PHILADELPHIA — After losing to the Philadelphia Phillies in extra innings on Saturday night, the Washington Nationals won in 10 innings on Sunday, 4-3.
Yunel Escobar and Clint Robinson each doubled and later came around to score as the Nationals avoided the sweep.
THE RUNDOWN: Stop me if you’ve read this story before: The Nationals got six solid innings from their starter (Max Scherzer), took the lead on a solo home run (by Bryce Harper) and lost the lead when the bullpen took over (in this case, a homer off Xavier Cedeno). Through six games, the Nationals have fallen into a unwelcome pattern. And if they continue to score only a handful of runs per game, that pattern will probably continue. The bright side? This time, they were able to overcome it, scoring twice in the 10th to pull ahead for good.
THE HIGHLIGHT: It might not seem like much, but given the Nationals’ recent struggles at the plate, their sequence in the fourth inning was a thing of beauty. It started with a leadoff single from Ryan Zimmerman, who advanced to second base on a wild pitch during the following at-bat. Clint Robinson, making his second start of the season in left field, proceeded to hit a soft liner to right field. Then, with runners at the corners, Wilson Ramos lifted a sacrifice fly to right field, scoring Zimmerman. Manager Matt Williams recently talked about the importance of sustaining innings, rather than relying on the long ball, and that was an excellent example.
STAR OF THE GAME: Yunel Escobar has been quietly superb in the No. 2 spot in the order. He reached base three times Sunday, most notably hitting a leadoff double down the right-field line in the 10th. He advanced to third on a grounder by Harper, then scored on a wild pitch by Justin De Fratus. Through six games, he leads the Nationals with seven hits and is the only position player without a strikeout.
THE TAKEAWAY: As the season winds on and the Nationals get healthy, the runs will start to come. That isn’t the issue. The bullpen, on the other hand, is becoming an area of legitimate concern. Cedeno was asked to walk a tightrope Sunday but didn’t respond well to the challenge, surrendering a solo homer to the first batter he faced, pinch-hitter Darin Ruf. Blake Treinen and Tanner Roark shared the blame Saturday, when the Nationals lost 3-2 in 10 innings. The bullpen hasn’t been all bad, mind you, but it is certainly something to monitor.
SEE ALSO: Nationals’ Danny Espinosa resumes switch-hitting after spring detour
• Tom Schad can be reached at tschad@washingtontimes.com.
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