Photo by Marlene Koenig for Talknats
The Nationals clawed back from a 3-0 deficit to tie the game, and then they took the lead in the top of the 9th inning after a Brian Dozier double. With a 4-3 lead, it was Sean Doolittle’s spot to close-out the game with a save, but it was not meant to be. Doolittle gave up 3-hits to lose it in the 9th with a blown-save loss. Doolittle had a runner at 3rd base and two outs and a lefty-lefty matchup against the rookie Josh Naylor who singled up the middle to tie the game. Doolittle’s job then switched to keep it tied and get it to extra innings, but to make matters worse, Naylor stole second base uncontested then scored on a shallow single to win the game by the sub-Mendoza Austin Hedges who entered the game batting .188.
Just when the ball was bouncing the Nationals way with a Yan Gomes seeing eye single for the first run of the game, and a Trea Turner bloop double into the Bermuda Triangle to score two runs, the game was tied at 3-3 going to the 9th inning when Brian Dozier smashed a double to lead-off the 9th inning. Unfortunately you look back to when the Nats had a runner on 3rd and one out and Anthony Rendon grounded out or even Howie Kendrick in the 8th inning swinging in a 3-0 count and grounded out.
“Fedde was good,” manager Dave Martinez said. “He threw a 3-2 pitch up in the zone and to me that was the only bad pitch he threw. If we can get that out of Fedde, we’re going to be in good shape. Like I said, every time he goes out there he’s getting more and more confident. He’s making pitches. He pitched really well.”
Starting pitcher Erick Fedde was rolling until he was tagged for a 2-run home run in the 6th inning, and he exited with a 3-0 deficit which still gave his team a chance to claw back into it.
