Scoring six runs makes any game feel pretty good. Having your ace starter go eight innings for the first time in his career and allow one earned run make any game pretty good too, as does having your young phenom hit a home run. I think it’s fair to say today’s game was pretty good. It was pretty heavily contested, with both offenses blowing offensive opportunities, until the fourth inning, when Adam LaRoche‘s home run bumped the Nats’ chance of winning to nearly 75%. From there on out, a lights-out Stephen Strasburg and a heaping helping of offense subdued the Padres and let the Nationals cruise, getting Strasburg his first win since Opening Day.

Most Important Nationals Hit: Adam LaRoche’s two-run home run (+23.3%)

May 16, 2013; San Diego, CA, USA; Washington Nationals first baseman Adam LaRoche (25) is congratulated by third base coach Trent Jerett (44) following a two-run home run during the fourth inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

As LaRoche strode to the plate in the top of the fourth, the Nationals’ offense was struggling just like it had in recent games. Hitters struck out three straight times with a runner on second in the second, and had yet to record a hit despite drawing four walks. With one swing of the bat, he changed that narrative entirely. He deposited an Edinson Volquez pitch in the sandbox in centerfield, driving in Ryan Zimmerman to put the Nats up 2-0. He now has a 13-game hit streak, the longest of his career.

Most Important Nationals Pitch: Alexi Amarista‘s ground into double play (+5.2%)

The Padres had a runner on with one out in the top of the second thanks to Strasburg’s hitting Jedd Gyorko with a pitch and were looking to break the scoreless tie. Amarista torpedoed that attempt by grounding into an inning-ending double play. It’s rare for the most important pitch to have been in favor of the Nationals, but the Padres didn’t really threaten any offense until they trailed 5-0, by which time WPA figures the game is pretty much over.

Champ of the Game: LaRoche (+28.7%) was 1-3 with a walk and his two-run homer. Despite his poor start to the season, he is starting to re-inspire #AdaMVP and #AdamBomb with his performance of late, raising his average 88 points since May 1st by hitting .386 since then. For San Diego, Gyorko (+5.8%) was 2-3 with a run scored.

Chump of the Game: Ian Desmond (-7.5%) was 0-4 with a strikeout. He has cooled off a bit of late, going just 2-17 in his last five games, although he has drawn four walks in that span to more than double his season total. Volquez (-25.8%) was not good for the Padres, allowing five runs in five innings while walking four and upping his season ERA to 5.55.

The story of this game was missed offensive opportunities. See that massive spike in the Nats’ win probability in the eight inning? Trailing by one, the Nats’ win probability actually exceeded 50%, thanks to runners on the corners with no outs. But, just like you’d expect, the Nats made three straight outs and squandered their chance. The inning before, Denard Span was caught stealing with two outs. Before that, there were runners on the corners with two outs that were stranded. In fact, the Nationals left at least one runner on base in every single inning but the first. Five of those times, a runner was in scoring position. With runners on base, the Nationals were 2-14 (.143) tonight, including 0-7 with runners in scoring position. For contrast, Zack Greinke was 1-1 with a runner in scoring position. The Nationals’ sole run came on a solo homer from Adam LaRoche, who, unlike the rest of the team but like Hansel, is so hot right now. Things have to improve when Bryce Harper and Jayson Werth return to the team, but  even so, the offense is struggling mightily right now. Oh, and did I mention that both Ross Detwiler and Wilson Ramos suffered injuries in today’s game? It was a miserable evening.

Most Important Nationals Hit: Ryan Zimmerman‘s single (+23.2%)

May 15, 2013; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Washington Nationals third baseman Ryan Zimmerman (11) before the game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Quite a high WPA for a non-run-scoring hit, huh? Perhaps WPA expected a little too much out of the rest of the Nats’ offense. After a Steve Lombardozzi single, Zimmerman stepped in and delivered one of his own to move Eury Perez, who was pinch-running for Lombardozzi, over to third. Right after that, Adam LaRoche flew out to left, but the ball was not deep enough to score Perez. Ian Desmond struck out and Kurt Suzuki flew out shortly afterwards to leave Perez right where he was.

Most Important Nationals Pitch: Adrian Gonzalez‘s RBI single (+10.8%)

Detwiler had trouble from the game’s outset, and the Dodgers took advantage. Detwiler got the first two outs of the game, but Matt Kemp tagged him for a ground-rule double. Gonzalez, now batting over .400 with runners in scoring position, followed Kemp up with a single to score the game’s first run. Detwiler would leave the game after the third due to back spasms, and his abbreviated line was not pretty. He allowed six hits, two walks, two runs, and no strikeouts. But there is good news: his back spasms are minor and the team hopes he can make his next start.

Champ of the Game: Zimmerman (+19.6%) was just 1-4, but his one hit was the single above that could have been pivotal. Zack Greinke (+25.7%) contributed on both sides of the ball in his return, pitching 5.1 innings and giving up only five hits and one run and hitting an RBI single that would prove to be the winning run.

Chump of the Game: Desmond (-18.2%) was not particularly bad, going 0-3 with a walk, but his strikeout with the runners on the corners was hugely damaging in the eyes of WPA, good for -16.9%. L.A.’s Juan Uribe (-11.2%) was 0-3.

The Nationals lost both members of their battery, Ross Detwiler and Wilson Ramos, to injuries before the game was halfway finished and couldn’t get anything going against the Dodgers and Zack Greinke, who did enough to pick up a 3-1 win over Washington to earn bragging rights in the three-game series at Dodger Stadium.

While much of the national media attention will be on Greinke (2-0), making his return from a broken collarbone suffered in an on-field brawl in April, Nationals fans will be more concerned with the health of the two newest members of Washington’s battle-bruised battalion.

Detwiler (2-4) went down first. The lefty had given up single runs to the Dodgers in each of the first two innings, and each came with two outs. Adrian Gonzalez drove in the first run of the game in the first inning with a soft single to center that plated Matt Kemp from second base. One inning later, Detwiler watched as Greinke poked a single to right with Andre Ethier on third, doubling the L.A. advantage.

Ross Detwiler left Wednesday’s game with back spasms. (Image: Kirby Lee, USA Today)

The problem came in the third, as Detwiler scampered over to cover first on a potential 3-6-1 double play. Ian Desmond‘s throw was slightly behind Detwiler, who stretched to reach it but appeared to tweak something. He stayed in the game to finish the inning, but gave way to Craig Stammen in the fourth inning. After the game, Detwiler revealed he had suffered back spasms and was hopeful, although not 100 percent confident, that he would be able to make his next start.

Ramos’s condition appears to be more severe. While running to first on his second hit of the game, the catcher pulled up lame, leaving the game immediately and being replaced by Kurt Suzuki. Ramos has already spent time on the disabled list this season with hamstring issues, and Nats manager Davey Johnson said postgame that the hamstring struck again, likely meaning a return trip to the DL for Ramos and a call-up for Jhonatan Solano.

As for the rest of the game, it was not the breakout offensive affair Nationals fans have been hoping for. In fact, it was pretty much the opposite.

Still missing Jayson Werth and Bryce Harper, the lineup once again scuffled, with the exception of Adam LaRoche, who accounted for the Nationals’ only run with a solo homer to center in the fourth inning that extended his hitting streak to 12 games. The Nationals entered the day’s games ahead of only Miami in team OPS, and finished the three games in L.A. with a paltry .125 batting average (3-for-24) with runners in scoring position.

The best chance for the Nats to bust out came in the eighth against Kenley Jansen. Steve Lombardozzi singled to lead off the inning and was promptly replaced by pinch-runner Eury Perez. Ryan Zimmerman then followed with a single to left that advanced Perez to third with no outs. But the Nationals could not capitalize, as Adam LaRoche popped out to shallow left and Ian Desmond went down swinging. With two outs, Suzuki finally hit the fly ball Washington needed, but it came too late. Brandon League worked around a leadoff single in the ninth to record his ninth save of the season for the Dodgers, retiring a pinch-hitting Harper along the way.

The Nationals will look to welcome Harper back to the lineup on Thursday night at 10:10 PM Eastern in San Diego, while Werth is scheduled to be back in time for Saturday’s game. The opener of a four-game set at Petco Park sees Washington’s Stephen Strasburg (1-5, 3.10 ERA) pitching in his hometown for the first time as a pro. He will square off with the Padres’ Edinson Volquez (3-3, 5.15).