Bullpen inconsistency, rough August some of the reasons for Nationals' predicament

The bullpen has never really been able to get in a rhythm this season. It is one of the reasons the Nationals stumble into September after losing 17 of 29 games in August.

Similar to the offense and injuries plaguing consistency, the bullpen lost right-hander Craig Stammen to a torn flexor tendon in early April just as the season was beginning. Stammen has the unique ability to be a specialist, a long reliever, a fire extinguisher and even began is career as a starter. He could pretty much do it all. He was the glue guy in the bullpen for the Nationals.

The bullpen also has not really been able to replace right-hander Tyler Clippard and his ability to take on different roles, especially in the eighth inning. Closer Drew Storen was moved to the eighth inning when right-hander Jonathan Papelbon was acquired from the Phillies. That was supossed to mend a problem the Nationals have had in shoring up the seventh and eighth innings.

August was very difficult for the Nationals record-wise, and the pitching staff got hit pretty good. It was almost the polar opposite to last season's surge in August.

In August 2014, the Nationals rolled to a 19-10 record. They had a 2.95 ERA for the month and three shutouts. They surrendered only 87 earned runs.

In August 2015, the Nationals went a season-worst 12-17. They had a 4.48 ERA, which was 10th in NL. They recorded no shutouts and allowed 125 earned runs, fifth-most in the NL.

The Nationals have really been unable to take full advantage of the Storen/Papelbon duo because they have not had the lead heading to the seventh inning.

Or it Monday's case, they could not get to the eighth because Casey Janssen allowed four of the five runs the Cardinals scored to turn a 5-3 lead into an 8-5 loss. The argument to get Janssen out of there in the seventh with two outs and just have Storen get four outs certainly has some validity.

But Aaron Barrett (right elbow strain) struggled this season and eventually had to have it come to an end as well with injury. Blake Treinen was sent down and came back up but that lost time caused some rough seas for the bullpen, too.

Matt Grace, Sammy Solis and Rafael Martin were all given a shot, but could not find the consistency they needed. Felipe Rivero certainly has had some promising moments, but Monday was a tough one for him, too.

And when the season is finally over, will messing with Storen and his role mean that he will be traded and the bullpen will have to be replenished and reshuffled again?

That seems like a distinct possibility. Just one of the important parts of this team that will have to be looked act and strengthened in the off season if this team cannot make a huge comeback in the regular season's final 32 games.

* Now a look back at a trying August for the Nationals. This isn't going to be fun, but statistics always bear out trends and for the Nationals, last month it demonstrated an inability to maintain early advantages and win games.

They went 12-17 and in eight of those 17 losses occurred after the Nationals had scored first or built a quick lead.

In the opening series against the Mets, the Nationals had early leads of 2-0 and 1-0 in respective games and ended up losing both games.

On Aug. 5, the Nationals were up 2-0 on the Diamondbacks and then allowed 11 runs to fall 11-4.

In two games in early August at home against the lowly Rockies, the Nationals were up 4-1 and 3-2 and lost both games, 5-4 and 6-4. DJ LeMahieu tallied a two-run single on Aug. 7 and, of course, the jaw-dropping grand slam by Carlos Gonzalez on Aug. 9, both off Drew Storen, changed the complexion of that series quickly.

Later in the four-game sweep at San Francisco, the Nationals were up 1-0 early on Aug. 14 and 2-0 early Aug. 15. They were outscored a combined 20-8 from there and lost both contests.

And finally, the Monday night collapse in St. Louis in an 8-5. loss The Nationals were leading 5-3 in the top of the seventh following a dramatic three-run homer by Ryan Zimmerman to dead center. The Cardinals answered with five run in the bottom of the inning to erase that euphoria.

It all adds up to a miserable August 2015 for the Nationals that is thankfully over.

Here are more difficult trends to that ugly August:

Losing steaks: Six games (8/11-16); four games (7/31-8/3)

Losing sweeps: against the Mets and Giants

July 31: led Mets by two games, in first place in NL East

Aug. 31: trail Mets by 6 1/2 games, second place in NL East