How can you explain how the Nats could blow that game. Max Scherzer went 6 full innings throwing a shutout. Scherzer was sent back out for the 7th inning nearing 100 tough pitches as he entered the inning at 97 pitches. Scherzer threw his first pitch to Joc Pederson who crushed the fastball for the game tying home run and the momentum shifted in an instant. The bullpen would go through 6 relievers in the 7th inning as they combined to give up 3 more runs.
Maybe the biggest story was Jayson Werth failing twice with runners on 3rd base and less than 2 outs as Werth twice struck out. Lobaton was in the same situation as Werth and he struck out.
The Nats clawed back in the bottom of the 7th inning behind 4-1 as Chris Heisey hit a two-run pinch-hit home run to make the score 4-3, and the Nationals could not push another run across with numerous chances.
Dusty Baker will get questioned on many decisions such as not bunting Turner in the 7th inning with a runner on 1st and no outs, but the lack of execution when Espinosa was asked to Sac Bunt and Espinosa popped it up. These game come down to execution. Some players executed, and some did not.
The other Turner, Justin Turner, had the game winning RBIs on a two-run triple in that fateful 7th inning that will haunt the Nationals all winter.
There were other plays like Jayson Werth in the 6th inning was thrown out by 30 feet on a horrific send by Bob Henley.
Dusty Baker carries his futility streak of 9 straight games where he has lost clinching games in the post-season. Let that sink in for a while. We all thought this Nats team was the team of destiny. It did not happen.
