The slide continues for the Nationals.
Before another big weekend crowd at Nationals Park, Chicago White Sox starter Freddy Garcia became the latest pitcher to keep Washington’s struggling offense in check.
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Garcia allowed just three runs in seven innings of work and a four-run outburst by his club in the fifth provided all the offense needed in a 6-3 victory over the Nats.
Washington (31-39) was swept by the White Sox (34-34) in the three-game series and has now lost a season-high six games in a row and eight of nine. Since May 15 the win-loss record is 11-24 overall and over their last 30 innings of baseball the Nats have managed just four runs.
Washington starting pitcher John Lannan (2-5, 5.76 ERA) lasted four innings against Chicago – plus facing another four batters to start the top of the fifth. All of them hit safely and by the end of the frame he had been charged with five earned runs. In his last three starts Lannan has not made it past the fifth inning and opponents have touched him for 31 hits.
“I didn’t really have a feel for it the whole game,” Lannan said. “I just have to keep battling. I haven’t made pitches. I’ve given up hits. It’s not really like me. I hit my spots, keep the ball down. And I haven’t been doing that.”
Even with just seven walks in those three recent outings the sheer amount of baserunners has doomed Lannan. His ERA hast risen to the second-worst in the National League behind Houston’s Wandy Rodriguez (6.09 ERA). But the 25-year-old left-hander insists his elbow, a source of pain earlier this season, is fine.
Washington took a 3-1 lead in the fourth inning on an RBI infield hit by Adam Dunn, a single by Roger Bernadina and a single by Wil Nieves. But Lannan couldn’t record an out in the fifth before that advantage was gone. A run-scoring double by Alex Rios and a two-run single by Paul Konerko made it 4-3 Chicago. Konerko later scored on a double-play ground out by teammate Dayan Viciedo.
