Kelley loses lead in ninth leaving bullpen questions for Baker again

The ending was set up again for the Nationals. Nursing a two-run lead into the ninth they handed the ball over to their closer.

But it didn't work out as planned. The Phillies rallied for three runs off of Nationals closer Shawn Kelley in a 4-3 comeback win.

It was only the third time in 21 games the Nationals had relinquished a lead after eight innings.

With the Nationals leading 3-1, the Phillies Aaron Altherr led off with a solo homer to cut the advantage to 3-2. After a pop out to the catcher, Maikel Franco and Cameron Rupp doubled. Rupp's double tied the game at 3-3.

Kelley then walked Freddy Galvis to end his day.

Koda Glover arrived and surrendered a run-scoring single by Ty Kelly down the right field line. The Phillies led 4-3. They scored three runs on five hits in the inning.

Kelley took his first loss of the season. Manager Dusty Baker said Kelley's slider wasn't moving where he wanted it to go. That made the fastball very susceptible if not spotted well.

"His fastball was up," Baker said. "Then he threw a couple cut fastballs. His usually dependable slider wasn't working. They were just kind of spinning. But lost in the loss was the job that Gio did for us. I think that's the second or third win that he lost late in the game. So we just got to add on runs, too. We had some possibilities to add on runs, and couldn't get a couple two-out RBI hits."

It was only Kelley's second blown save in five attempts. But being a pitcher with just two pitches, he is vulnerable if the slider isn't working.

"Yeah I think it's on my slider," Kelley said. "I think they picked up pretty quickly that the slider wasn't my typical slider. Felt like they were able to sit on fastballs, and I took my best shot trying to just go at them and attack them with the heater, because I realize that's pretty much all I had today and it didn't work."

The Nationals reinstated Kelley and Koda Glover Friday. They both pitched Saturday night and then came back to pitch Sunday. Did that play into their problems at the end of the first game of today's doubleheader?

Baker didn't think so.

"No. Most relievers are better the second day and worse the third day," Baker said. "He had about the same velocity, he just didn't have the same location. I don't know if he and Koda, either one of them are available for the second game since they've gone two days in a row."

Kelley did admit that pitching for a second day in a row didn't feel perfect. But he would not use that as an excuse. He knows as a closer that he would be called upon to do that a lot for a successful team with a lead late in games.

"It was a quick turnaround, I wasn't 100 percent, but we don't pitch 100 percent every time out. Bottom line is, in that situation I want the ball there and I got to do my job, and I didn't, so that's on me," he said.

The bullpen has struggled to close out games for the Nationals. Sometimes they haven't been able to hold big leads and have demonstrated a penchant for giving up home runs. Starters have allowed 28 homers, relievers have given up 21. In innings seven through nine, the Nationals have given up 24 runs.

"Lot of long balls. I attack hitters and I go after people, so I will give up a few home runs. That's always been my thing because I'd rather make a guy put it in play than beat around the bush and pick the corners and walk guys with runners on," Kelley said. "But it's never bothered me.

"The homers are part of the game, I think every team right now is going through giving up a lot of homers for whatever reason. But as pitchers we have to make adjustments and do a better job of missing bats and getting worst contact."

One of two burning questions that have made the rounds recently: Is there a fracture between Nationals starters - such as Gio Gonzalez, who went 6 2/3 innings, allowing only one run - and a bullpen that can't finish games for a good ball club?

"My job is to go out there and try to give your team a chance to win," Gonzalez said. "As a starting pitcher, that's what you have to take. Our job is to give our team an opportunity to get to that eighth, ninth inning while still in the lead."

"Kelley's amazing. Kelley's been amazing. And so has every one of those guys in the bullpen. It's just a tough situation where you pitch back-to-back, doubleheader. It changes the game. It's a whole different ballgame.

I trust each one of those guys out of the 'pen. I want Kelley back out there again. If I can get Kelley again tonight, it would be great to have. He's one of the guys that, no matter what we look at, he's one of the guys we need. And we want him healthy and we want him strong. This is just 'Turn the page.' Hey, it happens. It's part of baseball.

"Each one of those guys is not trying to do anything to jeopardize a win or anything like that," Gonzalez said. "I know for a fact that he put his heart out there and he tried his best. You've got to give him credit. He pitched yesterday, a pretty fair amount of pitching. I understand that taxes you a little bit. You get a little tired, fatigued. I can't speak for Kelley's body, but I can see. I can understand. I can relate to him as a pitcher. Sometimes it's going to be a little off."

So bigger picture: What to do about the closer situation long term? Would the Nationals make a trade now with the trade deadline two and a half months away (July 31)?

"You're always pushing for a trade, but ain't nobody trading right now," Baker said. "Sometimes you have no choice but to have patience. Nobody is going to drop you down a knock-down closer out of the sky until there's some teams out of it."

"We have to look from within right now. Because people know when you're in need. And when they know you're in need, they have to rob you of your system."