The Nationals went 1-for-5 with runners in scoring position and had their chances with bases loaded and 1 out with Bryce Harper up who could only muster a sacrifice fly to score the only run for the Washington Nationals in this 2-to-1 loss extending the Nats losses of 8 of their last 10 games.
The Nationals 3-4-5 hitters combined for a 1-for-11 game with Bryce Harper watching his batting average plummet to .267, and Ryan Zimmerman left another 4 runners on base to add to what could be the most in MLB as it has long been an issue that manager Dave Martinez has to address. Zimmerman’s total runners left on base (LOB) is now at 32 for the season in 43 at-bats. What is it going to take to move Howie Kendrick up in the line-up and playing Matt Adams more?
To add to the misery, Anthony Rendon exited the game after fouling a ball off of his left foot, and if there is some good news the x-rays showed no break in the toe. Brian Goodwin was held out of the game until a sighting of him on-deck in the 9th inning, but he never made it into the game because the batter before him ended the game on a strikeout. Goodwin has now sat out two games.
In a close game, Tanner Roark pitched well going 6 innings giving up 3 hits and was tagged with the loss because of an unearned run on a Trea Turner error.
The way the game went when you watched it live was many hard hit balls that the Rockies made the plays. Gerardo Parra robbed two hits himself, and that adds to the Nationals offensive misery.
“What we got to do is get some clutch hits and we will be in really good shape,” manager Dave Martinez said after the game.
That seems like a fairly obvious statement by the manager, but the statistics are starting to tell the story and at the worst time Bryce Harper has gone into a 2-for-17 funk.
