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.