GAME 48 REVIEW: Three-Run Seventh Ruins Nats Day

Craig Stammen delivered a 4-2 lead to Sean Burnett with one out in the seventh inning. 

Burnett gave up two straight hits, Tyler Walker added to the damage, and what should have been a series winner turned into a demoralizing loss as the Washington Nationals fell back to .500 with a 5-4 loss to the San Francisco Giants before 28,251 at AT&T Park.

For the third straight day, manager Jim Riggleman pulled his starter after throwing fewer than 85 pitches.

Stammen had argubly his best game of the season.  He gave up five hits and walked three in six and one-third.  The Giants managed three runs against him, two earned, including Aubrey Huff's fourth inning solo home run.

In the seventh, Stammen got John Bowker to bounce an 0-2 pitch to first baseman Adam Dunn.  Dunn couldn't handle the fairly routine grounder as the ball got under his glove, and Bowker reached on the error.

Bengie Molina pinch-hit and on the 1-0 pitch Stammen and catcher Carlos Maldonado, in his first start since his recall, seemed to get crossed on the signals.  The pitch got past Maldonado and Bowker moved up to second.  Molina ended up grounding out to short, and Bowker moved over to third.

At that point, Giants manager Bruce Bochy pinch-hit with Nate Schierholz, a left-handed hitter.  Riggleman countered with Burnett.  Failure ensued.

Schierholz singled to center scoring Bowker and Andres Torres followed with a double.  That did it for Burnett.  Walker come on and immediately got behind Freddie Sanchez 2-0 before leaving a fastball up, which Sanchez deposited into left field scoring two.

And just like that, a 4-2 lead turned into a 5-4 deficit.

The Nats couldn't get anything going against a trio of relivers, and instead of heading to San Diego on a positive note, the Nationals are now losers of nine of their last 14.

John Lannan (1-2) takes the mound against Clayton Richard (3-2) for the Padres.

NATS NOTES:  Adam Dunn and Josh Willingham both hit homers.  Dunn almost had a second, but replays showed that the ball hit off the top of the wall and went for a double.

Justin Maxwell did not get a good read on Dunn's ball, and failed to score from first on the play.

Washington struck out six times, walked five times and stranded eight runners.  They were 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position.