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Washington Nationals: Bullpen Falters In 8-5 Loss To The Cubs

By Ricky Keeler

May 7, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo (44) slides in safe at home with Washington Nationals catcher Jose Lobaton (59) taking the throw during the seventh inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports
May 7, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo (44) slides in safe at home with Washington Nationals catcher Jose Lobaton (59) taking the throw during the seventh inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Washington Nationals gave up six runs in the final three innings of the game en route to a 8-5 loss to the Cubs.

This afternoon, the Washington Nationals (19-11) and the Chicago Cubs (23-6) played a back-and-forth game at Wrigley Field. The Cubs ended up continuing their winning ways with a 8-5 win as they have won the first three games of this series. The difference in this game was a two-run double by Addison Russell in the seventh, which Bryce Harper was unable to catch near the wall in foul territory.

The Nats scored first in the top of the third against Jason Hammel. Ben Revere (who went 2-for-4 today) led off the inning with a double (his first hit as a Washington National). After Danny Espinosa bunted him over to third, Bryce Harper drove Revere in with a sacrifice fly to left.

The Cubs would counter with a run in the bottom of the inning on a Dexter Fowler triple into the gap in right center against Gio Gonzalez that drove in Tim Federowicz. One inning later, the Cubs would take their first lead of the game on a solo home run by Kris Bryant to left field, his fifth of the season.Two innings later, Espinosa was the one who drove in the run when he singled home Jose Lobaton. Later in the inning, Ryan Zimmerman gave the Nats the lead back on a base hit to center that scored Espinosa.

The lead would increase to 4-2 in the sixth when Stephen Drew doubled to center to drive in Anthony Rendon. Drew got the start because Daniel Murphy was under the weather, but Murphy came up to pinch-hit in the ninth.

The sixth inning was the problem for Gonzalez this afternoon. In the top of the inning, he ended up grounding into a double play on a bunt. Then, in the bottom of the inning, Gonzalez allowed a base hit to Addison Russell that drove in Anthony Rizzo to cut the deficit to one. Blake Treinen would come in for Gonzalez and walk Tommy La Stella.

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Then, with Sammy Solis in the game, Ryan Kalish was able to bloop a ball past Espinosa into left to drive in two runs and give the Cubs the lead, 5-4. As for Gonzalez, he went 5.2 innings, give up five runs on seven hits, strike out two, and walk one on 100 pitches (68 strikes). Solis would end up taking the loss today.

In the following inning, Revere led off with a triple to right against Travis Wood. Three batters after Revere, with Adam Warren in the game and runners on the corners, Zimmerman hit a groundball to short that looked like a double play, but he beat the throw to first to score the tying run.

But, the Cubs would answer back in the bottom of the inning. Chicago would end up loading the bases with one out on a Bryant walk, a Rizzo double, and an intentional walk to Ben Zobrist. Shawn Kelley would come in for Solis and he got David Ross to line out, but Russell delivered the go-ahead hit when he hit a ball near the foul line in right and Harper could not make the play, which allowed Bryant and Rizzo to score and it put the Cubs back in front, 7-5. Zobrist would add another RBI in the eighth when he hit a single to right with the bases loaded against Felipe Rivero.

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As for the Washington Nationals bullpen, they had a rough day today. The four pitchers combined to give up three runs on four hits, strike out four (three by Rivero) and walk six. The Cubs’ bullpen gave up only two hits over the final four innings and struck out five. Warren got the win and Hector Rondon picked up his sixth save of the year with a 1-2-3 ninth inning.

Next Game: The Washington Nationals will look to avoid being swept tomorrow afternoon. You can catch the game at 2:20 p.m ET on MASN2 and MLB Network. Tanner Roark (2-2, 2.35 ERA) will get the start for the Nats against last year’s NL Cy Young Award winner, Jake Arrieta (6-0, 0.84) for the Cubs.

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