Jayson Werth’s stumble allows Daniel Murphy to clear bases with double
In a game started by Max Scherzer and Matt Harvey, chances are the scoring opportunities will be few and far between for the opposing offenses. That proved to be the case again on Friday night as the two aces met up in a classic battle at Citi Field in New York.
Unfortunately for the Washington Nationals, while Max Scherzer did his job, their lack of offense and overall struggles on defense — in this Jayson Werth’s untimely stumble — proved to be their downfall again as they dropped the game 4-0.
Bad offense and really bad defense is a bad combination under any circumstances. That much shouldn’t have to explained. But it’s especially bad in games where one play — whether it be a home run, a wild pitch, or a defensive miscue — can provide all the sepration that’s needed.
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In Friday’s game, the Mets were clinging to a 1-0 lead in the eighth inning when they loaded the bases against relievers Matt Thornton and Blake Trenien. At that point, both Scherzer and Harvey had just retired for the evening, so this was finally the time for both offenses to try to do some damage.
With one out, New York did just that as Daniel Murphy hit a liner to left that had Jayson Werth fooled. Werth’s first move was to break in, which was costly, but not as costly as his stumble. Werth nearly wiped out completely, which allowed Murphy’s liner to soar over his head and score three runs.
Ballgame over.
“I don’t think I got the best read,” Werth told the media following the game. “I broke in. Even so, if I don’t slip, I can still catch it. Almost caught it anyway. I slipped. I don’t remember the last time I slipped on the field.”
Though not charged with an error, Werth’s combination of misplay and bad luck continues a troubling trend for Washington. Through 24 games, they’ve committed a league-high 24 errors and have just been generally sloppy on defense.
One error per game won’t get it done even if you’re a fielding a rotation of five Hall of Famers, and right now Scherzer is taking the brunt of that reality harder than anyone. Through five starts, Scherzer has a sparking 1.26 ERA, but only one win to show for it.
The saving grace, of course, would be good offensive output. Washington entered Friday with 103 runs scored, which was good for tenth in MLB. However, 34 of those runs had just come in their three-game winning streak that ended Friday. In other words, they haven’t been swinging with much consistency yet, and certainly not enough to overcome the defensive woes.
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Or Matt Harvey for that matter. Giving credit where it’s due, the “Dark Knight” was on a different level again Friday, holding the Nats scoreless over seven innings on five hits. Bryce Harper once again succumbed to his powers, going 0-for-2 with a walk. He’s now 0-for-12 lifetime against Harvey with seven strikeouts.
At 10-14, we’re looking at a Washington team that continues to underachieve and leave the door open for teams like New York and Miami to create some distance. There’s still plenty of time left to make up six games in the standings, but the sooner they tighter up their play and stop giving the opposition unearned scoring chances, the less difficult that road will be.
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Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Townie813
