The Skinny: John Lannan, after a few terrific starts got hit hard as they Nationals saw their winning streak come to an end. Washington lost on Friday night to the Pittsburgh Pirates by the score of 11-4. The Nationals fell to 12-18 on the season.
The Pitching: After several great starts, Lannan did not have his A-game on Friday. He lasted only three innings giving up six runs and taking the loss. The bullpen didn’t provide much relief as they gave up 5 more runs over the remaining six innings. Lannan fell to 2-3 on the season, his ERA remains below 4.00.
The Hitting: Since the Nationals fell down so early, the runs they scored were of little consequence. Felipe Lopez was the only National with more than one hit as he had two hits and an RBI. Catcher Wil Nieves continued to swing a hot bat as he slugged a double and had two RBI. Nick Johnson went 0-4 and his batting average dropped to .202.
What’s Next?: Matt Chico will start for the Nationals against the Pirates on Saturday afternoon. Chico is 0-5 on the season with an ERA of 6.68. The Nationals need him to get on track.