Martinez takes ownership of 4-3, extra-inning loss to D-backs

The Nationals were again entrenched in a close game, again against the Diamondbacks. Right-hander Jeremy Hellickson entered the top of the sixth inning nursing a 2-1 lead and then allowed a solo shot to David Peralta, his second homer of the game.

The blast to right field tied the game at 2-2.

Hellickson had not labored, holding at just 57 pitches, 43 for strikes.

Later in the 10th inning, manager Davey Martinez wanted to pitch Austin L. Adams because he thought Arizona was going for pinch-hitter Chris Owings. The lefty-lefty matchup could have been Sammy Solís against Jarrod Dyson. But instead it was Adams.

Nats second baseman Howie Kendrick had gone to the mound to check in with Hellickson.

Martinez said he saw home plate umpire Nic Lentz reach for a card. Martinez thought it was the lineup card, but Lentz was just marking down the Nats mound visit.

Martinez thought that move was confirmed so he was going to go to right-hander Trevor Gott. But Lentz never confirmed the change. The Diamondbacks were able to save their pinch-hitter.

"I was looking down at my card to make a switch," Martinez said. "When I looked up I saw Owings and I saw the umpire with the lineup card. Didn't realize that Howie had come in, so he was just marking the visit.

"So, hey, I completely take ownership to that. It will never happen again because I will make sure, I will look right at him and say, 'is he in the game?' But, we had our chances to win."

First baseman Ryan Zimmerman, who smacked a two-run shot to put the Nats up early, said Martinez admitted to them that he had made the mistake.

"It's nice to have someone who's honest about everything," Zimmerman said. "It's a novel concept. Even after the games in here obviously haven't been going our way, (he said) keep going, keep playing hard. It's not a lack of effort, it's not a lack of being prepared, we're just not getting big hits, not catching some breaks."

After Hellickson got Dyson out, he was removed for Gott.

"He was good, it was a hard decision, I mean he had (57) pitches," Martinez said of Hellickson's 5 1/3 innings. "But coming in to that sixth inning for some reason, things often happen so I thought it was a good time to get him out. But he pitched well, he gave us a chance to win."

Hellickson's reaction to leaving before he got to 60 pitches was understandable. Just like any starter, he wanted to keep going.

"I mean, I'm a little surprised," Hellickson said. "I would've liked to get those last two that inning but I'm not the one to question Davey's decision, he knows what he's doing."

Kendrick got the Nats back in the lead, making the score 3-2 in bottom of the sixth with a solo homer. But the Diamondbacks answered with three singles off of Ryan Madson in the eighth to tie the game again at 3-3.

The game got away from the Nats in extra innings when the bullpen walked three batters in a row. Matt Adams walked Dyson and A.J. Pollock. Pollock's walk scored the go-ahead run.

"I got to go out there and throw strikes," Adams said. "That's what it comes down to. I didn't do my job. I didn't get ahead of hitters. Slider wasn't there. Fastball wasn't there. It's just super frustrating going out there and not executing and doing what I'm capable and helping the team out."

A furious rally attempt in the bottom of the tenth fell short as Arizona won the series, 4-3.

Zimmerman doubled off of Brad Boxberger with two outs. After Bryce Harper was intentionally walked and Kendrick also received a free pass, Michael A. Taylor grounded out to short on the first pitch to end the game.

Despite an 11-16 record and losses in six of their last seven games, Zimmerman said Martinez's message is to remain up.

"The key is to stay positive," Zimmerman said. "As soon as you start getting negative and not sticking together as a team that's when it really goes bad."

So when you keep coming up short in close games, now 1-8 in one-run games, is there anything you can do to alter your strategy or approach?

"Just keep doing it. There's nothing else you can really do," Zimmerman said. "Obviously, some of us haven't played as well as we should play and that's part of the season. That's why we play such a long season. Obviously fighting through some injuries but the guys that have come up have done a good job. Just got to keep going. Like you said, it's frustrating. Nobody enjoys losing."

That was Martinez's message to Zimmerman and the team in the clubhouse after the game: Stay positive and keep fighting.

"I got nothing to say except those guys in there are playing with heart," Martinez concluded. "We just got to keep going. I told them all after the game, keep fighting. It'll change."

Zimmerman, who finished 2-for-5 with a double, homer and two RBIs, agreed.

"We are one good five game stretch away from being right back where we need to be," Zimmerman said. "Starting to get some people back and all of sudden, who knows. It's baseball, it's brutal sometimes."