Washington Nationals: Takeaways From 1-0 Loss To Brewers
Check out our three takeaways from yesterday’s Washington Nationals 1-0 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers
In yesterday’s 4th of July game, the Washington Nationals (50-34) lacked major fireworks on offense as they managed only two hits against the Milwaukee Brewers (36-46) in a 1-0 loss. This came after a series in which the Nats scored 32 runs in the four games against the Reds over the weekend.
It was a crazy game right from the beginning as the Brewers ended up batting out of order in the top of the first inning when Ryan Braun was hitting third instead of Jonathan Lucroy.
Scherzer had his first 4th of July start in a Washington Nationals uniform and handled himself well, but his one mistake ended up costing him a win when Martin Maldonado hit a solo home run in the top of the fifth for the game’s only run.
That run would be all that Junior Guerra needed as he struck out seven Nats over 7.1 innings. While Guerra may not be one of the league’s best pitcher, he has quietly given up a total of two runs in his last three starts.
It is important for the Washington Nationals to try to take the next two games as they have another pivotal series with the New York Mets for four games. The Mets have won five straight to pull back within four games in the NL East.
Before Gio Gonzalez takes on Zach Davies tonight at Nats Park (7:05 p.m ET, MASN), here are my three takeaways from yesterday’s 1-0 loss:
Next: Guerra Dominates Nats Lineup
Guerra Dominates Nats Lineup
For the second consecutive start, Junior Guerra was able to give up only two hits to an opponent. On the afternoon, he went 7.1 innings, struck out seven, and walked two on 109 pitches (60 strikes) to record his sixth win of the year.
Over his last three starts, Guerra is 3-0 and has 22 strikeouts in 22.1 innings. Yesterday, only three Washington Nationals reached second base. Those two batters were Jayson Werth (singled and went to second on a Ryan Braun error in the sixth), Bryce Harper (intentionally walked and went to second on a wild pitch in the sixth), and Wilson Ramos (walked and went to second on a Danny Espinosa single in the second).
The best chance that the Washington Nationals had to score was in the sixth inning. With Werth on second and two outs, the Brewers walked Harper on four pitches.
Even though Harper is starting to hit, I was surprised by that decision because Ramos has been one of the Nats’ best hitters all season long. In the end, Guerra got the job done as he struck out Ramos with a splitter in the dirt to get out of the jam.
It was somewhat of an odd game by Guerra because he only threw nine first pitch strikes to the 26 batters that he faced. Nevertheless, he found a way to get the big outs when he needed them and was able to throw off the Nats timing with his splitter. In the end, the Washington Nationals offense simply ran into a pitcher who is on a good run right now.
Next: Scherzer's One Mistake Costs Him
Scherzer’s One Mistake Costs Him
For the second time in three starts, Scherzer took a loss against the Brewers, but this start was much better than the performance he had on June 25. The right-hander went six innings, gave up one run on four hits, struck out seven, and walked three on 114 pitches (73 strikes) in the loss.
Just like that last Brewers start, Scherzer giving up solo home runs ended up being the difference. In the top of the fifth, Martin Maldonado crushed a 2-1 fastball from Scherzer into left center for the lone run of the day. Maldonado has three home runs this season, with two of them coming against the Washington Nationals.
Now, Scherzer didn’t have his A stuff like he did against the Mets, but he still found a way to keep the Nats within striking distance. With that being said, he still gave up three solo home runs in two games against the Brewers offense and none of them came from Braun, Jonathan Lucroy, or Chris Carter.
The one thing that the Brewers did yesterday that stood out was they worked up Scherzer’s pitch count and got him out of the game by the sixth inning. In four of those six innings, Scherzer ended up throwing 20+ pitches, including 23 pitches in the second inning.
But, on the plus side, Scherzer still hasn’t allowed Ryan Braun to get a hit against him since Braun’s single in the first inning yesterday did not count because he was batting out of order. Braun went 0-for-4 with a strikeout in the win.
Next: Papelbon's First Game Back From DL Goes Well
Papelbon Pitches Well In Return Off DL
Once Scherzer came out of the game, it was up to the bullpen to try to keep the deficit at one run and they did just that. The trio of Felipe Rivero, Shawn Kelley, and Jonathan Papelbon combined to give up one hit and strike out four batters over the final three innings.
Yesterday was Papelbon’s first day back off the DL after his right intercostal strain injury. While it was not in a save situation, Papelbon was sharp and was able to strike out two of the three batters he faced. He threw 13 pitches on the afternoon with eight of them going for strikes.
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While I still think the Washington Nationals need to add another reliever to the bullpen before the August 1 trade deadline, adding Papelbon back at least allows the other relievers to settle back into their original roles they had before the injury.
Kelley did a solid job as the temporary closer, but now he settles back into an eighth inning role where he has excelled this season. In the eighth this year, Kelley has given up one solo home run on four hits, struck out 20 batters, and held opponents to a .105 batting average.
Next: District Daily: What Papelbon's Return Means For The Bullpen
Even though he is not of the best closers in the National League, Papelbon still hasn’t blown a save since May 8 and has converted on his last seven save opportunities. For now, he is still the right option at closer. Now, the next question will be who is the next reliever that gets sent down once the Washington Nationals decide to go back to a five-man bench.