Nats bats still silent during 2-1 loss to Rockies

Davey Martinez began the day with a message for his slumping hitters.

"Just because you don't hit doesn't mean you can't help us by defense, by running the bases, a walk, whatever," the Nationals manager said. "But do something to help us win every day."

Several hours later, Martinez found himself watching his team slog through another slow night at the plate, then surrender the decisive run in a 2-1 loss to the Rockies as a direct result of a defensive mistake.

When it rains, it pours. And right now, the Nationals (6-8 and in danger of falling a full six games behind the Mets in the National League East division) are stuck in the mud, hoping the tow truck arrives before it's too late to get back on the road and catch up to the rest of the pack.

Oh, and they also appeared to lose Anthony Rendon to injury. Two innings after fouling a ball off his foot, the star third baseman was out of the game, with no immediate reason provided.

One night after they managed one run and four hits against Colorado's pitching staff, the Nats managed ... one run and four hits against Colorado's pitching staff. They threatened a few times early but never could deliver the clutch hit necessary to take the lead that has eluded them since Tuesday.

The Nationals entered the day leading the majors with 108 runners left on base, an average of 8.3 per game, and they added to that tally early on in this one. Howie Kendrick struck out with two on and two out in the first, then Bryce Harper and Ryan Zimmerman each lofted flyouts with two on in the third (though Zimmerman missed a three-run homer by a few feet on the previous pitch).

The Nats finally pushed a run across in the fifth, but even that felt like a missed opportunity given the fact they had the bases loaded with one out and Harper at the plate. With the many in the crowd of 32,702 on their feet, Harper lofted a flyball to left, deep enough to score Tanner Roark from third but hardly the big blast everyone anticipated.

And when right-hander Scott Oberg entered from the Rockies pen and got Zimmerman to ground out, the Nationals were left to be content with a 1-1 game and two more runners stranded on base.

The game didn't remain tied for long, though. Roark had been outstanding for five innings, his lone mistake a 2-0 changeup to Carlos Gonzalez in the top of the fourth that wound up in the right-center field bleachers. And the run the Rockies plated in the top of the sixth wasn't really Roark's fault; it was made possible by Trea Turner's error on D.J. LeMahieu's grounder to begin the inning. A Gerardo Parra single and a Gonzalez sac fly later, Colorado was back on top 2-1 and Roark was tagged with an unearned run.

Roark surely deserved better on a night in which he allowed one earned run and three hits in six innings. So did relievers Brandon Kintzler, Sammy Solis and Trevor Gott, who combined to toss three scoreless frames and strike out six and at least give their hitting mates an opportunity to mount a late rally.