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Lannan amiss on game plan, pitch location

By Mark Zuckerman
April 13, 2008

Left-hander John Lannan gave up six runs on nine hits and four walks in only four innings. (Joseph Silverman / The Washington Times)

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As mad as John Lannan was at himself for the way he pitched yesterday, the Washington Nationals left-hander was more upset at the reason why he pitched the way he did.

"The game plan, I just went way away from it," he said. "I'm going to have days when I'm going to get hit, and I know that. But it's the mental part where you're not following what we talked about. That's what I'm upset about what happened today."

Lannan surrendered six runs on nine hits and four walks in four innings in the Nationals' 10-2 loss to the visiting Atlanta Braves. He endured through a nightmarish first inning, allowing four runs only five batters into the game and putting his teammates into a huge hole.

"At a point today, it felt like a snowball effect," the 23-year-old said. "I just kind of lost trust in my pitches."

Lannan (0-2, 6.75 ERA in two starts) felt he should have trusted the plan pitching coach Randy St. Claire established before the game.

Nationals manager Manny Acta would have liked to see Lannan hit his target with more regularity.

"He was just unable to throw strikes or locate his pitches at all," Acta said. "He was missing the target by a couple of feet. That's what the young man does best. He couldn't do it today. It just put us behind the 8-ball."

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