SAN FRANCISCO — As the extra innings piled up Saturday night in Game 2 of the National League Division Series, the Washington Nationals looked as if they were trying to win the entire series with one swing.
They swung at pitches low and out of the strike zone. They swung at tricky pitches in unfavorable locations within the strike zone, resulting in weak contact. And at the end of their 2-1 loss to the San Francisco Giants, they had recorded only nine hits in 18 innings. Anthony Rendon had four of them.
“I just think that it’s a little bit of impatience,” manager Matt Williams said. “Guys [who] have pitched against us live down in the strike zone and below the strike zone. So the key is to be patient.”
The Nationals scored 686 runs in 162 regular-season games, an average of 4.24 runs per game. They also notched 1403 hits, an average of 8.66 per game.
Yet in the first two games of the NLDS, they have recorded a total of 15 hits and scored three runs in 27 innings of play.
“Yeah, we have been chasing,” shortstop Ian Desmond said. “But in a sense, that’s credit to them. They haven’t been making mistakes over the middle of the plate, either. And that’s crucial. That’s how big innings are created: when pitchers are missing over the middle. And they haven’t been doing that.”
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The Nationals have faced two veteran right-handers, Jake Peavy and Tim Hudson, who were once among the best in the league. And it won’t get much easier Monday against San Francisco’s ace, Madison Bumgarner.
But regardless of which pitcher the Nationals are facing, there are ways in which they can change their approach. Hitting coach Rick Schu said he’s noticed the Nationals pressing at the plate.
“There’s been a lot of early-count contact,” Schu said. “Some of our guys who are more ’see the pitches, work the count’ a little bit have been [making] early contact and chasing the ball out of the zone. Typically our offense is a bunch of grinders that have a game plan.”
It’s been particularly evident in big moments, like the extra innings Saturday night. After collecting seven hits against Hudson over seven-plus innings, the Nationals only had two hits in the final nine. Every swing seemed to be a home run swing.
The result? Four of Washington’s eight starting position players have only recorded one hit in two games, including the heart of the team’s order: No. 3 hitter Jayson Werth (1 for 10), No. 4 hitter Adam LaRoche (1 for 10) and No. 5 hitter Ian Desmond (1 for 10).
Leadoff hitter Denard Span, meanwhile, has yet to record a hit.
“Just geeked up, trying too hard,” he said. “I think we all want to do good, especially this time of year. I’ve got to find a find a way to slow it down and let the game come to me instead of trying to chase it. Just got to trust myself and do what I’ve done all year.”
After clinching the top seed in the National League, the Nationals had a four-day layoff between their final regular-season game and their playoff-opener. Williams orchestrated an intrasquad scrimmage during the time off, and some hitters took extra swings in the batting cages to maintain their rhythm.
Nobody in the Nationals’ clubhouse has used that layoff as an excuse, but many have agreed it was not an ideal situation.
“I think [it’s] the combination of the time off and us pressing a little bit, trying to do too much,” Schu said. “Because guys want it so bad. We’ve had such a great year. We want to keep playing. We’ve just got to get back to relaxing and sticking to our approach.”
• Tom Schad can be reached at tschad@washingtontimes.com.
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