Bullpen breaks late as Nats' winning streak is snapped (updated)

It was only a matter of time. The Nationals bullpen flirted with danger too often this afternoon against the Brewers and it finally cost them in the eighth inning of a 9-6 loss.

Looking for their first four-game winning streak since June 27-30, the Nationals couldn't get pitchers to make pitches when they needed them the most. After a strong showing by starter Paolo Espino, the bullpen arms gave the Brewers two leads in the second half of the game, struggling to protect their own lead or to keep the game tied.

Javy Guerra entered a tied game in the eighth inning facing the bottom half of the Brewers lineup. A catcher's interference, a single and a hit-by-pitch loaded the bases setting up. Guerra was able to get one out on a popup, but then he hit another batter to give the Brewers a 5-4 lead. Then he served up Christian Yelich's second homer of the game, a grand slam to put the game out of reach.

"Honestly, it's unexplainable, unexcusable," Guerra said of the two hit batters during his postgame Zoom session with reporters. "Ultimately, I gotta be better than that. I can't yank those in there. Big spot, looking for a ground ball, trying to tie him up, went too deep. So terrible."

Another bullpen implosion overshadowed Espino's outing, in which he was almost untouchable, even though it wasn't a particularly long one. He had great success with his curveball, which he threw 41 percent of the time and used to get eight of his nine swing-and-misses and all six of his strikeouts.

"I just wanted to do my game: location, use my curveball and since they had a lot of lefties, I wanted to use that changeup a little more," Espino said. "I think that was pretty much the plan. I talked earlier with (pitching coach Jim Hickey) and he gave me some pointers. Other than that, I was just trying to do my best and work to my strengths."

Only allowing a solo homer to Yelich in the second at-bat of the day, Espino retired 12 of the next 15 batters he faced, including the last four on strikeouts. He then ran into trouble with one out in the fifth and a 3-1 lead. Seeking his fifth straight strikeout, Espino just missed a curveball on the inside to walk pinch-hitter Lorenzo Cain. Then a single by Kolten Wong put runners on the corners and ended Espino's day, as Gabe Klobosits entered to get out of the jam.

What occurred next was a wild chain of events. An RBI single by Yelich made it 3-2 with runners still on the corners. Omar Narváez then popped up toward the first base dugout, bringing a congregation of first baseman Ryan Zimmerman, catcher Tres Barrera and Klobosits to make the catch. Zimmerman recorded the out, but no one was left to cover home and Wong tagged up to tie the game. It went down as a foul sac fly to the first baseman.

"We got to get somebody back," manager Davey Martinez said. "Once they see Zim going to catch the ball, for me, the pitcher always goes to cover home. You can't have have Carter (Kieboom) cover because there's a guy at second base, so he's gotta stay put. But the pitcher's got to get to home."

Then Eduardo Escobar hit a liner right back to the mound that hit off Klobosits' foot and went into the outfield, allowing Yelich to score from second and give the Brewers a 4-3 lead.

Espino was charged with three runs on five hits and a walk with the six strikeouts over 4 1/3 innings. And now he team was facing a deficit just three batters after he exited.

But Yadiel Hernandez came right back and led off the sixth with an opposite-field home run to tie it up again at 4-4.

The Nationals offense got their first lead of the day right from the get-go, as Brewers starter Eric Lauer struggled to find his command to start the game. Lane Thomas started the day with a ground-rule double to right-center field and Alcides Escobar was hit by a pitch to put two runners on for Juan Soto. The young slugger then hit an RBI single to score the game's first run before an out was recorded. In the next at-bat Zimmerman had to settle for a deep sac fly for a 2-0 lead after just missing a home run to center.

Escobar put the Nationals' third run on the board in the fifth with an RBI double to score Thomas, who showed off his wheels from first base.

The Nats were able to battle in the ninth, forcing Brewers manager Craig Counsell to bring in closer Josh Hader. They loaded the bases with no outs, Kieboom mustered an RBI single and Barrera drew a bases-loaded walk for the Nats' last two runs. But it was too little too late.

The starting pitching can be good at times. The offense seemingly always gives them a shot. But the bullpen is going to cost the Nats a handful of games before the season is over. That's just the reality of the situation. There aren't reliable arms that can get important outs in high-leverage situations.

But this is the position they're in, and these relievers are going to pitch. Hopefully, they have short memories.

"The big thing is that I give our guys credit. Fell back, gave up the grand slam and they battled back," Martinez said. "We had the winning run up at the plate, so I love the way that this team's battling every day. It was unfortunate we made a couple of mistakes. As I talk about always, sometimes the little things are gonna get you and they got us today. The walk, the hit batsman, the interference, not covering home plate. Those are the little things that we need to we need to get better. It's all the little things. These guys, they're playing well, doing well. But when we do all the little things right, we're on top of these games, and today it just didn't happen."