Nationals Vs. Reds: Fifth Day Without Offense Leads To 6-3 Loss And Five Straight Losses
First baseman Chris Marrero made his MLB debut Saturday night and was tagged with two errors, but got his first Major League hit in the fourth inning off Cincinnati pitcher Mike Leake. It was a single into left field.
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There has to be confusion with a touch of embarrassment in the visitors locker room at Great American Ballpark where the Washington Nationals are currently getting out of uniform and preparing to head into a late Cincinnati Saturday night. The Nats lost to the Cincinnati Reds 6-3 thanks in part to once again dragging through the game with a dead offense.
Where is the offense? Why can't the Nationals hit?
Catcher Wilson Ramos and center fielder Jayson Werth each knocked out a solo home run each in the third inning against the Reds Mike Leake and Michael Morse hit his 22nd home run of the season in the eighth, but other than that, nada was coming across the plate for the Boys of the Potomac. The inability to string hits together and score men that are sitting on base has been the Achilles heel of the 2011 Washington Nationals season.
First base man Chris Marrero made his MLB debut Saturday night and suffered two fielding errors in the game, but also got his first Major League hit off Leake in the fourth inning. He pounded the ball through the infield and into left field for a single. It has been a shaky debut for Marrero whose family sat in the stands Saturday night, but one that can probably be passed off due to nerves and first time jitters. He finished the night 1-for-4 with one strike out.
Nationals starter Ross Detwiler got rocked going six innings giving up six runs on eight hits. Three of those runs were earned while he walked one and stuck out three.
The Nationals fall to 62-69 and are on a five game losing streak.
There are Major League debuts to forget and then there are Major League debuts to forget. Recently called up first baseman Chris Marrero is having one of those nights and unfortunately it has cost him as the Washington Nationals trail the Reds 4-2.
Marrero has committed two fielding errors in Saturday night's game and both have lead to runs. The first ball hit onto the field to the Nats defense went to Marrero who couldn't get it and watched as it rolled into right field and he was tagged with his first error as a major league ballplayer. Brandon Philips, the beneficiary of Marrero's error would later score in the inning to give the Reds a 1-0 lead. In the third inning Marrero committed his second error, a fielding error which helped the Reds load the bases against Ross Detwiler with no outs. Detwiler gave up two runs in the inning to give the Reds a 4-2 lead.
Detwiler has gone three innings giving up four runs (one earned) on four hits. He has issued one walk and two strikeouts. In the third inning catcher Wilson Ramos and center fielder Jayson Werth both plugged solo home runs to put the Nationals on the board and had them briefly leading the game 2-1.
Among other changes, Laynce Nix moves into right field while Michael Morse makes room for Marrero by moving back to his old position in left. Davey Johnson hopes the changes spark some offense and gets the Nationals off a four game losing streak.
