Nats drop ninth straight to Marlins
Washington's inability to get a hit with runners in scoring position and their bullpen's ineffectiveness ultimately cost them in this afternoon's 5-3 loss to the Marlins, their ninth straight against their NL East foe.
As a team, the Nationals went 2-14 with RISP, leaving 13 men on base, failing to take advantage of multiple opportunities.
Manny Acta talks with the media after the Nats' 5-3 loss to the Marlins
Reliever Julian Tavarez gave up two hits with one-out in the eighth before turning the game over to closer Mike MacDougal.
MacDougal walked the first batter he faced to load the bases.
Pinch-hitter Wes Helms' fielder's choice scored Hanley Ramirez with the go-ahead run and Cody Ross added an insurance run, making a loser out of Tavarez.
With a run in and the bases loaded in the second, Cristian Guzman struck out to end the inning.
In the third, Adam Dunn's double put runners on second and third with one out, but Josh Willingham popped out to second and Anderson Hernandez grounded out to second.
After the Marlins took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the inning, the Nationals again had runners on base and in the process knocked out starter Josh Johnson.
Guzman, on the first pitch he saw from reliever Burke Badenhop, grounded out to first, moving the runners into scoring position, but Nick Johnson grounded out to end the inning.
Willingham hit a two-out double in the fifth, but Hernandez couldn't get the ball out of the infield.
In the seventh, Willingham singled home two runs to give the Nationals a 3-2 lead after they loaded the bases with one out, but that's all they would get.
Hernandez struck out looking and Wil Nieves flew out to the wall in left, stranding two more and failing to add to their lead, which they could have used.
New addition, left-hander Sean Burnett, who arrived at Land Shark Stadium around 10:30 a.m. from Pittsburgh, gave up the game-tying homer in the bottom of the inning.
Willie Harris walked and stole second in the eighth before Johnson walked, setting the table for Ryan Zimmerman. Zimmerman hit a weak fly ball to right to end the frame.
Maybe forgotten in all this was rookie Jordan Zimmermann's second striaight quality start.
Zimmermann allowed two runs on six hits in six strong innings. He walked one and struck out six.
Washington's bullpen accounted for all three losses in the series - Ron Villone on Monday, Joe Beimel last night and Tavarez today.
The Marlins have now won 25 of the last 28 against the Nationals.
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