Five batters into the game the Nationals were down by three runs and things had apparently returned to normal in their usually one-sided series with National League East rival Florida.
Washington showed some fight, erasing that three-run hole, falling behind again in the eighth inning before rallying to tie the game once more. But the Nats later wasted two chances to win and paid for it in the 11th inning when Omar Infante eluded a Wilson Ramos tag at home plate after a one-out double by Greg Dobbs. The Marlins won the game 6-5 on Friday night at Nationals Park.
Infante laced a one-out single to left-center field off Washington reliever Brian Broderick. He seemed a good bet to score with ease when Dobbs doubled into the corner in right. But fine relay throws by Jayson Werth and Jerry Hairston had the ball in Ramos’ hands in plenty of time. So Infante got creative. He lifted his arm over the tag of Ramos, slapped it on the dirt, millimeters from safety, and then touched home just before Ramos slammed his glove down a second time. The Nats (18-20) last week had won two of three on the road against Florida (22-15). But the Marlins owned them the previous four seasons with a 39-14 record in 53 games and lead the season series 4-3 in 2011.
“They jumped out with three on us pretty quick. And then we got one and they got one right back so we were scrapping to get back into it all night,” Washington manager Jim Riggleman said. “And we got back into it. [Lance] Nix had a great clutch hit. But that’s one of those ones it’s extra innings, you’re using up your pitching and you just don’t know how it’s going to unfold or who is going to stick the timely hit out there. And they did.”
Nix doubled home the tying run in the bottom of the eighth inning and earlier had smashed a two-run homer – his fifth of the season in just 76 at-bats. Roger Bernadina doubled in two runs in the fourth inning and also made a spectacular, high-light reel catch in center field in the fifth. Ian Desmond contributed with an RBI hit in the third.
Starting pitcher Tom Gorzelanny became just the second Washington starter to fail to make it through five complete innings this season. He gave up a two-run homer to Gaby Sanchez in the first inning and then John Buck, the very next hitter, launched a solo home run for the 3-0 lead. Gorzelanny entered with a 2.87 ERA, but gave up eight hits and a walk to the Marlins and left with two out in the fourth inning. Mike Stanton also hit a solo homer off Gorzelanny in the fourth inning.
“Location. Just didn’t execute pitches,” Gorzelanny said. “They were able to score some runs off some big hits. Our team battled its way back and it’s great that we did that. Tried to get it there in the end and just couldn’t do it.”
The Nats bullpen kept them close, however. Todd Coffey, Tyler Clippard and Drew Storen tossed 5 2/3 strong innings, allowing just a single run on two hits with six strikeouts and no walks. That lone run came in the top of the eighth when Logan Morrison hit a solo homer off Clippard.
Washington answered right back, however. After back-to-back walks drawn by Werth and Adam LaRoche, Ramos grounded into a double play. But that clutch two-out double by Nix – he ripped a pitch down the right-field line off reliever Mike Dunn – scored Werth from third base to tie the game at 4.
The Nats had a chance to win it in the ninth when they loaded the bases for LaRoche with two out. But Marlins reliever Edward Mujica induced an easy ground out to second base to end that threat. Pinch hitter Michael Morse was also left stranded in the 10th after a two-out double when Hairston popped out to shallow right field. Morse’s blast missed clearing the wall in deep center by about a foot. It was a fitting, if frustrating, end for Washington, which came up inches short all night.
“[These one-run losses] for me aren’t really tough at all,” Nats shortstop Ian Desmond said. “We’ve been playing great baseball. It just feels like we’re really coming into our own right now. We’re starting to believe in ourselves with some of the winning attitude from players who came here from other teams … It’s starting to shine though.”
