Pathetic

In what was one of the worst displays of offense in recent memory, the Nationals lost 4-1 in 14 innings when Hector Carrasco gave up a three-run home run to Eric Bruntlett, a shortstop with an anemic .333 slugging percentage. Along the way, the Nationals wasted another dominating performance by John Patterson, who gave up one run and six hits in eight innings, struck out 10, and walked no one. Although Patterson's ERA is down to 2.58, he has only a 4-2 record to show for it.

Able to muster only four hits in 14 innings, the Nationals' offense was horrific from the very beginning. With one out in the first inning and Brad Wilkerson on second, the Nationals couldn't get the ball out of the infield: Jose Guillen popped out and Preston Wilson grounded out. Guillen and Wilson were a combined 1-9 on the day. With one out in the fifth, Marlon Byrd doubled and Gary Bennett singled for the Nationals' only run of the day. Could the Nationals actually mount a rally? No. Cristian Guzman promptly grounded into a double play--so much for his bat's "signs of life."

The Nationals' pathetic lack of punch was almost too much to take in the bottom of the eighth. After Byrd walked, Bennett hit a sacrifice bunt so hard that it essentially was a ground ball to first. The attempt worked out only because Mike Lamb fielded the ball and threw it into left-center, enabling Byrd to advance to third. With men on first and third and no outs, all the Nationals needed was a fly ball to score a run, but again they couldn't even hit the ball out of the infield. Brian Schneider, hitting for Guzman, grounded out to second. Byrd had to hold, but Kenny Kelly, running for Bennett, went to second. Ryan Church then grounded to the pitcher on a check swing and Wilkerson struck out.

Here's the thing: if you're going to play small ball, you have to do the little things to drive in a run from third with no outs. If you can't do that, you can't play small ball; in fact, you can't play any ball. So, until the Nationals start to produce some runs on a regular basis with timely hitting and the occasional sacrifice fly, can we please dispense with the announcers and columnists waxing poetic about the virtues of a Nationals team "built" to win one-run games by doing the "little things"?

The Nationals never mounted any offensive challenge after the eighth. The only significant thing that happened was that Jose Guillen was hit on the hand by a pitch in the bottom of the ninth and looked like he had been hurt. He collapsed to the ground twice before being led off the field, but the x-rays apparently are negative.

The only run that the Astros scored in regulation probably shouldn't have been a run at all. In the top of the sixth, Lance Berkman hit a fly ball to deep left field. Byrd went back to the wall but couldn't keep his balance as he went to catch the ball, which hit the wall for a double. The Astros then did the small things to score a run: Morgan Ensberg and Mike Lamb hit consecutive sacrifice flies to score Berkman.

It was 1-1, and it stayed that way until the 14th. You have to give it to the Nationals' bullpen--until the 14th they held the Astros scoreless for five innings. Along the way you would hope that the Nationals could have scored a run to tie the series, but they didn't have the offense to do so.

We must say that this is one of the most frustrating losses in a month of frustrating losses for the Nationals. The team just does not have the offense to compete at a high level right now, and without some serious healing and serious trades we don't see the situation improving for some time.