CINCINNATI | Cristian Guzman swung at Francisco Cordero’s offering and the fireworks exploded over Great American Ball Park. For a good 15 seconds, they exploded behind the center field and right field stands, drawing cheers from the crowd.
The only problem? The game wasn’t over yet. Guzman’s foul tip had hit the ground, and so the Cincinnati Reds were still one strike from securing a 3-0 victory Friday over the Washington Nationals.
“I’m glad that guy wasn’t defending our country,” Reds manager Dusty Baker quipped.
Really, though, was there any doubt this game was still undecided? Had the Nationals offered any evidence they had a dramatic comeback in them?
No, just like the countless other times they have been rendered helpless by an opposing pitching staff this year, the Nationals played with an air of inevitability about them Friday. They found themselves trailing by a couple of runs early on and never mounted a serious challenge against Cincinnati starter Bronson Arroyo or the three relievers who followed.
Washington (34-54) again wasted a quality start from Jason Bergmann, who allowed two earned runs over six innings but fell to 1-6 thanks to a lack of run support.
“Keep it coming. We like it,” manager Manny Acta said of Bergmann, who has posted a 1.73 ERA over his last four starts. “He gave us a chance to win the ballgame. We just couldn’t score any runs.”
The Nationals were shut out for the 10th time this season. Only the Detroit Tigers have been held scoreless as many times. Washington also has managed just one run in nine games.
It doesn’t matter what Acta tries to do to shake things up, the results are the same. On Thursday, the Nationals got No. 5 hitter Austin Kearns back after six weeks on the disabled list. He has gone 1-for-8.
On Friday, Acta gave rookie center fielder Roger Bernadina (2-for-23 since his promotion from Class AA Harrisburg) a day off and stuck Willie Harris atop the lineup. Harris went 1-for-5 with two strikeouts.
“Sometimes it’s like that,” Harris said. “Sometimes you can put different people in different spots, and it will work. Sometimes it won’t.”
It didn’t work Friday despite the presence of the majors’ least effective starter on the mound for the opposition. Arroyo came in with a 6.19 ERA, last in the majors among qualifying pitchers, but he reverted back to his All-Star form from 2006 with six shutout innings against the majors’ least potent lineup.
“Arroyo could be having a high ERA right now, but that doesn’t take anything away from what he’s done in the past and what he’s able to do,” Acta said. “He did a good job. You can’t take anything away from him.”
His counterpart, Bergmann, was nearly as effective but was victimized by one costly mistake in the first. With a man on second and Ken Griffey Jr. at-bat, Bergmann left a 1-0 fastball over the plate and watched as Griffey hit it off the top of the right-field fence for his 604th career home run.
That one mistake did Bergmann in. He allowed just one other unearned run in six innings - left fielder Elijah Dukes let a line drive by Arroyo fall in under his glove for a run-scoring, three-base error.
“I think it’s just a little more motivation to be a little better next time,” Bergmann said. “I’m trying my hardest to give my team a quality start, but I also have to go out there and try to win a game.”
The Nationals have scored 17 runs in Bergmann’s last nine starts, so his margin for error is thin. Friday’s performance was no different. Washington advanced only one man past second base and couldn’t complete one last rally attempt in the ninth against Cordero.
The Reds closer put two men on with one out, bringing the tying run to the plate. But he got Harris to fly out and then struck out Guzman looking - one pitch after the fireworks already had been set off - to send the Nationals to another disheartening loss.
“I don’t see us down and out,” Harris said. “I don’t see us not working. I don’t see us not caring. We’re doing everything we’re supposed to do. We’re just coming up short. That’s really all there is to it.”
Please read our comment policy before commenting.