The homestand opened with momentum, courtesy of a successful road trip. The Nats talked about proving skeptics, those predicting triple-digit losses, wrong. They exit saying very little.
Which is what happens when you go 3-6 at home, dropping two of the last three to lowly Pittsburgh. The Pirates beat Washington, 3-2, Thursday afternoon on Jason Bay’s ninth-inning opposite-field homer, his 11th of the season. The Nats now embark on a nine-game road trip.
“It’s disappointing,” said Nats closer Chad Cordero, who allowed Bay’s homer.
“We hoped to play better than that,” said Nats manager Manny Acta.
But losing two of three to Pittsburgh (26-34) guaranteed that would not happen. Washington (24-36) wasted a solid pitching effort by starter Matt Chico, who allowed two runs in seven innings. He did have one bad inning, resulting in a two-run third. He walked two batters, including pitcher Ian Snell, and allowed a two-out homer to Freddy Sanchez, his first of the season.
“That one inning killed me,” Chico said.
And one pitch killed Cordero, who allowed an earned run for the first time since May 6, snapping a 12-game scoreless streak. It was also the first homer he’s allowed since April 22nd and the fourth overall.
“The pitch wasn’t as far out as I wanted it,” Cordero said. “It was down but it wasn’t far enough out. … I made a mistake.”
Meanwhile, Acta pulled second baseman Felipe Lopez from the game after he failed to run out a ground ball in the fifth inning.
“We play hard, we play right and we probably have to outhustle the opponent,” Acta said. “If not, it won’t be tolerated regardless of who you are.”
Lopez left without comment.
