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Nats' Ace Is Not Suited for Success
Washington ace Livan Hernandez gave up seven runs to Houston, including this bases-loaded double by Morgan Ensberg in the sixth inning that drove in two.
(By David J. Phillip -- Associated Press)
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"Vinny's responsibility is to bust his tail back to first base," Robinson said. "If you do that, the coach doesn't have to do anything."
The next moment came in the sixth, when Hernandez made, perhaps, two errors -- one physical, the other mental. With a runner on first and no one out, Hernandez tried to field a bunt from pinch hitter Chris Burke. But in his haste to nail the runner at second, he fumbled the ball, and both men were safe.
Hernandez, though, was crafty enough to get a sacrifice bunt from Willy Taveras, and then get Biggio swinging through a slow breaking ball. There were two outs, Berkman was up, and it was time for a conference. With runners on second and third, Robinson asked Hernandez whether he wanted to face Berkman, whom he had struck out twice and retired on a grounder, or Morgan Ensberg, who had torched the Nationals for two homers the previous night.
Hernandez chose to walk Berkman intentionally and pitch to Ensberg, who came to the plate with 85 RBI.
"Berkman is a difficult hitter," Hernandez said. "Everybody knows that. And I got a good day with Ensberg, and I want to face him."
It was, as it turns out, the wrong decision. Ensberg ripped a two-run double to right-center, making it 7-4, nearly putting the game out of reach.
"That was a decision that didn't work out," Robinson said.
Other things didn't work, either, such as the Nationals' final comeback attempt. Facing closer Brad Lidge in the ninth, Nick Johnson and Wilkerson delivered two-out, RBI hits to close the gap to 7-6. With runners on first and third, Robinson sent Jose Guillen -- appearing for the first time in four games -- to pinch-hit for struggling Preston Wilson.
"That's a no-brainer," Robinson said.
But Guillen chased a Lidge slider in the dirt, and the night ended. So many little things, one really large loss.
