After string of one-run losses, Nats face tough test in Red Sox

It's not that the Nationals are losing a lot of ballgames. It's how they're losing them.

Though there have been a few blowouts along the way - most notably last Monday's 11-0 drubbing at Tampa Bay - most of the Nats' losses of late have been by the slimmest of margins.

In fact, each of their last four losses has come by one run, each in low-scoring affairs that easily could have been won had they simply been able to produce one more well-timed hit. The final scores of the Nationals' four most recent losses: 1-0, 4-3, 3-2 and 4-3 in 13 innings.

"We've just got to figure out our offense," manager Davey Martinez said. "It's tough winning games with two, three runs."

The Nationals had chances to win all of those games late. They had the bases loaded with one out in the ninth inning of the 1-0 loss to the Rays. They scored two runs in the ninth to draw to within 4-3 of the Phillies on Thursday but couldn't push across the tying run. They got a two-out double from Daniel Murphy in the ninth inning Saturday but couldn't score.

And then came Sunday, in which the Nationals scored one run in the fourth, two in the fifth and then nothing the rest of the way despite countless opportunities.

All this despite the 17-run explosion they had Friday to notch the only win of their six-game road trip. How does that happen?

"Well, it's contagious," outfielder Adam Eaton said. "How many runs did we score the other day? It goes the other way, too. So like I said, it's a contagious attribute. ... Offensively we've got to step it up and put some crooked numbers on the board, plain and simple."

And now they'll have to try to get themselves back on track the next three days against the Red Sox, who own a major-league-best 56 wins already. Yes, they'll have Max Scherzer on the mound for tonight's opener at Nationals Park against his former Tigers teammate, Rick Porcello. But not only will his teammates need to score some runs, Scherzer himself will have to provide a healthy number of innings.

Every one of the Nats' eight relievers was used during Sunday's 13-inning loss, and while a few of them didn't throw many pitches, the carryover workload from the full weekend was significant.

Ryan Madson, Kelvin Herrera and Justin Miller have all pitched back-to-back games, with Miller having appeared in three straight games and totaling 57 pitches. It's unlikely any of them will be available tonight against Boston.

And even if the Nationals wanted to summon a fresh arm from the minors to help out the day after their bullpen was pushed to the brink, they aren't in a good situation roster-wise to do so. Having demoted left-hander Sammy Solís to Triple-A Syracuse on Saturday, the club no longer has any relievers on the roster with options (aside from Tim Collins, who as a veteran has the right to veto such a move). Any attempt to demote another reliever would require the Nationals to expose said reliever to waivers.

In other words, they really need Scherzer to go seven or more innings tonight. Then again, that might not be enough to win if the lineup can't do any damage against Porcello and company.

Scherzer has lost three of his last four starts, games the Nationals lost either 1-0 or 2-0.