Coming off consecutive two games to one series wins on the road against the playoff contending Mariners and Dodgers, and sporting a 7 game lead over their division rivals from Atlanta, talk in Washington had turned from winning the division to the possibility of winning the
World Series.
And for nearly seven inning last night, the Nats indeed were looking like world-beaters. Behind the solid starting pitching of Stephen Strasburg and some timely hitting, they held what appeared to be a comfortable 7-2 lead and were threatening for more with one out, runners on second and third, and Bryce Harper at the plate.
And even when Jason Werth was thrown out at the home by a perfect throw from leftfielder Dominic Brown after catching Harper's flyball, and Werth's less than perfect slide, missing the plate with his foot and being tagged out in the split second it took for his leg to smother the plate, the game looked very much under control.
But then, for the next hour or so, some amateur level baseball in conjunction with some bad luck turned things around completely resulting in a 9-8 Phillies win in 11 innings.
Only time will tell whether this was just one unfortunate blown game, or the Nationals weaknesses rushing to the surface all at once exposing a team that just isn't ready for the gritty baseball needed to succeed in a pennant race and post-season play.
In the top of the eight, the Phillies would register two runs after two men were out. With runners on first and second, Chase Utley smacked a sinking line drive into left-center field. Center fielder Dennard Span had a long run but with the ball hit to his gloved side had a clear opportunity to make a sliding catch to end the inning. Certainly a tough chance, but one you see made nearly night in some ballpark across America via SportsCenter.
Though Span got to the ball in time, he ended up whiffing on the catch with the ball actually going over his glove rather than under it for waht was properly ruled a double. Grady Sizemore, who had reached base earlier on an Anthony Rendon error, scored easily on the play. Then Ryan Howard followed with a perfect, though unintentional, swinging bunt rolling the ball perfectly in the Bermuda Triangle between the pitchers mound and first and second bases.
But after Marlon Byrd's deep fly to right settle in Werth's glove, the Nationals still held a 7-4 lead.
Besides some shaky fielding, and seemingly no killer instinct, the biggest position weakness for the Nationals is in the closer role, so Nats fans could take little comfort when Raphael Soriano, (the human heartache) with his ERA of over 6.00 since the All-Star break, took the bump for the top of the ninth along with his 6.00+ ERA since the All-Star break.
By the time Soraino was pulled by manager Matt Williams with two outs in the ninth, he had given up a two-run homer to Carlos Ruiz, and a two out, two strike home run to Ben Revere, only Revere's second round tripper in nearly 500 at bats this season.
Then to complete the meltdown, the Phillies were gifted two more runs in the 11 inning, set up by Harper running into Span on very catchable fly to leftcenter field and compounded by yet another error, this time on a throw to the plate by first basemen Ryan Moore.
So instead of leaving Nationals Park Friday evening up one more game in their division, Washington was left to ponder not only the loss of this one game, but their fundamental fielding flaws, while searching for a closer who will allow them to be competitive come October.
