The Nationals battled back in another game that began with a deep deficit. The Nationals had to make up a 6-run hole they dug for themselves and clawed back and made it to 7-6. The Nats had a great chance to win this game in a walk-off as they put on their first two runners to start the 9th inning but Ryan Zimmerman who could have been the hero as he already had 3 RBIs in his pocket from an earlier clutch hit but this time he struck out in the 9th and did not move up the runners. Zim quickly moved from the penthouse to the outhouse in the game which ended with Michael Taylor never seeing a ball in the zone but he swung and missed at 3 of them. This game became the carbon copy of so many losses and this was another disturbing one-run loss.
It was former-Nats first baseman Matt Adams who sunk the Nats early with a 3-run home run as the third batter of the game plus a solo home run later in the game to put the Nats in that deep deficit. But it was the Nats who out-hit the Cardinals 16-15 and both teams had one walk. The Nats also reached base twice on errors that could be changed to hits. While the Nats had more baserunners, there were too many golden opportunities wasted.
“We have 25-guys that are playing all out,” manager Dave Martinez said. “I’m proud of our boys.”
Two of the biggest plays in the game involved Bryce Harper. One was on a ball he lost in the twilight that led to two runs scoring as the flyball would have been the 3rd out.On the other play, Harper was a baserunner at 2nd base and with two outs instead of sprinting on the crack of the bat he slowed up towards 3rd base thinking the ball in the outfield was caught, but it was not and Harper was thrown out at the plate.
It’s the small things that added up into big things. The Nats misery in one-run games continues as the team has 16 wins and 22 losses in these games decided by just one-run.
