Worst-case scenario plays out for Nats bullpen in loss to Braves

ATLANTA - Davey Martinez and his staff prepare for every conceivable scenario before they take their positions in the dugout for any given ballgame. And so they had concocted a plan this morning for what truly amounted to a worst-case scenario in today's series finale against the Braves: an early departure by Jeremy Hellickson.

That plan was going to include Jefry Rodriguez, summoned from Double-A Harrisburg this morning, providing maybe two or three innings of relief only three days after an 87-pitch start. It was going to include Sammy Solís, Shawn Kelley and Brandon Kintzler filling out the middle and late innings, with Sean Doolittle being held back in case there was a save situation. It included Wander Suero being held back in case the game went extra innings. And it included Tanner Roark pitching an inning of relief three days after he threw 98 pitches in the series opener.

But that was a worst-case scenario plan, one the Nationals never expected to actually come into play. Until it did.

When Hellickson pulled up lame trying to make a lunging catch of Mark Reynolds' high throw to first base two batters into the bottom of the first, the Nats dugout realized it was going to have to break the glass and go with the emergency plan.

And it nearly worked. Until two late homers surrendered by Kelley and Roark, combined with another frustratingly fruitless showing from an injury-depleted lineup, dealt the Nationals a stinging 4-2 loss to an Atlanta club that emerged from the weekend with a 1 1/2-game lead in the National League East.

"That's exactly what you didn't want to have happen: Tanner to have to come into that ballgame," Hellickson said. "The bullpen throws seven shutout yesterday, and now they've got to get 26 outs. It was definitely frustrating."

Hellickson, who will get an MRI on Monday to determine the severity of what the Nationals believe is a right hamstring strain, said he felt his leg cramp up on the play. He said this injury is not nearly as the hamstring strain he suffered in spring training 2011 with the Rays, after which he still proceeded to make 29 starts and win American League Rookie of the Year honors. But he doesn't know yet how much time he'll need to miss.

"I think it's too early right now," he said. "I pulled it pretty bad (in 2011), and it's not close to that. So it makes me feel a little better. But every time I took a step, it just grabbed at me. I guess better to be safe than sorry."

Hellickson's injury, coming on the heels of a 14-inning game in which Nationals relievers tossed seven perfect innings, put a tremendous strain on that unit this afternoon. Justin Miller (who threw three of those perfect innings) and Ryan Madson (who pitched the last two days) were not available. The remaining seven pitchers (including Roark) were going to need to combine for 8 2/3 innings - or possibly more if they went to extras for the second time in 24 hours.

First up was Rodriguez, who provided way more than anyone ever expected. The 24-year-old made his major league debut under most unusual circumstances and proceeded to toss 4 2/3 innings of scoreless ball, totaling 63 pitches, surprising everyone but himself.

"I was getting mentally ready to throw what I usually throw in an outing, which is like seven innings," he said, via interpreter Octavio Martinez.

"I'm really excited about our future with a guy like that," Davey Martinez said. "He went out there. He was poised. ... Every inning I asked him: 'How you doing?' He said: 'I'm fine. I'm fine. I'm fine.' "

It's unclear what the Nationals will do in the immediate future with Rodriguez, who wouldn't be ready to pitch again until later in the week. But the lanky right-hander emerged confident in his ability to face major league hitters.

"I was very excited about today," he said. "This is what I worked for, worked my whole career hard to get to this point and have an opportunity to pitch in the big leagues, which I did today."

Rodriguez's performance allowed Martinez to ask for one inning a piece from Solís, Kelley and Kintzler. Kelley surrendered the game-tying homer to Dansby Swanson, snapping a streak of 23 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings by Nationals relievers, and that left the game knotted at 2-2 heading to the ninth.

The Nationals squandered a golden opportunity to plate the go-ahead run after Brian Goodwin and Michael A. Taylor struck out to strand Juan Soto at second base. One run scored would have allowed Martinez to bring in Doolittle for the save, but instead it was Roark who got the surprise relief appearance.

Roark had met with Martinez this morning and informed his manager he was available for one inning if the need arose.

"I was down to do it, as long as it wasn't going to hinder my next start on Wednesday," Roark said. "And then Helly went down. I had to be out there, so I went out there and did the best I could."

Roark got Preston Tucker to ground out to begin the inning, but then Swanson lined a ball to left field and raced around to stretch the hit into a double, an outcome made possible by a replay review reversal after he initially was ruled out. Moments later, pinch-hitter Charlie Culberson drove Roark's 0-1 fastball into the left field bleachers for the game-winner.

How did Roark's arm feel at that point?

"It felt good," he insisted. "It was coming out well. I just didn't get the pitch where I wanted it to be."

As the Braves celebrated a series victory and renewed confidence they can be a real threat in the NL East this summer, the battered Nationals looked forward to a flight home, a day off and the promise of better days to come.

"Atlanta is not gonna go away," Martinez said. "They're really good. They are. We just have to continue to play baseball. My concerns are the Washington Nationals and the boys. That's what I look at every day."