Baker concerned about fundamental mistakes late in games

BALTIMORE - The Nationals' 12-inning loss Tuesday night was attributable, first and foremost, to their makeshift bullpen, which could not hold a two-run lead in the ninth and eventually was charged with the loss.

But there were other problems, especially late, when the Nationals started making careless mistakes at the plate, in the field and on the bases, and in one case let their emotions get the best of them.

It was enough to make their manager openly worry about their state of mind in certain situations.

"It seems like the tighter the game gets toward the end, we're not performing fundamentally like I would like," Dusty Baker said after the 5-4 loss to the Orioles. "We're not getting bunts down. We're not making the defensive plays. It's the little things. Most people just see how many hits you get, how many home runs you hit, and how many guys you strike out. But it's the little things that, especially in one-run games, cost you games."

Here is a rehashing of the little things the Nats did not do well in Tuesday's loss ...

* With a chance to pad their lead in the top of the ninth, the Nationals wasted Ryan Zimmerman's leadoff double. Daniel Murphy and Anthony Rendon each were called out on strikes by plate umpire Laz Diaz, and while those calls may have been suspect, Murphy wasn't able to keep his emotions in check.

After he left the field following the game-tying bottom of the ninth, Murphy got into a heated argument with Diaz, who ejected the All-Star second baseman.

"I think we had some disagreements on some calls during the game," Murphy said, refusing to go into any more detail.

Wilmer Difo wound up taking over at second base and figured into matters later, as it turned out.

"That was a big guy to lose in a game like this," Baker said. "Especially late in the game. That's one of our main guys, and the spot came up a couple times after that. That was a tough loss, as well."

* In the bottom of the ninth, Brian Goodwin and Bryce Harper both went after Mark Trumbo's fly ball to right-center, only to let the ball fall to the ground. Goodwin recovered in time to throw to second to force out Chris Davis, but it made for a harrowing moment at a critical juncture of the game.

* Difo's gaffe came in the 10th, when he dropped Rendon's throw to second while trying to turn a double play. Initially ruled an out, with Difo losing the ball only on the transfer, the call was overturned later after Orioles manager Buck Showalter asked for a video review. The run didn't end up scoring, but it was yet another shaky moment when composure was needed.

* Both Chris Heisey and Goodwin failed to get down bunts late in the game. Heisey's strikeout after fouling off two bunt attempts in the eighth didn't prove costly, because Adam Lind followed with his three-run pinch-hit homer. But Goodwin's poor bunt in the 12th was damaging, because it got Heisey thrown out at second.

* Goodwin then got doubled off first base on Trea Turner's flyout to left field. Goodwin was running on the pitch, but he didn't look up and see the ball being caught until after he had rounded second base. By the time he slammed on the brakes to make his way back to first base, he was doubled up to end the inning.