The Washington Nationals suffered one of their most disheartening losses of the 2011 season on Sunday, falling 3-1 in a game they looked to be in control of early in the game. The Nationals loaded the bases with nobody out in the first inning and got a run in on a single by Michael Morse. They did not get a single hit the rest of the game.
Chad Billingsely settled down in a big way after that first inning, hurling seven innings of two-hit ball to get the victory and move to 9-8 on the season. Jason Marquis pitched decently, but was victimized by poor defense. He drops to 8-5 on the year.
The Dodgers got two runs in the first inning when Aaron Miles knocked a base hit up the middle. Danny Espinosa's throw home looked to be in plenty of time to get Matt Kemp, but Jesus Flories dropped the ball and allowed the run to score. The Dodgers got one more in the third inning for the final margin.
Washington now falls to 49-52 on the season.