THE RESULT: Jason Marquis made his best start of the season, limiting the potent Philadelphia Phillies batting order to one run on four hits and four walks in his five innings. Unfortunately, he got no support from his offense and the Washington Nationals lost to Roy Halladay and the Phillies, 1-0, before 45,093 at Citizen's Bank Park.
Actually, that's not all entirely true. The Nats pounded out 10 hits and drew three walks and got to Halladay (W, 16-8, 2.16) on a couple of occasions, especially early. But with runners in scoring position, the Nats forgot how to hit.
The team went 0-for-11 with runners in scoring position, leaving 12 runners on base in the game.
Every Nationals' starter except Michael Morse had a hit, but they were so inefficient they left the bases loaded in the first, third, fourth, and seventh innings.
Marquis (L, 0-6, 11.39) made his sixth start of the season, the first where he wasn't knocked out unceremoniously. He labored to find the strike zone on occasion, walking four. And he still didn't get much sink on his fastball. But he did hold the Phils down for the most part.
The only run to score came in the third inning, when first baseman Adam Dunn couldn't handle a ball hit four feet to his left off the bat of Raul Ibanez, and Chase Utley -- who walked and took second on Jayson Werth's walk -- came streaking home from second base.
It's the type of play that critics of Dunn's defense continue to cite when talking about the big first baseman's limitations.
It's just a shame that Jason Marquis can throw five innings of one-run ball and the Nats can't take advantage of it.
THE GOOD: Ian Desmond went 3-for-5.
THE BAD: Ian Desmond committed his 28th error, overthrowing Dunn at first. The ball glanced off Dunn's glove, something of a recurring theme of the evening.
THE UGLY: Roger Bernadina went 1-for-4, but left four runners on base and hit into an inning ending double play in the first after Ryan Zimmerman and Dunn walked.
THE STATS: 7 Ks, 3 BBs, 0-for-10 with RISP, 12 LOB.
NEXT GAME: Saturday at 7:05 in Philadelphia. Stephen Strasburg (5-3) faces Kyle Kendrick (7-5).
0 comments
Post a Comment