Quotes from the clubhouse after Nats' tough 7-6 walk-off loss
By Dan Kolko
MIAMI - Their 6-0 lead turned into a four-run advantage after the Marlins got two in the seventh.
The four-run edge was cut to three when Miami plated one more on an RBI groundout in the eighth.
Still, a three-run lead with Rafael Soriano on the mound seemed secure, given that Soriano had been 25 of 28 in save chances entering today and had notched his 200th career save yesterday.
Then the Marlins exploded for four runs in the bottom of the ninth, with Jeff Baker's single to left off Jerry Blevins plating the game-winning run and giving the Nationals a tough 7-6 loss.
Here are postgame reactions from the clubhouse:
Matt Williams
On Soriano in the ninth: "He's been pitching a lot lately. Tonight, everything was just kind of up in the zone. They took some good swings at it and ended up tying the game. We had it set up for Jerry to come in there. We don't want to leave (Soriano) in there for too many because we lose him for days in a row if we do. The lead had already been tied, so we went to Jerry there. He just didn't have it today."
On if Tyler Clippard was unavailable because of his recent workload: "Clip was unavailable today, yeah. Set the game up perfectly for us with Sori in the ninth, just didn't happen for us tonight."
On how he decides when to get Soriano when it's clear he's struggling: "It's a sense of how many days he may be down if we continue to let him go. We're not playing for a double play in the ninth with Jerry against a lefty, and we have to take our shot with Baker and he put a good swing on it. Sometimes the best laid plans don't work, and tonight, it didn't. But we'll be ready to go tomorrow."
On whether the contact play was on in the eighth when Bryce Harper held at third on Danny Espinosa's grounder to short: "The contact play is not on there. We've got a couple of options - if the ball is a high chopper, he can read it. If it takes either of the middle infielders to the middle of the diamond, he can read that. It's tough when you're standing at third base and the ball is between third and short because you don't know if the third baseman will be able to get to it. And once there's hesitation there, you don't want to go, because you'll be dead at home plate. We've got a couple of shots at it. We're seeing the ball through in that regard. Unless it's a high chopper to the middle of the diamond, then we can read that one and go."
Soriano
On the blown save: "I no make excuse. Every pitch I threw I not throw how I supposed to. A bad day for me and my team. I feel sorry for Jordan because I think he pitched a great game and supposed to win that game."
On whether the heavy workload of late impacted his outing: "I feel fine. No excuse. Every pitch that I throw I don't think I have the good command that I have before. A bad day for me and for my team."
On whether he tried to adjust mid-outing: "Everything I try to throw it not work tonight. No excuse for that. I have to make a better pitch. My two-seamer not work. My cutter not work. My slider not work. To me, it not happen a lot of time. It happened tonight. I have to try and come back tomorrow and fix it."
Blevins
On his approach coming in with the game-winning run at third and one out: "No margin for error there. I was focused in on getting Yelich, trying to get him to swing at a pitch that I feel comfortable with, and I got him out. Then I wanted to get ahead of Baker, I wanted to throw a changeup down. It didn't get down and we lose the game."
On Soriano: "Just in general in baseball, you're going to have your ups and downs. It's a long season. We'll go get 'em tomorrow. I'm not worried one bit about Sori."
Jordan Zimmermann
On his slider tonight: "It was good. I had a good curveball, good slider and the fastball command was right where I wanted it. I threw strikes and worked quick and let those guys put it in play, and those guys behind me did a good job all day."
On whether he's happy to know his last start was just him shaking off rust: "Yeah, I was on more normal rest. I still had an extra day, but I didn't have nine days off like I did before. I felt good. Hopefully I have a lot more good starts."
On Soriano in the ninth: "He's been pitching a lot lately. Tonight, everything was just kind of up in the zone. They took some good swings at it and ended up tying the game. We had it set up for Jerry to come in there. We don't want to leave (Soriano) in there for too many because we lose him for days in a row if we do. The lead had already been tied, so we went to Jerry there. He just didn't have it today."
On if Tyler Clippard was unavailable because of his recent workload: "Clip was unavailable today, yeah. Set the game up perfectly for us with Sori in the ninth, just didn't happen for us tonight."
On how he decides when to get Soriano when it's clear he's struggling: "It's a sense of how many days he may be down if we continue to let him go. We're not playing for a double play in the ninth with Jerry against a lefty, and we have to take our shot with Baker and he put a good swing on it. Sometimes the best laid plans don't work, and tonight, it didn't. But we'll be ready to go tomorrow."
On whether the contact play was on in the eighth when Bryce Harper held at third on Danny Espinosa's grounder to short: "The contact play is not on there. We've got a couple of options - if the ball is a high chopper, he can read it. If it takes either of the middle infielders to the middle of the diamond, he can read that. It's tough when you're standing at third base and the ball is between third and short because you don't know if the third baseman will be able to get to it. And once there's hesitation there, you don't want to go, because you'll be dead at home plate. We've got a couple of shots at it. We're seeing the ball through in that regard. Unless it's a high chopper to the middle of the diamond, then we can read that one and go."
Soriano
On the blown save: "I no make excuse. Every pitch I threw I not throw how I supposed to. A bad day for me and my team. I feel sorry for Jordan because I think he pitched a great game and supposed to win that game."
On whether the heavy workload of late impacted his outing: "I feel fine. No excuse. Every pitch that I throw I don't think I have the good command that I have before. A bad day for me and for my team."
On whether he tried to adjust mid-outing: "Everything I try to throw it not work tonight. No excuse for that. I have to make a better pitch. My two-seamer not work. My cutter not work. My slider not work. To me, it not happen a lot of time. It happened tonight. I have to try and come back tomorrow and fix it."
Blevins
On his approach coming in with the game-winning run at third and one out: "No margin for error there. I was focused in on getting Yelich, trying to get him to swing at a pitch that I feel comfortable with, and I got him out. Then I wanted to get ahead of Baker, I wanted to throw a changeup down. It didn't get down and we lose the game."
On Soriano: "Just in general in baseball, you're going to have your ups and downs. It's a long season. We'll go get 'em tomorrow. I'm not worried one bit about Sori."
Jordan Zimmermann
On his slider tonight: "It was good. I had a good curveball, good slider and the fastball command was right where I wanted it. I threw strikes and worked quick and let those guys put it in play, and those guys behind me did a good job all day."
On whether he's happy to know his last start was just him shaking off rust: "Yeah, I was on more normal rest. I still had an extra day, but I didn't have nine days off like I did before. I felt good. Hopefully I have a lot more good starts."
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