-1745819772711.png){kind=logo}
This homestand has not been kind to the Nationals offense. Over the first five games, they only scored 23 runs, 11 of which came in the ninth inning.
One of those ninth-inning runs, however, was last night’s walk-off winner to snap a six-game losing streak. The Nats were hopeful those good vibes would carry over into Thursday’s matinee finale as they went for a much-needed series win over the Athletics.
But the early hole the Nats found themselves in this afternoon was too much for this lifeless lineup to overcome in a 6-1 loss in front of an announced crowd of 14,519 on South Capitol Street.
Interim manager Miguel Cairo tried to go against conventional wisdom against A’s left-hander Jacob Lopez. Instead of stacking his order with right-handed hitters, like most teams have against Lopez this year (only 52 plate appearances by left-handed hitters against him entering today), Cairo put six lefties in his starting lineup, leaving two switch-hitters and one right-hander on the bench.
The strategy didn’t work out all too well, with Lopez shutting out the Nats over 7 ⅔ innings with three hits, no walks and 10 strikeouts on 114 pitches. And thanks to Nathaniel Lowe's 17-pitch strikeout and Daylen Lile’s seven-pitch strikeout in the eighth, Lopez didn’t become the fourth pitcher to toss a complete-game shutout against the Nationals this season.
