Though they hit better than they have in recent games, the Nationals could not find a way to win May 29, losing to the San Diego Padres 5-4.
The problem the Nats had was not getting runners on base, but getting runners home, as they had 12 baserunners. In the sixth and seventh inning, the Nats had runners in scoring position with no outs, yet could not score a run.
“It’s a tough little stretch we’re going through here, and there’s nothing to do but battle through it and get to the point where we do drive those runs in,” Manager Jim Riggleman said after the game. “Let’s hope we keep putting them out there.”
The Nationals scored almost as many runs in the first inning as they did in the first two games of this series combined. Leadoff-man Roger Bernadina reached base on an error by Padres’ first baseman Brad Hawpe. He then stole second and reached third on a bunt single by shortstop Ian Desmond. A perfectly placed ball on a hit and run by right fielder Jayson Werth got past the infield to score the game’s first run. Left fielder Laynce Nix followed in the next at-bat with a sacrifice fly to left field on a play where Desmond may very well have been out, but it was moot as home-plate umpire Brian O’Nora called him safe to put the Nats up 2-0.
Nationals’ starter Yunesky Maya was fine the first time through the Padres’ batting order, surrendering one hit to the first nine men he faced. However, Maya struggled after hitters got a look at him, as he gave up one run in the fourth inning and two in the fifth. He threw only four and two-thirds innings for the day, striking out three while allowing six hits, two walks and four earned runs. The Padres had a 4-2 lead after four and a half innings.
However, the Nationals got one back in the bottom of the fifth as pinch-hitter Rick Ankiel singled and later scored on a Bernadina double to make it a 4-3 Padres’ lead.
The very next inning, the Nats tied it up as Michael Morse hit into a fielder’s choice when he hit a grounder to Padres’ third baseman Chase Headley. Headley attempted to throw Jayson Weth, who singled to left center to lead-off the inning, out at the plate, but he was called safe.
San Diego recaptured the lead in the top of the ninth inning as pinch-hitter Jorge Cantu led off the inning with a double and later scored on an infield single by left fielder Ryan Ludwick to make the score 5-4.
Padres’ closer Heath Bell threw a perfect ninth inning to end the game.
While the Nationals are clearly not playing their best baseball right now, Riggleman still believes the team is doing what it is supposed to do.
“We’ve played good,” Riggleman said. “I know that hitting is part of playing good also but we put a lot of hits out there today. We had opportunities. But through this whole thing we’ve played good baseball.”
