Recipe for disaster

BOSTON - For the second straight night, Nationals manager Matt Williams watched as multiple defensive miscues forced a loss to the Red Sox. The Nats committed three errors and hit two batters in the seventh inning alone, which gave Boston three runs and the lead without even connecting on a single base hit. The Nats went on to lose 8-7.

"Same recipe," Williams said. "If you put all the ingredients together the same way every time, then you're gonna get the same meal. That's what we've been getting. There's nothing to be said that hasn't already been said. We got the pitches we wanted to get, didn't make the plays. That's the same recipe. That's all I've got for you."

Shortstop Ian Desmond's 3-for-4, two-RBI night was forgotten after his sixth error of the season put Red Sox third baseman Hanley Ramirez safely on base to start the disastrous seventh.

"It sucks," said Desmond. "I don't know what to do. I'm doing everything I can. Sitting here answering questions after every game is brutal. But what am I going to do?"

Ramirez would eventually score on a dreadful play moments later. With the bases loaded with Red Sox who reached on an error and two hit by pitches, catcher Ryan Hanigan hit a dribbler in front of the plate, which Nats reliever Blake Treinen should have easily thrown to home for the second out. Instead, Treinen bobbled the ball and airmailed a hurried throw into the stands at Fenway, allowing two runs to score. Treinen was charged with two errors on the play.

"I felt like I got to it fine," said Treinen. "I just told myself to be smooth, get it to the plate. I had plenty of time to get it. And then just the transition between my glove and my hand, I bobbled it, it fell to the ground. I had to get rid of it quick and I just made a terrible throw. It ended up costing us."

Then, Williams chose to bring the infield in with still just one out, runners at second and third and the game tied 7-7. Red Sox shortstop Brock Holt hit a grounder to Desmond, who chose to throw to first baseman Ryan Zimmerman for the safe out instead of trying for the out at home. Allen Craig ran home on the play, and the result was the game-winning run crossing the plate for the Red Sox.

A frustrated Williams dealt with Desmond's decision after the game.

"That's why we're playing him there," said Williams. "We've got to try to get that play at the plate. Now if the ball bounces funny, if he bobbles it, he doesn't have a clean grip, then we want to get an out for sure. It could have been a shot. It was a good break by the runner. He's going on contact. There was a shot."

The Nats have errors in six of their first eight games, and have committed nine overall.

"There's nothing else I can say. I don't notice anything other than we scored seven runs tonight, which is a good sign," Williams said. "And if you continue to kick the ball around, you're gonna lose. Bottom line. That being said, we've gotta do better. We've gotta do better starting tomorrow and give ourselves a chance to win. The last two games, we haven't given ourselves a chance.'

It might be time for the head chef to lay into his staff or change his menu.

"It's the same recipe, you guys," Williams said. "We can go over it a million times. At this point, all I've got for you is, if you put the same ingredients together like we have in the last two games, we're gonna get the same meal. It doesn't taste very good."