PHILADELPHIA — The Washington Nationals won their first three games this season in part because of their ability to rise to the occasion in the most important situations.
But for this club to compete on a day-in, day-out basis, it has to do the little things right. And that may be the lesson the Nationals take from yesterday’s 8-7, 10-inning loss to the Philadelphia Phillies.
Given many opportunities to complete a three-game sweep of the defending division champs, the Nationals instead squandered several chances and made inexcusable mistakes.
“We had them on the ropes,” reliever Ray King said. “And we let them off.”
Where to begin? Certainly Jimmy Rollins catching the Washington defense asleep and then Jesus Colome walking in the winning run was painful for the Nationals. So was the Phillies’ six-run sixth inning.
But the key moments in this game might have come in the second inning. Ahead 5-0 thanks to a first-inning outburst, the Nationals loaded the bases with no outs against veteran left-hander Jamie Moyer. But Moyer got Austin Kearns to hit a sharp comebacker that turned into a 1-2-3 double play and then struck out Aaron Boone.
“We got out to an early lead. We had plenty of other opportunities to add on,” third baseman Ryan Zimmerman said. “Especially playing in this park against a team like that, you’ve got to take advantage of those opportunities.”
Those extra runs would have made quite a difference later in the afternoon when the Phillies stormed back.
Down 6-1 in the sixth and showing few signs of success against Nationals starter Jason Bergmann, the Phillies began chipping away. Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, Pat Burrell and Geoff Jenkins all singled.
“Oh, man,” Bergmann said. “We had been on the offensive, and then they turn around, and they bled singles to death.”
Saul Rivera replaced Bergmann, but the torturous inning continued. A wild pitch moved the runners up. Then Pedro Feliz singled in two more runs. Then Chris Coste and pinch-hitter Greg Dobbs singled.
Enter King, who proceeded to plunk Rollins on the foot with his first pitch, then allowed an RBI single to Shane Victorino. All of a sudden, the Phillies led 7-6.
“That one inning just fell apart,” King said. “They hit the ball just where we weren’t. We can’t dwell on it.”
The Nationals manufactured an eighth-inning run to tie the game. But again, they missed opportunities to retake the lead. With the bases loaded and two outs in the eighth, Zimmerman (0-for-6) grounded into a fielder’s choice. In the ninth, Felipe Lopez hit a fly ball with two on and one out, and Willie Harris hit a grounder with the bases loaded and two out.
When the game reached extra innings, the Phillies took charge. Rollins, the reigning National League MVP, led off with a single to right, setting the stage for Victorino to sacrifice him to second.
Victorino dropped his bunt in front of the plate, slightly toward the left side of the infield. Zimmerman called off catcher Jesus Flores to make the play and threw to first for the out. Rollins rounded second and never stopped running once he realized nobody covered third. By the time shortstop Cristian Guzman and first baseman Nick Johnson recovered, Rollins stood safely on third.
“It’s kind of a gray area,” Zimmerman said when asked who was responsible for covering third on that play.
Said manager Manny Acta: “It’s a tough play because usually if the catcher can’t field the ball, he usually keeps on going to third base. But both of the guys went for the ball and just stood there. It’s just a great heads-up play by Jimmy Rollins.”
With the winning run on third, Acta decided to walk both Utley and Howard intentionally, loading the bases for Jayson Werth. Colome then walked in the winning run on four pitches.
“We should have swept these guys today,” King said. “When you score six runs, you’re supposed to win that ballgame. But we’re not going to dwell on it. We took two out of three.”
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