You have to love baseball. A few more hits and this very could have been a Nationals sweep. Instead, it’s a series loss and it it weren’t for a three run homer in the first inning of Friday’s game by Austin Kearns, this could have definitely been three straight losses.
Matt Chico had a very nice start in Friday’s game and he was the primary beneficiary of Austin Kearns three run homer. He gave up just two runs on nine hits and a walk with three strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings. The win improves Chico’s record to 2-2 on the season.
It went downhill from there. On Saturday, Chad Cordero gave up a run in the ninth to send the game into extra frames and then Saul Rivera gave up three in the twelth as the Nationals lost it 6-2. A great start by Jerome Williams (six shutout innings) was wasted.
Then, this afternoon, the Nationals couldn’t manage a single run. Jason Bergmann was robbed of a win because of the lack of run support and his only blemish was a solo homerun by Carlos Beltran. This kind of performance gives the term get away day a whole new meaning.
And it doesn’t get any easier as the Nationals hit the road for the west coast. The first stop on their road trip is San Diego with three against the Padres.