All it took was a bunt single, a stolen base and a pair of errors.
Just like that a one-run, eighth-inning lead over the Los Angeles Angels turned into a one-run deficit. Just like that a strong outing by starting pitcher Jason Bergmann was wasted.
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That one inning epitomized the Nationals’ downward spiral in recent days. Since a three-game sweep of Seattle they have now dropped six of seven games, including Monday’s 3-2 loss to Los Angeles at Nationals Park.
Washington (30-48) fell a season-high 18 games below .500, but Monday’s loss may have been the toughest of this stretch. With the Nats up 2-1, a throwing error by catcher Jesus Flores allowed Chone Figgins to reach safely on a stolen base attempt and then advance to third.
Moments later, with the infield drawn in, Erick Aybar’s hard ground ball somehow skipped under the glove of second baseman Felipe Lopez. Figgins scored and Aybar advanced to second. He then scored on a base hit by Garrett Anderson to put the Angels ahead for good.
Bergmann has been an enigma all season. Brilliant one night, erratic the next, there is no set pattern for the 26-year-old right-hander. After he was sent back to Class AAA Columbus in April a shell of himself, Bergmann returned just a month later to pitch 20 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings.
He gave his club a chance to win Monday by allowing just six hits and walking none in seven innings.
A Willie Harris triple in the bottom of the seventh and a throwing error by Los Angeles starter John Lackey had Bergmann in line for the victory before the defense let him down.
Lackey matched him pitch-for-pitch, however. In eighth innings, the right-hander gave up six hits and just one earned run. He improved to 5-1 with a sparkling 1.65 ERA. Willie Harris was 2-for-4 with a home run and a triple — scoring all of the Nats’ runs.
