Nats, offense return to reality against Orioles, 8-3

For one day at least the Nationals reveled in an offense that set a club record for runs in a game since moving to the District in 2005. But Friday’s outburst was nothing but a memory on Saturday afternoon at Oriole Park at Camden Yards with hits and runs just as few and far between as ever. The ultimate result was an 8-3 loss to Baltimore in the second game of the Battle of the Beltways series.

The Nats – who registered 17 runs with a season-high 19 hits and six home runs on Friday – managed just seven hits and eight base runners on Saturday. Even then it took a two-run error by Orioles first baseman Brandon Snyder – a local kid from Westfield High in Chantilly, Va. – to push across Washington’s first two runs in the third inning. Wilson Ramos added a sacrifice fly with the game out of hand in the ninth.

“It’s part of baseball. You swing the bat great the night before and run into [Orioles starter Jeremy] Guthrie, who is an outstanding pitcher,” veteran Matt Stairs said. “He’s a gamer and gave a nice effort. We didn’t swing the bats as well as last night. But if we do it [Sunday] we win the series.”

Nats starter John Lannan tied his season-worst effort by allowing six runs. He actually pitched well in every inning save the third, where Baltimore scored four runs, and the seventh, where he gave up back-to-back doubles to start the frame before being pulled. Lannan (2-5, 5.03 ERA) retired 15 of the 17 batters he faced in the other five innings with a walk and five strikeouts. Include another third-inning strikeout and he bested his season high with six. Lannan last struck out that many batters on Sept. 15, 2010 at Atlanta.

But that third inning did him in. Left fielder Laynce Nix ran past a single by Nick Markakis. When Ian Desmond double pumped on the relay that gave Baltimore’s Adam Jones the chance to score all the way from first base on what should have been a routine hit. A walk earlier in the inning had already set up a two-run home run from Nolan Reimold. Just like that Washington was down 3-2. An RBI single by Vladimir Guerrero made it 4-2.

“First two innings I was good, third I ran into trouble. I didn’t make an adjustment,” Lannan said. “Going into the fourth I started throwing my curveball more and that kind of got them off my fastball. They hit some tough pitches in the seventh. I have to find consistency. I’ve got to be in one spot and keep them off balance. I didn’t do that in the third and it hurt me.”

The Nats had runners at first and second with one out in the sixth. But Stairs, the 43-year-old pinch-hitting specialist serving as designated hitter for the second game in a row, killed the rally. Stairs’ double-play ground out to second base on Guthrie’s first pitch dropped him to 3-for-30 on the season (.100).

The Orioles added four more runs in the eighth inning. Washington reliever Cole Kimball gave up four consecutive singles after Lannan departed. Guthrie (2-6, 3.45 ERA) limited the Nats to five hits in seven innings with four strikeouts and a walk. With the loss, Washington dropped to 21-24. Baltimore improved to 20-24 with the series finale Sunday at 1:35 p.m.

“I’ve said all along, the number one concern is go play good baseball,” Nats manager Jim Riggleman said. “You know you get 100 percent effort from your hitters every day. Those hitters play defense also, and they’re playing very well. They’re running the bases. They’re doing everything else to try to win a ball game. We’ve got to win some games when we’re not hitting. We feel like we’re going to hit. It’s a little bit repetitive to keep saying it, but that’s the way we feel.”

[email protected]