Nats struggle at plate, again

Those little mistakes are killing the Nationals (33-46).

“If I get the bunt down and we get a base hit, then maybe it’s 2-0 and it changes the whole complex of the game,” Schneider said. “That’s the kind of thing we need to do, no doubt about it.”

The lack of offense sealed the fate of Washington rookie right-hander Shawn Hill, a native of suburban Toronto who had about 80 friends and family members in the stands for his first major-league game in his home nation.

Hill gave the locals plenty to cheer about early on, cruising through the game’s first four innings. But the rookie struggled in the fifth, allowing four runs to score. Afterward, he admitted feeling some stiffness in his surgically repaired right elbow during that inning, which proved to be his last on the mound.

“I have stretches where I feel fine, I have stretches where it doesn’t feel that good,” said Hill (1-3). “It’s nothing to worry about. I’ve just got to fight through it.”

Much like the Nationals need to fight through this woeful stretch of games and turn around what’s devolving into a lost season.

“This is a time we definitely need to be doing that, because the way we’re playing, we’ve got to find a way,” Vidro said. “And maybe outside the stadium is where we need to think about it. Hopefully, we can bring it here the next day.”