A lot has gone right this far for the 2010 Washington Nationals. The performance of their presumptive ace, John Lannan, has been a notable exception.
Lannan looked pedestrian again Sunday, giving up more earned runs than innings pitched, and the Nats fell to the Florida Marlins 9-3, before just 13,169 south Florida baseball fans.
Lannan (L, 1-2, 6.34) struggled again with his command Sunday. He walked three and hit a man, in addition to giving up nine hits in five innings. All those runners turned into six earned runs, and dug his team a hole they could not get out of.
Uncharacteristically, Lannan gave up more fly ball outs than ground outs, by the score of seven to five.
"I started missing some pitches on the outside corner," the left-hander told reporters after the game. "I've got to live on that corner. I'm not throwing hard enough to blow balls by guys."
The big blow was Hanley Ramirez' three-run home run in the third inning.
The relievers that Manager Jim Riggleman called upon to hold the Marlins down could not do their jobs either.
Miguel Batista gave up another home run to Ramirez (3-for-5, two runs, four RBIs), and Brian Bruney came on the next inning and was terrible. He gave up two earned runs, but it could have been even worse than that, as he gave up three hits and three more walks in one and two-third innings.
For the second day in a row, the Nats got very little offense. They were held down by starter Josh Johnson (W, 3-1, 3.16), who went six innings, giving up two earned runs on three hits and four walks. He struck out eight.
The loss evens the two teams' records at 13-12, one and a half games behind the division leading New York Mets.
The Nats have a day off on Monday before starting a six-game homestand. Atlanta visits for three games at the beginning of the week, and these Marlins come calling next weekend.
NATS NOTES: Adam Kennedy went 0-for-5 on the day in the No. 2 spot in the order. Ian Desmond struck out three times and went 1-for-4 with an RBI. Adam Dunn and Lannan drove in the Nats other two runs.
For the day, the Nats struck out 11 times and walked five times.
Stephen Strasburg made what should be his final appearance for AA-Harrisburg on Sunday, but did not get out of the affair unscathed. He went four and two-thirds innings and gave up four runs (three earned) on six hits and three walks, striking out four.
Nats News Network will have a photo gallery of the big right-hander's start up soon.
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