It looked good for seven innings, kind of. The offense managed only one run, pathetic by any standard, especially against the lowly Cubs. Sure, the Nationals had some bad luck, such as a “unique” strike zone and Suzuki’s throw striking the batter’s bat on the go-ahead error for the Cubs, but all in all, there can be no excuses made for a series loss at home to a last place team. A bad series for Atlanta in San Francisco kept the Nats just one game back, but they won’t get gifts like those all season. Bryce Harper and Ian Desmond can only carry the offense for so long, while the pitching is faring relatively well.

Most Important Nationals Hit: Ryan Zimmerman‘s RBI double (+14.2%)

May 12, 2013; Washington, D.C., USA; Washington Nationals third baseman Ryan Zimmerman (11) wears pink cleats in honor of Mother

The Nats struck early against Cubs pitcher Scott Feldman, which makes the one run scored off him look all the more disappointing. Zimmerman stepped to the plate with Denard Span on second and Bryce Harper on first after a double and a walk respectively. His long fly ball to right field was nearly caught by Ryan Sweeney, but bounded off the wall and scored Span, putting two runners in scoring position with one out before Adam LaRoche struck out, Ian Desmond walked, and Danny Espinosa flew out.

Most Important Nationals Pitch: Alfonso Soriano and Julio Borbon‘s double steal plus error (-30.9%)

A mouthful of a title, huh? Soriano and Borbon took off from second and first respectively with the game tied in the top of the ninth against Rafael Soriano. Soriano would likely have been safe at third, but Kurt Suzuki‘s throw bounded off of Welington Castillo‘s bat and past Zimmerman at third, allowing Soriano to score the go-ahead run. Soriano is credited with the loss, and somewhat deserves it for putting runners on first and second with one out, but the run was unearned.

Champ of the Game: Today’s lone bright spot, Gio Gonzalez (+38.9%) was stellar. He had a perfect game going through five innings and finished with just two hits and one walk allowed. Chicago’s Soriano (+29.3%) was 1-4 with a run scored, that being the winning one.

Chump of the Game: Deservedly and undeservedly, the Nats’ Soriano (-31.5%) allowed two hits and the unearned winning run in the top of the ninth, taking his first loss of the year. The Cubs’ first baseman, Anthony Rizzo (-23.1%) was 0-4 and grounded out to end multiple innings with runners on base, but received a seven-year extension after the game, so it’s not all bad for him.

Today’s game was not good. Read the regular recap to get the gritty, gruesome details, but the gist is that Stephen Strasburg struggled with the help of pretty much everyone else. It all fell apart with a Ryan Zimmerman throwing error that torpedoed Stephen Strasburg’s psyche, who tried too hard, held himself to too high a standard, and got frustrated when things went wrong. All four runs he proceeded to allow were unearned, but five consecutive batters didn’t reach base on their own. Additionally, the offense did him no favors, managing just five hits, three of which were Ian Desmond‘s. The game was over early, and it made very clear Strasburg’s need to make a change.

May 11, 2013; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Nationals shortstop Ian Desmond (20) is congratulated by Danny Espinosa (8) after hitting a solo home run during the fifth inning against the Chicago Cubs at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

As I said above, Strasburg had a disastrous fifth inning. He had been cruising until there were two outs, allowing just one hit and striking out seven, but the wheels came off when Zimmerman’s throwing error put a runner on first instead of ending the inning. Strasburg walked Darwin Barneyand let Jackson double to bring in two. He would allow another walks, two more hits, and two more runs before a caught stealing would bring the inning to a merciful end.

May 11, 2013; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Nationals shortstop Ian Desmond (20) rounds the bases past Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Edwin Jackson (36) after hitting a solo home run during the fifth inning against the Chicago Cubs at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

An error helped undo an otherwise stellar performance from Stephen Strasburg, Edwin Jacksonexacted a measure of revenge in his return to DC, and the Nats’ (20-16) five game winning streak came to an end as they fell to the Cubs, 8-2.

May 11, 2013; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Nationals starting pitcher Stephan Strasburg (37) throws during the second inning against the Chicago Cubs at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

Strasburg (L, 1-5) was at his most impressive and least impressive all in one outing. Through four innings, Strasburg looked brilliant, allowing just one hit and striking out six. However, in the fifth, which would be his final inning, he had a striking display of immaturity. With two outs, Ryan Zimmerman committed an error with a bad thrown to Adam LaRoche. Suffice it it say, Strasburg did not respond well to this adversity. He promptly walked the Cubs’ #8 hitter, .160-hitting Darwin Barney, and allowed a two-run double to the pitcher Jackson. Even more discouraged, he walked another batter and allowed two more singles to make it 4-0. He was a mess by the end of it, failing to back up home on the second single that scored the second pair of runs. As Davey Johnson said after the game, “Where we needed him to pick us up, the air went out.”

Normally, I condemn those who overreact to isolated incidents, but this is different. A pitcher having a bad start or relief appearance or a hitter having a slump is something that can happen a few times. What Strasburg did today can absolutely never happen. It seems as though he is putting too much pressure on himself to be excellent, and gets upset with himself when things don’t go how they should. This is not a mindset that a 24-year-old pitcher who’s supposed to be the ace of one of baseball’s best staffs can have. As bad as this is, it appears there is hope that this might be the turning point. In the post game press conference, no one defended Strasburg. Johnson and Wilson Ramos, who spoke about Strasburg’s bad body language and his lack of focus, expressed disappointment in him, meaning that a conversation about his demeanor is likely coming up. One can only hope the message takes hold.

After that debacle, Zach Duke had one of his own. Ian Desmond hit a home run for the second consecutive day to cut the lead to 4-1, but Duke allowed four runs in the top of the sixth while recording only two outs, putting the game all but out of reach at 8-1. His ERA is now 8.40, and the issue with him appears to be nothing but a lack of ability. If he doesn’t change soon, he is not long for the team. In some more positive news, however, Henry Rodriguez pitched two scoreless innings (with no walks!) and dropped his ERA to 3.09. A sixth-inning bases-loaded single made Desmond the life of the offense, going 3-4 and accounting for 60% of the team’s hits.

Next Game: Sunday v. Chicago (NL), 1:35 PM. Feldman (3-3, 2.70) v. Gonzalez (3-2, 4.97)