St. Louis @ Washington preview
Nationals Park
Last Meeting ( Aug 27, 2010 ) St. Louis 4, Washington 2
The Washington Nationals on Friday learned they might be without Stephen Strasburg until 2012 and then forgot how to drive in runs in key situations. Livan Hernandez is hoping they regain their memory in a hurry.
Hernandez attempts to snap a personal four-game losing streak at home on Saturday when the Nationals host the St. Louis Cardinals in the third contest of their four-game series.
The worst possible scenario became reality for Washington and Strasburg, who was diagnosed with a torn ulnar collateral ligament and recommended for surgery that would keep him sidelined for 12-18 months. The rookie phenom, who suffered the injury last Saturday against the Philadelphia Phillies, went 5-3 with a 2.91 ERA and 92 strikeouts over 68 innings in 12 starts.
Later in the evening, the Nationals had numerous opportunities to score against Cardinals rookie Jaime Garcia but were unable to cash in.
With runners on second and third and one out in the second, Ivan Rodriguez and Scott Olsen struck out. An inning later, Roger Bernadina struck out with the bases loaded and two outs, and Washington stranded three runners again in the sixth as Adam Kennedy and Ian Desmond were retired by reliever Mitchell Boggs.
Meanwhile, Albert Pujols and Matt Holliday sandwiched solo homers around a pair of unearned runs as St. Louis built a 4-0 lead. Willie Harris belted a solo shot in the eighth and Desmond scored on a wild pitch in the ninth for Washington, but Rodriguez grounded out with the tying run on base to end the game and saddle the club with its fifth loss in six contests.
The Nationals will need to do a better job with runners in scoring position in order for Hernandez to halt his skid at Nationals Park. The right-hander has gone 0-4 with a 6.09 ERA in his last six outings at home.
Overall, Hernandez has dropped three of his last four decisions. On Monday, he was battered for seven runs and 10 hits in 4 1/3 innings of a 9-1 loss to the Chicago cubs.
In 18 career outings against St. Louis, Hernandez is 5-7 with a 4.58 ERA. Like many pitchers, he has not fared well vs. Pujols, who is hitting .343 (12-for-35) against him with three homers and seven RBIs.
The 35-year old Hernandez is 4-5 with a 3.45 ERA in 14 home starts this year.
St. Louis, which ended a three-game slide Friday, counter with Kyle Lohse, who will be making his third start following a lengthy stint on the disabled list due to a strained forearm.
Lohse is 2-2 in his last four outings and 1-1 since returning to action. On Monday, he allowed two runs and six hits in 5 1/3 innings of a 10-2 victory at Pittsburgh - the Cardinals' last win prior to Friday.
The 31-year old is 3-1 with a 4.65 ERA in nine career games, including two relief appearances, against Washington. Lohse picked up the win in a 6-2 triumph over the Nationals on May 17, yielding two runs - one earned - and six hits over six innings.
Lohse has made just four road starts in 2010, going 1-1 with a 7.85 ERA.