Return from rough road trip ends in 7-3 loss to Mets Ross Detwiler slumped on the stool in front of his locker, hooded sweatshirt pulled tight over his head. In his mind there was nothing redeeming about a three-inning, six-run performance that you could argue was his worst start of the season.
“It’s not arguably my worst outing, it’s definitely my worst outing,” a dejected Detwiler said after the Nationals’ disappointing 7-3 loss to the New York Mets on Friday night at Nationals Park.
| Nats second baseman Danny Espinosa did not appear in a game for the first time this season. |
| Washington manager Davey Johnson said after the game that pitcher Livan Hernandez will make one more start in 2011 – this Sunday against the New York Mets – before being replaced in the rotation. |
| Collin Balester allowed just one run in four innings in relief of starter Ross Detwiler to keep Washington close. |
A combination of bad location and questionable pitch selection doomed Washington’s 25-year-old lefty. By the end of the third inning he had allowed home runs to David Wright and Nick Evans, given up seven hits and struck out just two batters. By then manager Davey Johnson had seen enough.
Before the game Johnson noted that September will be an evaluation process: Who can help the Nats in 2012 and who will be left behind? Detwiler, the organization’s first-round draft pick in 2007, had put himself back in the mix for a rotation spot next season with six strong starts since July 5. He pitched at least five innings each time and never allowed more than three earned runs. One rotten effort won’t submarine those hopes. But he can’t afford too many repeats, either.
“We had a conversation at length before the ballgame [where] I said not losing in September, that would be nice,” Johnson said. “But No. 2 is guys solidifying the fact that they’re every day, championship caliber players in every aspect of the club. And I think we’re making progress in that direction. That’s going to be my yardstick.”
Detwiler (2-5, 3.83 ERA) was torched from the very start. He gave up an infield hit to Jose Reyes and then a single to Justin Turner. One batter later David Wright launched a home run into the red seats in center. It was his first homer ever at Nationals Park and quickly put New York on top 3-0.
That poor start bled into the second inning when Nick Evans homered to lead off that frame. In the third inning, the Mets scored twice more on three consecutive singles, the latter a two-run hit by Angel Pagan. Detwiler escaped the rest of the inning unharmed, but down 6-1 Johnson had seen enough. In the end, Detwiler allowed six earned runs on seven hits with no walks. It was easily his worst start since returning to the rotation for good on Aug. 4 at Colorado.
“Nothing worked,” Detwiler said. “They hit everything I threw up there hard.”
Meanwhile – as they have so often the last 10 days – the Nats had their chances against New York starter R.A. Dickey (7-11, 3.60 ERA) and couldn’t convert. Michael Morse drove in Rick Ankiel with a single in the first inning. Ankiel later hit a two-run homer in the fifth to cut the Mets’ lead to 6-3.
But Washington put the first two runners aboard in the second inning and couldn’t score. Jayson Werth led off the fourth with a hit and never moved from first base. In the seventh, New York reliever Tim Byrdak came on after a leadoff single by Brian Bixler. He struck out Ian Desmond and Ankiel. Ryan Zimmerman then singled to put two runners on, but reliever Ryota Igarashi struck out clean-up batter Morse to end the threat.
In all, the Nats left eight runners on base. The knuckle-balling Dickey went six innings, plus one batter in the seventh, with three runs allowed on nine hits and no walks. It was his fifth start against Washington this season.
“[Dickey] is one of those guys who always gives you a solid start,” Zimmerman said. “He’s tough. You don’t see guys like that too often.”
New York used four different relievers to record the final nine outs of the game. A leadoff single against Daniel Herrera in the ninth by Alex Cora gave the Nats some hope. But pinch hitter Roger Bernadina promptly grounded into a 4-6-3 double play. Washington dropped to 63-73, a season-worst 10 games below .500, and has now lost nine of its last 10 games.
