Striking out

PHILADELPHIA — The Washington Nationals have received few pitching performances this season better than John Patterson’s yesterday. Unfortunately, the Nationals have provided few worse offensive performances than in a frustrating 1-0 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies.

“To win a ballgame, you have to score runs,” manager Frank Robinson said. “And we didn’t even threaten to score a run today.”

The Nationals managed to advance only one runner to second base at supposedly hitter-friendly Citizens Bank Park: Vinny Castilla, who moved up on a wild pitch in the second inning.

But that was it. Phillies right-hander Cory Lidle and closer Billy Wagner combined on a five-hit, one-walk shutout, then joined their teammates in rushing the field after David Bell’s ninth-inning sacrifice fly won the game.

Thus Washington (52-35) was handed one of its most frustrating losses of the season, Patterson’s seven innings of brilliance wasted by an inept offense.

That it came against Lidle, a reliable but hardly dominant starter, only added to the frustration. The 33-year-old journeyman has surrendered one run or less in seven outings this season, but Robinson wasn’t about to offer any rave reviews.

“I haven’t seen a pitcher out there yet that couldn’t be hit,” he said. “Cy Young gave up his amount of hits, and Lidle ain’t even close to Cy Young.”

No, but both he and Patterson pitched like the game’s greatest hurler on a gorgeous Saturday afternoon before 33,365. The two posted nothing but zeroes on the scoreboard, cruising along and hardly breaking a sweat.

Patterson continued his recent run of excellence, allowing two singles and two walks in seven innings. He matched his career high with eight strikeouts and kept the Phillies off balance with a devastating curveball.

“That saved me,” said Patterson, who conceded his slider was off all afternoon. “It’s a good thing I had my curveball today. Just locating my fastball in this ballpark wouldn’t have been enough.”

Patterson’s arm certainly didn’t cost the Nationals this game. You could make the case, though, that his bat did.

In the top of the eighth with Gary Bennett on first base with a walk, Robinson sent Patterson to the plate to sacrifice.

Patterson’s day on the mound was already done. Reliever Hector Carrasco was going to come in for the bottom of the eighth, regardless of the situation.

Perhaps that’s why Patterson, standing in the on-deck circle, looked a little confused. He glanced back at the Washington dugout, figuring he was going to be replaced by a pinch-hitter, but none emerged.

Why? Because Robinson had a razor-thin bench, with Junior Spivey joining the growing list of injured players after breaking his right forearm in a freak pregame mishap.

“Why would I waste a hitter to bunt?” the manager said. “I’m short-handed as it is.”

Robinson still might have summoned a better-hitting pitcher than Patterson (season batting average: .050), but his best option (Livan Hernandez) didn’t have a game jersey on, only a navy blue pullover.

“That’s one of the pitcher’s jobs offensively, to be able to bunt,” Robinson said.

So Patterson, who was 4-for-4 on sacrifice attempts this year, came to the plate after all. Four pitches and three failed bunt attempts later, he retreated to the dugout.

“I’ve gotten all my bunts down this year. I didn’t that one time,” Patterson said. “I don’t think that was going to change the game.”

We’ll never know. Bennett never advanced past first base, and the game moved into the bottom of the ninth still scoreless.

Carrasco, who got through the eighth unscathed, put himself in trouble right away in the ninth. He allowed a leadoff single to Bobby Abreu, struck out cleanup hitter Pat Burrell, then surrendered a double down the right-field line by Chase Utley.

An intentional walk to Ryan Howard loaded the bases with one out for Bell, and Washington hunkered down to attempt one last, desperate stand. Carrasco (3-2) gave it his best, offering up every pitch in his arsenal.

“Changeup, slider, sinker, everything,” he said. “He just kept hitting foul balls.”

Three times, Bell fouled off Carrasco’s 2-2 pitch. On the fourth, the Phillies third baseman lofted a high fly ball to left-center. Matt Cepicky tracked it down, but the left fielder knew it was far too deep for him to have a play at the plate as Abreu scored the winning run.

The Nationals trudged off, left to contemplate a rare, one-run loss. The first one scratching his head was Patterson, who took his 10th no-decision in 15 starts. He’ll enter the All-Star break with a sparkling 2.91 ERA and only three wins to show for it.

“It’s a little strange,” he said. “But it’s just pitching. It’s the way it is. Sometimes you pitch horrible for five innings and get the win. And sometimes you go out there and pitch great and not get a win. That’s just the way it’s been going for me right now.”