Quiet bats lead Nationals to three-game skid

MIAMI - After a terrible start, the Nats offense seemed to be coming around during the season's second week. But that appears to be just a tease as the futile bats have returned in a three-game losing streak. The Nationals are just 2-for-18 with runners in scoring position over the past two games and have scored a lowly three runs.

Marlins starter Mat Latos brought a 10.24 ERA into tonight's start, and the Nats had to claw and scrap for two runs on six hits. They finally got to Latos in the seventh and were seemingly in a prime position to break a 2-2 tie. Marlins manager Mike Redmond called for right-hander A.J. Ramos to face second baseman Dan Uggla with runners at first and second and one out. Three pitches later, Uggla was on his way to the dugout, responsible for the inning's second out after waving at a slider well out of the zone.

"I feel crappy about how it turned out," Uggla said. "I've faced Ramos a lot, and I knew he was going to be mixing it up with sliders and fastballs. He got the first one over. Just missed the heater in. I had a feeling he was going to come with another slider. I'm pretty sure everyone in the stadium probably knew he was going to come with a slider there. I just couldn't hold my bat back."

That left a decision for Nationals manager Matt Williams with starter Jordan Zimmermann on his way to the plate. Knowing that his team has struggled to score runs, Williams opted to end Zimmermann's night at only 79 pitches in favor of pinch-hitter Reed Johnson. Ramos got Johnson to bounce out to third, and the Nats came away without a run and with their starting pitcher lost for the evening.

"Well, if we've got the lead, it's different," Williams said. "If we score before he gets up, he's bunting. So it depends on the game. We've got a couple outs there. We've gotta try to take advantage of it with a guy that knows these guys very well. It didn't happen, but those are the chances sometimes you have to take. We don't want to just send Zim out there because he's pitching well. We first and foremost want to win the game, so it's important for us to take a chance there."

After pitching a perfect seventh, right-hander Tanner Roark gave up a leadoff double to shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria in the eighth. He was able to get pinch-hitter Donovan Solano to pop up a bunt, but then Williams called for lefty Matt Grace to face second baseman Dee Gordon.

Grace got a bit of tough luck as Gordon beat out a slow roller to Uggla. Williams then turned to right-hander Aaron Barrett, who promptly gave up a base hit to third baseman Martin Prado that plated Hechavarria for the game-winning run.

"Prado's a good hitter, and he took advantage of a pitch down and away and singled. That's the game," Williams said.

It's the third time in the last four games that the Nats bullpen has either blown a lead or been unable to maintain a tie after the eighth inning.

Right fielder Bryce Harper was responsible for driving in the Nats' only two runs of the night on a deep sacrifice fly in the fourth and an RBI single in the sixth. He also collected a bunt single in his first at-bat and drew his league-leading 16th walk. None of it mattered much, standing in the clubhouse three games under .500, 17 games into the season.

"I mean, it's not fun," Harper said. "You want to win ballgames, especially when you're in dogfights like that. Jordan threw such a great game that, you know, I think he was able to win that game, so I mean just trying to get guys on base, get 'em over, get 'em in, just trying to play baseball. Gotta try to get guys on, and if it calls for a bunt here and there, you gotta do that, too. So it's rough, but we'll keep plugging along, keep playing, keep doing what we need to do."