Struggling offense, bullpen problems lead to three-game losing streak

PHILADELPHIA - For the third time in the first five games, the Nationals blew a lead and it cost them the game, as they fell 3-2 in 10 innings to the Phillies on Saturday night.

Clinging to a 2-0 lead, Nationals manager Matt Williams called on right-hander Blake Treinen to start the eighth inning. The Phillies banged four straight hits off Treinen that led to two runs. The two teams went to extra innings knotted at 2-2 until Phillies rookie center fielder Odubel Herrera smacked a double off right-hander Tanner Roark that plated catcher Carlos Ruiz for the Phillies walk off win.

Panic clearly hasn't set in for Williams, but he was visibly frustrated after his team's third straight loss.

"Well it's the fifth game of the season, so I don't know if it can be heartbreaking," said Williams. "But we had 'em. We had 'em where we wanted them."

"I think we'll be fine. That's all I'm going to say about it. I think we'll be just fine. Guys are busting their fannies all the way around the clubhouse and we'll be just fine."

The Nats had a good chance to take the lead in the 10th after center fielder Michael A. Taylor drew a one-out walk and then stole second. Third baseman Yunel Escobar followed with a line drive through the hole into left field. Taylor waited to make sure the ball got through before he broke for third. Bobby Henley, the Nats' third base coach, waved him home but left fielder Ben Revere's throw was right on the money, nailing Taylor at the plate without a slide.

"Rounding the base, the ball is behind me, so it's up to Henley," said Taylor. "I was going hard the whole way in case he sent me. And once he did, I'm just trying to get there as quick as I can."

"It looked as if he hesitated a little bit, but we're aggressive," said Williams. "We want to be aggressive in that situation. One run potentially wins the game for us. So good piece of hitting by Yunel. We had our chances. We had a lot of chances tonight."

Indeed, the Nationals did, as they left eight more men on base tonight while going 2-for-8 with runners in scoring position. They're now 5-for-30 in scoring situations through the first five games.

"Well, the urgency's there every day, regardless of whether it's Game 1 or Game 162," Williams said. "So if we look at it so far, our pitching's been good. Our starting pitching's been good. We've struggled a little bit offensively with guys in scoring position, but we'll get better at that. It's important for us to catch the baseball. So Game 6 is upon us quickly and we'll be ready for that one."

Clint Robinson came up with one of the big hits when Williams sent him in to pinch hit in the eighth. With second baseman Danny Espinosa on third after doubling and advancing on a wild pitch, Robinson delivered a RBI single to center for his first hit of the season.

The double was Espinosa's first hit of the year and it came while batting from the left side against Phillies right-hander Jeanmar Gomez. Williams spent all spring working with Espinosa from the right side of the plate. It seemed as though that would be Espinosa's approach this season no matter who was on the mound.

After Espinosa went 7-for-56 in the spring, it appears that experiment was abandoned.

"It's a mutual decision," said Williams. "We want him to be free of mind when he gets out there. He hit a lot right-handed in spring, so he's got experience doing that, so if he gets a matchup that he feels comfortable with righty-righty, he can do that. But tonight, he got a good ball to hit and whacked it. Got himself in scoring position for us."

Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo traded away reliable reliever Tyler Clippard in January to acquire Escobar. Rizzo signed former Blue Jays closer Casey Janssen to help the back end of the bullpen, but Janssen began the season on the disabled list with tendinitis in his right shoulder. That left the eighth inning role to the hard-throwing Treinin, who's never worked as full-time reliever in the big leagues before.

"I didn't execute a few pitches when I needed to," said Treinen. "Other than that, I felt good. Good pitches that were called. I just didn't execute against Howard. Just an unfortunate outing when Doug (Fister) threw so well and we put a couple runs together, even added another one late. Gave us a chance to get to Drew (Storen). I just didn't do my job. I've got to do a better job next time."

Roark's role in the bullpen is unclear, as well. Tonight, the former starter took the loss after giving up two hits and the game-winning run in the 10th.

"It's a long season," said Roark. "Can't really worry about it. You just go out there and do your thing each day. You think about you could've thrown or what pitch you could have executed a lot better but then you move on. You think about it for 15 minutes and flush it down the toilet. Tomorrow is a new day and I'll be ready to go."

Meanwhile, Fister's effort was wasted. He pitched 6 1/3 scoreless innings allowing just six with a walk and strikeout.

"If we start pressing in game five we're in trouble," said Fister. "We're not even a week into the season yet."