Inning: Apparently Bailey didn’t get to enjoy the view quite enough because he decided to stroll down K Street on his very next at-bat.

Game 8: Reds at Nats, April 13, 2012

Craig Stammen tossed his second HOV-3 in two days.
US Presswire

Craig Stammen earned his second consecutive victory by pitching another HOV-3 in extra innings.  The Nats improved to 6-2 by beating the Cincinnati Reds 2-1 in thirteen innings.  Jordan Zimmermann started with seven strong innings, but he was a victim of no run support because Bronson Arroyo pitched just as well as Zimmermann did.

Second Inning: Zimmermann started the second inning by getting Jay Bruce to strike out swinging.

Fifth Inning: Zimmermann set down Drew Stubbs to end the fifth inning.

Game 7: Reds at Nats, April 12, 2012

Craig Stammen in the middle of tossing an HOV-3 in the tenth.
The Washington Post/John McDonnell

The Nats followed up their fifteen-strikeout effort with twelve Ks in ten innings to win their home opener against the visiting Cincinnati Reds and run their record to 5-2.  Gio Gonzalez struck out seven Reds in seven innings and ran his HOV-2 count to four.  Craig Stammen earned the win after throwing an HOV-3 in the tenth inning.

First Inning: Gonzalez began the game by striking out Drew Stubbs looking and followed it up by ringing up Joey Votto to earn his first HOV-2.

Third Inning: Zack Cozart swung his way onto K Street to end the third inning.

Game 6: Nats at Mets, April 11, 2012

Series E-ZPass winner Jason Bay.
US Presswire/Debby Wong

The Nats won their second series of the young 2012 season, and the pitching staff threw their first shutout of the year when they blanked the New York Mets 4-0.  The Nats improved their record to 4-2 when Stephen Strasburg and three relievers combined for an otherworldly fifteen strikeouts and six HOV-2s.

First Inning: Ike Davis was the first Met to visit K Street when Strasburg rung him up looking.

Second Inning: Strasburg followed up that backwards K with an HOV-2 after he struck out both Kirk Nieuwenhuis and Ronny Cedeno looking.