Nats lament loose defense and late errors in 5-4 loss to Cubs

The Nationals defense did not handle the itself well in the eighth and ninth innings on Monday in a 5-4 loss to the Cubs in the opener of a four-game series.

With the game still in the balance and the home team down just 1-0, the run allowed in the eighth and the three runs in the ninth ultimately proved too much despite a furious rally.

The Nats could not execute a key fundamental defensive play in the eighth when the Cubs pulled off a successful safety squeeze. Then in the ninth, a pair of throwing errors left the door open for a backbreaking three-run rally that turned a close game into a 5-0 Cubs lead.

Manager Dusty Baker said defensive mistakes can multiply when you press to make a big play to stop a rally. That happened to the Nats in the final two innings against the defending world champions.

"Things happen in streaks," Baker said. "You know, just like you score runs in streaks. You know, walks come in streaks generally. Home runs come in streaks. You know, poor plays come in streaks, as well, because guys are trying to do too much, and you know, like I said it, was a tough game to lose."

The Cubs got something going in the eighth against reliever Blake Treinen, who was already into his second inning of work.

With one out, Javier Báez singled to left-center field. Jeimer Candelario grounded to second baseman Daniel Murphy, whose throw to shortstop Trea Turner to force Baez was originally called an out. But upon video replay review, the call was overturned. Both runners were safe on the fielder's choice because Murphy threw late to second instead of taking an out at first.

With Albert Almora Jr. batting, Báez stole third. Almora then laid down a perfect bunt toward first base. First baseman Ryan Zimmerman charged in and, on a dive, shoveled the ball to catcher Matt Wieters. The tag was late, Báez was safe and the Cubs led 2-0.

Baker said the Nationals knew Báez could pull off a play like that, so he thought they were ready for it.

"We knew that he likes to steal third," Baker said. "We were slide stepping. There is a couple signs we didn't execute and also knew that they like to safety squeeze, which is a tough play to stop.

"You throw the ball up and in on 'em, but it was a good execution by Almora and so it was a tough play to stop because it wasn't a suicide squeeze. You are reading the ball on the ground and then you go. A suicide squeeze is when you go as soon as he cocks his arm. As I said, it is a tough play to defend."

In the ninth, the Cubs scored three runs, benefiting from throwing errors by reliever Matt Grace and left fielder Brian Goodwin.

Pinch-hitter Tommy La Stella's single right back to Grace turned into two bases because Grace's throw to Zimmerman went up the line.

"Didn't really know what to do there, so I was kind of trying to hit him in the back, honestly," Grace said. "I thought...he was (running inside the base path). "I went to throw and saw his back. Didn't really know where to go with the ball."

Anthony Rizzo's RBI single to left went through a gaping hole because the Nats had shifted between first and second bases. Grace wanted that pitch back.

"The one to Rizzo, too," Grace said. "I made my pitch on it, but with the shift, maybe necessarily that wasn't the right pitch to throw in that situation. I talked about it with (pitching coach Mike Maddux). Probably should've gone at least in, into him one time there, instead of going away.

"That was kind of our game plan in that situation. And I did execute the pitch, but probably should have gone in earlier in the at-bat or at least maybe in that situation, too, with two strikes."

Those four runs proved to be costly because the Nats rallied with four runs of their own in the bottom of the ninth.

Zimmerman struck out to end the game and spoke about tightening up the defense against a team like the Cubs.

"You can say that about a lot of games that you lose," Zimmerman said of the defensive play. "At the end of the day, we played a pretty good game until the last couple innings. We hit a lot of balls hard off their starter and didn't get much for it, but he also made some pitches when he needed to."