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 So manager Matt Williams, who lost starting third baseman Yunel
Escobar and center fielder Michael A. Taylor to injuries during the
Thursday night game against the San Diego Padres, started shuffling
his lineup.
In the top of the seventh inning, he put rookie Trea Turner -- who
played just two games in the minors at second base this year -- at
that spot when Taylor was forced to leave the game. Then he had
pitcher Doug Fister, until a few weeks ago part of the rotation,
pinch-hit due to a short bench.
Williams also moved Danny Espinosa, who had already entered the game
to play second when Escobar left, to left field in the seventh, and
sure enough, Espinosa caught two liners in the eighth.
The moves paid off in a win.
Rookie Joe Ross allowed just one unearned run and one bunt single in
six innings, and Jayson Werth and Ryan Zimmerman hit late solo
homers for insurance as the Nationals beat the Padres 4-2.
The Nationals, who won their third series in a row, began the day 6
1/2 games back of the first-place New York Mets in the National
League East.
San Diego (62-65) won its previous five series. The Padres lost for
just the fourth time in 11 games while collecting only three hits.
Werth, who started the game in left and finished it in right, hit a
solo homer in the sixth off Andrew Cashner to give the Nationals a
3-1 lead. First baseman Zimmerman made it 4-1 with a solo homer to
lead off the seventh against reliever Kevin Quakenbush.
Right fielder Bryce Harper had two hits and reached base his first
four at-bats for the Nationals (64-62). Werth, Zimmerman (two RBIs)
and Anthony Rendon -- who started at second and finished at third --
had two hits apiece.
Ross (5-5) fanned seven and walked two.
"He was good, man. He is going to be good for a lot of years," San
Diego center fielder Melvin Upton Jr. said of Ross. "He is going to
be good for a while."
San Diego interim manager Pat Murphy added of Ross: "He was
sensational, dominant. He was great. Great sinker, great two-seamer,
great location. Good composure following in the footsteps of his
brother (Tyson, who got the win for San Diego on Wednesday against
Washington). He was very, very good."
The loss came at a price for the Nationals.
Escobar and Taylor are day-to-day with contusions, while regular
center fielder Denard Span, who started the previous two games but
did not play Thursday, is headed back to the disabled list two days
after he was activated.
"Yunel has a right hand contusion," Williams said. "Got some
swelling. X-rays are negative. We'll see how it reacts in the
morning.
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"Mikey has a right knee contusion. Ran pretty hard into the fence,
so he's also day-to-day. We'll see how he is tomorrow. He ran into
that wall hard, full speed, as fast as he could go. Got him on the
right knee pretty good.
"Denard's had a setback. He's had issues with his back again. He'll
be placed on the DL with left hip inflammation."
The Nationals will announce a corresponding roster move Friday.
"That's kind of how this year's gone," Zimmerman said of the
injuries, "but we've got to play through it and we've got to find a
way to keep winning games and keep winning series like we have these
past three. Every team goes through a lot. Obviously, we've had more
than our fair share. ... We've got to find a way to keep winning
games."
The weakened Washington roster did most of its damage Thursday
against Cashner (5-13). He yielded nine hits and three runs in 5 2/3
innings while laboring through a 121-pitch night.
"He did a great job of hanging in there," Murphy said of Cashner.
"He has to put them away, so to speak. But all in all, he pitched
well enough to win."
Drew Storen pitched a scoreless eighth for the Nationals, and
Jonathan Papelbon threw the ninth for the save despite giving up an
RBI single to first baseman Yonder Alonso that made it 4-2 with two
outs.
NOTES: San Diego sent RHP Marcos Mateo (neck strain) to Triple-A El
Paso for a rehab assignment. He is 1-0 with a 5.19 ERA in 15 games
out of the bullpen. He went on the disabled list retroactive to Aug.
6. ... San Diego OF Matt Kemp did not play due to a sore shoulder
after he was banged up going for a ball in right field Wednesday. He
is listed as day-to-day. ... Washington RHP Max Scherzer (11-10,
2.79 ERA) will start Friday against the Marlins and LHP Adam Conley
(1-1, 4.88). ... The Padres begin a series Friday at Philadelphia,
where RHP Ian Kennedy (8-11, 4.01) will face Phillies RHP Aaron Nola
(4-1, 3.59).
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