The error salvaged another mostly bleak offensive night for the Nationals. They managed six hits all game, none leading to runs except for Zimmerman’s two-run homer in the first inning and first baseman Chris Marrero’s game-tying double in the seventh. Even in a victory, just their fourth in 16 games, the offensive woes that torpedoed their season surfaced.
“I’ve had trouble sleeping at night thinking about it,” Johnson said. “It just makes it tougher on the pitching staff, tougher on the defense. Guys are grinding up there, I sense sometimes trying to do a little too much. I usually don’t talk a lot of hitting during the season, but I’m starting to open up and talk about what I’m seeing with the hitters. . . .
“But a lot of guys are trying to establish themselves, and our veteran key guys have been out most of the year. So the offense is going to struggle. But there’s no give-up in there. That’s the good thing.”
The Nationals had a chance Friday night because of their bullpen, which threw 51
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3 scoreless innings. A day after he allowed three runs in the ninth inning of a previously tied game, Drew Storen struck out two in a scoreless ninth. Tyler Clippard pitched two scoreless extra innings.
It helped that they were playing the Astros, who lost for the 96th time this year. The Astros’ trip to Washington began Friday evening when one of their relievers, Sergio Escalona, stepped on his pitching coach’s glove in left field while shagging batting practice. Escalona was carted off the field, had X-rays and will probably not pitch again this season.
Their day ended with a walk-off error. In the 11th inning, Zimmerman and Michael Morse drew consecutive one-out walks off Lucas Harrell. Astros Manager Brad Mills called Wilton Lopez out of the bullpen, and Werth pounded a 2-1 sinker into the ground, to third base.
Paredes fielded the ball on one knee. Werth bolted out of the box, worried about a double play, and kept looking at second base. When he didn’t see the ball, he assumed Paredes wouldn’t throw it. The he saw Morse slide in ahead of the throw, and then the throw skipping into right field.
“I was just rooting for a bad hop,” Johnson said. “Somehow, he got a glove on it. And I said, ‘Well, they can’t get two.’ And when he fell down with it, I said, ‘He can’t get one.’ And he was nice enough to throw it away. We didn’t actually pound the ball that hard, but we’ll take it.”
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