The Nationals are trailing the Orioles 1-0 after three innings here at Camden Yards, but they probably feel OK about that, because things could be much, much worse.
John Lannan has not been very sharp — he’s put the leadoff man on base all three innings. And he opened the second with a walk, a double and an RBI single. Somehow, though, he escaped without further damage.
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For that, Lannan can thank Luke Scott, who made a big-time baserunning blunder. Standing on third, he strayed too far off the base on Matt Wieters’ grounder to first. Ever alert, Nick Johnson stepped on the bag and then fired back to third base, getting Scott in a rundown. That bailed Lannan out in a big way.
Offensively, the Nats are doing what they always do: Give themselves opportunities and then not take advantage of them. Anderson Hernandez led off the third with a single, but with one out he was caught trying to steal second. Wouldn’t you know it: Moments later, Willie Harris doubled. That would have scored Hernandez … if only he hadn’t been caught stealing.
