A Less Than Spectacular Saturday at Nats' Park

The weather was certainly spectacular. Bright, sunny and just a wonderful temperature to enjoy a baseball game. The Nats didn't cooperate with that.

As the saying goes you can't win them all.

But this was not a very good way to loose. A return to the error prone ways of April. Four errors in all. Stephen Strasburg continued to have his problems. He was gone in 3 innings. He allowed six runs for the Phillies.  In the end the Nats lost 8-1.

From the Post:

Strasburg started strong Saturday but faltered again. He allowed the Phillies six runs, five earned, on seven hits and has failed to make it out of the fourth inning in three of his past four starts.

“It’s definitely something that I’ve never experienced before. I think it’s a test,” Strasburg said. “It’s a test for me, and I’m going to look at it that way and I’m not going to quit. I’m going to keep going.”

Two of the blows that doomed Strasburg, a third-inning double by shortstop Cesar Hernandez and a two-run home run by third baseman Maikel Franco a few batters later, came on 0-2 pitches. Four of the seven hits he allowed came with two strikes.

Errors in the 4th inning allowed another run. In fact the errors allowed a Phillies player to advance from first to third.

The Nats were just off. The Phillies picture was Cole Hamels one of the best pictures in the league. So the defense has to be just about perfect to beat this guy. And they weren't

The comparison of the two pictures: Hamels ERA this season is 2.98. Strasburg's is now 6.50.

I'm not sure what is wrong with Strasburg. He's seemed off the other time that I saw him. Hopefully, what ever the problem is, it can be worked on and fixed. He's too important to the team to continue in this sort of a slump.

At least on Sunday the Nats came back and beat the Phillies. Winning their eighth series in a row.