Two days ago, the Washington Nationals were three outs away from being 10 games over .500, before the lack of depth on the pitching staff reared its head.
That lack of depth was an issue again on Saturday in a 9-3 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers, the third straight setback for the Nats.
After reliever Matt Grace gave Washington two perfect innings in an opener role, manager Dave Martinez turned to his scheduled starter, Joe Ross, and, ugh.
Ross (0-3, 9.85 ERA) was touched up for seven runs, six earned, on nine hits in four and two-thirds innings, and the ugly part of it was how Martinez kept sending Ross back out for more despite the obvious.
Clayton Kershaw (9-2, 2.85 ERA) got the win after giving up two runs in the first, on an Adam Eaton RBI triple and a Juan Soto sac fly.
Yan Gomes hit a solo homer in the seventh for the Nats’ other run of the afternoon.
The loss drops the Nats to six and a half games back of Atlanta in the NL East. Back on Thursday, Washington was three outs away from being three and a half back.
Story by Chris Graham
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