Los Angeles @ Washington preview
Nationals Park
Last Meeting ( Apr 24, 2010 ) LA Dodgers 4, Washington 3
The Washington Nationals have one problem they’ve got to solve in today’s series finale with the Los Angeles Dodgers: how to produce some clutch hits.
Washington wasted a large number of chances in Saturday’s 4-3 loss in 13 innings. The Nationals could and should have won the game, but they couldn’t get key hits and also made some sloppy baserunning moves that proved costly. Those are the kind of mistakes that a young team has to stop making if it wants to become a winner.
The Nationals finished just 2-for-15 with runners in scoring position and stranded 15. They put runners on second and third with one out in the bottom of the 13th and couldn’t get the tying run home. Although Ivan Rodriguez was thrown out at home trying to score on a grounder to third, it was the right play to make.
Washington also cost itself a run and possibly a win with an odd play in the sixth, when Nyjer Morgan tried to stretch a double into a triple. He got thrown out for the third out, but Morgan was out before Craig Stammen crossed the plate from second base with what would have been the go-ahead run.
The Nationals can’t afford mistakes like that, especially with Ryan Zimmerman on the bench and cleanup hitter Adam Dunn still struggling. Dunn got two more hits Saturday to raise his average to .217, but he also struck out three times.
Los Angeles’ offense again proved quiet without Manny Ramirez, who is on the disabled list with right calf problems. The Dodgers went just 1-for-5 with runners in scoring position and stranded six.
But the Dodgers got the hits at the right times, thanks mainly to Casey Blake. He homered twice and had three RBIs. Russell Martin delivered a two-out single for the winning run in the 13th. That’s something that’s going to be crucial for the Dodgers while Ramirez is out.
Los Angeles is going to have to manufacture more runs during that time. The Dodgers also will have to do better on defense. They made another error in Saturday’s game – their National League-leading 19th of the season. And they’ve lost starter Vicente Padilla to the disabled list, so Joe Torre’s team must do better on defense to support the pitching.
The bullpen pitched well Saturday, including a good outing by George Sherrill. He’s had problems all season, and the former Oriole All-Star needs to do better to give the Dodgers help in the back end of games.