The Washington Nationals have the worst record in the Nationals League. The Los Angeles Angels have one of the best records in all of baseball. That has all added up to a pair of losses for the Nationals against the favored Angels. The Nats lost 3-2 on Monday and 8-3 on Tuesday.
Jason Bergmann started on Monday and was terrific. Bergmann went seven innings and surrendered only one run. Bergmann didn’t walk a single batter and struck out six men. He received a no-decision for his efforts. Saul Rivera came on in the 8th inning and gave up two runs, picking up the loss and sealing the Nationals fate. The Nationals got on the board first in the third inning on a Willie Harris solo home run. They scored again in the seventh inning on a throwing error by John Lackey, they were up 2-1. Unfortunately the Washington bullpen could not hold the lead.
Shawn Hill started on Tuesday and wasn’t anywhere nearly as effective as Bergmann was the night before. Hill lasted only three innings and gave up eight runs, six of them were earned. Hill dropped to 1-5 on the season. The bullpen went the rest of the game and gave up no runs on only three hits. The Angels were up 8-0 before the Nats were able to get on the board. They got their first run in the third inning on a Wily Mo Pena solo shot. They got another run in the fourth courtesy of an Elijah Dukes solo homer.
The Nationals will try to salvage a win in the finale of the series tomorrow. Tim Redding will start on the mound. Game time is 7:10pm.