It was a premium scoring opportunity for a Nationals team desperate for some semblance of a consistent offensive attack.
But that bases-loaded, one-out chance in the very first inning of Saturday afternoon’s game against the San Diego Padres disappeared as quickly as a 4-6-3 double play. There were still eight innings to go. But it proved to be Washington’s last, best hope against San Diego starter Tim Stauffer in a 2-1 loss at Nationals Park.
It was no surprise that two runs were enough in a series between two of Major League Baseball’s worst offensive clubs. That was also the final score of Friday night’s game – that one a Nats’ victory thanks to a Michael Morse walk-off home run. But Stauffer – a University of Richmond product – was too tough on Saturday, allowing just one run on four hits in seven innings.
He received just enough offensive support. Blake Tekotte, a rookie who had earlier registered his first big-league hit, tripled off the glove of Washington outfielder Jayson Werth for his first career RBI. Kyle Phillips – with just 14 major-league appearances to his name – then singled home another. It wasn’t exactly household names beating the Nats (22-29), who managed just seven base runners after the first. So did their spirits sag after that missed scoring chance?
| NATS NOTES |
| » Washington recalled reliever Collin Balester from Triple-A Syracuse on Saturday. He was sent back following the game and the test is expected to recall a starting pitcher. |
| » » With Tom Gorzelanny on the 15-day disabled list (elbow inflammation), the Nats have not officially announced a starter for Sunday’s game against the Padres. But both Yunesky Maya and Ross Detwiler, both at Syracuse, would be pitching on normal rest. |
| » Nats outfielder Laynce Nix saved a run in the top of the ninth inning when Chase Headley tried scoring from second base on a two-out single. The throw took one bounce into the glove of catcher Ivan Rodriguez, whose swipe tag came a split-second before Headley’s hand touched home plate. |
“We’re not that way at all. We don’t think that way,” said Washington outfielder Laynce Nix, who hit a solo homer in the seventh inning for his team’s only run. “We’ve got a lot of game to play and if we don’t come through early we believe we will in the end. We did it [Friday] night. So we don’t get down on ourselves when it doesn’t work out early. It’s a game of failure and we know how to come back from it every time.”
Nats starter Jordan Zimmermann (2-6, 3.88 ERA) pitched well in six innings. He threw 67 strikes on 100 pitches, allowing just those two earned runs. Both came in the fourth inning. Zimmermann has given up four earned runs in his last two starts combined and yet Washington has managed to score just twice for him. He also lost his previous start on May 22 at Baltimore by a 2-1 score. In six of Zimmermann’s 10 starts the Nats have scored three runs or less.
“No disrespect to [Stauffer] or those guys over there, but I feel like we probably should have scored some runs today,” Werth said. “I don’t know what it is when Jordan pitches. It feels like we get on our heels a little bit. You see it sometimes with good pitchers. But we need to score some runs for him. He’s been pitching great this year.”
Washington hit into three double plays and had two runners caught stealing. It took that home run by Nix to lead off the seventh inning before the Nats scored at all. Even then they wasted a follow-up single by Morse when Danny Espinosa struck out, Ivan Rodriguez popped out and Morse was thrown out at second base on a hit-and-run.
That meant dealing with San Diego’s No. 1-ranked bullpen. The Padres entered the game with the lowest relief ERA in baseball (2.41). First up was Mike Adams in the eighth. He gave up a leadoff double to Jerry Hairston that just split center fielder Tekotte and left fielder Ryan Ludwick. But Adams got pinch hitter Matt Stairs to fly out and struck out both Rick Ankiel and Ian Desmond. Closer Health Bell’s wild pitch on a strikeout gave Washington hope in the ninth as Nix reached first base safely. But Morse – who grounded into that rally-killing double play in the first – grounded into another one to end it.
“It’s a situation right now that we have to go through it and keep swinging the bat,” Rodriguez said. “I’m a positive guy. I think my teammates are great hitters. We’re all good hitters here. That’s why we’re in the big leagues. The only thing we can control is stay positive and go out there and do our best every single game.”
