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WASHINGTON (Map, News) - All it took was a bunt single, a stolen base and a pair of errors.
Just like that a one-run, eighth-inning lead over the Los Angeles Angels turned into a one-run deficit. Just like that a strong outing by starting pitcher Jason Bergmann was wasted.
That one inning epitomized the Nationals’ downward spiral in recent days. Since a three-game sweep of Seattle they have now dropped six of seven games, including Monday’s 3-2 loss to Los Angeles at Nationals Park.
Washington (30-48) fell a season-high 18 games below .500, but Monday’s loss may have been the toughest of this stretch. With the Nats up 2-1, a throwing error by catcher Jesus Flores allowed Chone Figgins to reach safely on a stolen base attempt and then advance to third.
Moments later, with the infield drawn in, Erick Aybar’s hard ground ball somehow skipped under the glove of second baseman Felipe Lopez. Figgins scored and Aybar advanced to second. He then scored on a base hit by Garrett Anderson to put the Angels ahead for good.
Bergmann has been an enigma all season. Brilliant one night, erratic the next, there is no set pattern for the 26-year-old right-hander. After he was sent back to Class AAA Columbus in April a shell of himself, Bergmann returned just a month later to pitch 20 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings.
He gave his club a chance to win Monday by allowing just six hits and walking none in seven innings.
A Willie Harris triple in the bottom of the seventh and a throwing error by Los Angeles starter John Lackey had Bergmann in line for the victory before the defense let him down.
Lackey matched him pitch-for-pitch, however. In eighth innings, the right-hander gave up six hits and just one earned run. He improved to 5-1 with a sparkling 1.65 ERA. Willie Harris was 2-for-4 with a home run and a triple — scoring all of the Nats’ runs.
Comments from Examiner Readers
9:17 AM MST on Tue., Aug. 5, 2008 re: "Rookie Balester is beginning to gain confidence"
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8:46 PM MST on Fri., Jul. 18, 2008
re: "Council considers raising taxes on Nationals tickets"
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2:18 AM MST on Tue., Mar. 18, 2008
re: "No easy access near ballpark for disabled"
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11:32 AM MST on Sat., Mar. 15, 2008
re: "Shuttle service, beer sales among issues still to work out before Opening Day"
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11:34 AM MST on Mon., Mar. 10, 2008
re: "Police: Nearly $2M owed for security at Nats games"
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8:58 AM MST on Mon., Mar. 10, 2008
re: "Police: Nearly $2M owed for security at Nats games"
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7:47 AM MST on Mon., Mar. 10, 2008
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7:06 AM MST on Mon., Mar. 10, 2008
re: "Police: Nearly $2M owed for security at Nats games"
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6:23 AM MST on Mon., Mar. 10, 2008
re: "Police: Nearly $2M owed for security at Nats games"
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9:01 PM MST on Mon., May. 28, 2007
re: "Nationals’ stadium art project at a standstill"
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4:10 PM MST on Mon., May. 28, 2007
re: "Nationals’ stadium art project at a standstill"
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12:17 PM MST on Mon., May. 28, 2007
re: "Nationals’ stadium art project at a standstill"
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5:46 AM MST on Tue., May. 22, 2007
re: "Deal should clear the way for stadium art"
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Examiner Reader said:
Collin Balester is the real deal. His fastball is his #1 pitch however that Changeup of his is#1A. He brings life and energy to the Clubhouse and he will be a positive influence on the Nats for years to come. Quoting Balester..." I want to play baseball til I'm 50 years old!!" Tongue in cheek. Ask J Moyer for the "How do you do that" Book!! Go Nats!
5 agree | 4 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Not paying the rent? Kick them out! They are a losing team anyway.
5 agree | 5 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Now how did "progressive, caring" DC happen to forget about the Americans with Disabilities Act which requires that public facility projects consider access for the disabled?
12 agree | 12 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
"The most extreme example might be June 29, when United faces off against David Beckham and the L.A. Galaxy as 12:30 p.m., and the Nationals play the Baltimore Orioles an hour later." well that was some brilliant scheduling there....lets stuff 100,000 people into the area over a two hour span
12 agree | 12 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Considering where the new stadium is, you can bet that the cost of security will skyrocket!!!
13 agree | 11 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
If DC knew that they couldn't afford to pay the police department they shouldn't have never opened up the Stadium. You have so many poor people living in the DC area and all the taxes we citizens have to pay could have been going into better use. we have to pay all this money and we are not going to see where the money is going. Who cares, right.
11 agree | 14 disagree
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Mike Licht said:
Re:$2M owed for security at Nats games -- Since the "quasi-governmental" D.C. Sports and Entertainment Commission won't pay the $2 million it owes the Metropolitan Police Department for security at Nats games, why not get those "quasi" Commission members and paid staff out directing traffic on game days? At $55 an hour, it should only take them 36,364 person-hours to work off their debt.
13 agree | 11 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
"Whether the [commission] is paying it or MPD is paying it, it comes out of the same pot,” Mayor Adrian Fenty’s spokeswoman Carrie Brooks said in a statement. WHAT? Good grief, no wonder the city is in so much trouble. Everyone is aware the budget process means nothing in D.C., and that is why money is misspent and missing everywhere, but to come out an officially admit it, wow - good work Brooks.
12 agree | 13 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
The city charges baseball $55.00 per hour, the officers are paid their regular hourly rate. For most officers that about $32.00 per hour. What is the city doing with the difference?
12 agree | 13 disagree
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Mike Licht said:
miqcie: Art is good. The DC government should make sure that it is part of the environment throughout our city, and encourage the community cultural groups and gifted DC artists who create it. The stadium is private property, owned by the Lerner family, who can well afford to buy their own art.
296 agree | 319 disagree
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miqcie said:
I'm hopeful that this funding will be restored and is appropriate use of financing for public art. As a denizen of this city, I'd don't mind a part of my tax dollars going to projects like this that are truly community goods.
327 agree | 299 disagree
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Mike Licht said:
The Commission claimed the site-specific art for the private baseball stadium was just being "loaned" to the stadium but still owned by the commission. That is like saying your dental work is on loan from someone else. Public art projects like this are normally paid for by the developer, and the public arts agency gives technical assistance in the project's execution. This poor judgment by the Commission has cost the DC arts community $850,000 in much-needed capital funds.
354 agree | 300 disagree
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Mike Licht said:
Update: The deal is now for a $206,000+ site-specific sculpture to be "loaned" to the stadium by the DC Arts Commission. That is like saying that you "borrow" your dental work, an obvious falsehood. Shame.
360 agree | 354 disagree
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