Hill laments Dodgers leaving D.C. with only a split in NLDS

Pitcher Rich Hill knows that a 1-1 split is a good road series in October. But he also knows that the Dodgers had a chance for a 2-0 lead in their best-of-five National League Division Series with the Nationals.

"I'm disappointed because if I execute, our team is in a good position," Hill said after the Dodgers lost 5-2 to the Nationals in Game 2 of the NLDS on Sunday.

But it wasn't all Hill.

The Dodgers couldn't hit with runners in scoring position. They left 12 runners on base. Through the first five innings, the Dodgers had the bases loaded three times with one out and couldn't score. Chase Utley grounded out to end the second, Yasmani Grandal hit into a 4-6-3 double play to end the third and Howie Kendrick's line drive to left was caught by a sliding Jayson Werth to end the fifth.

Their last chance to score was in the sixth when Adrian Gonzalez flied out with runners on first and second. After that, the Nationals bullpen shut them down.

If you missed the Dodgers' start in Game 1, check out Game 2. They were the same.

Shortstop Corey Seager again hit a first-inning home run to give the Dodgers a 1-0 lead. Hill, as Clayton Kershaw did in Game 1, struck out the first three Nationals he faced.

But then the storylines switched. The Nationals couldn't hit with runners in scoring position in Game 1. It was the Dodgers' turn in Game 2.

"We missed the big hit, that's all you can say," Seager said.

Were the Dodgers playing with house money, given the victory in Game 1?

"In a sense, but you still have to be ready," Seager answered. "You can't let up."

Hill's undoing came in the fourth inning when the Nationals scored three runs.

Hill walked Daniel Murphy on five pitches to start the inning. Anthony Rendon and Ryan Zimmerman hit consecutive fly balls to right field for two outs. But Hill hit light-hitting Danny Espinosa with a pitch to bring up Jose Lobaton.

"I just missed with a fastball up and in and it hit him," Hill said of Espinosa.

Lobaton, a switch-hitter batting right-handed, hit a 1-1 curveball into the left field bullpen, bringing a charge of energy to the 43,826 fans at Nationals Park.

Good hitting or bad location?

"Both," Hill said. "It was a hanging curveball. He did what he was supposed to do with that pitch."

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said the pitch to Lobaton changed the game.

"It did," Roberts said. "The wind was blowing in and you've really got to click it to get it out. He put a good swing on it."

The series resumes in Los Angeles on Monday.

"Obviously, we wanted to win this game," Hill said. "But we move on. We get to play the next two games in Dodger Stadium and that's a big advantage for us."

That's classic spin after a tough loss.