'Next men up' are vital to Nats' success

WASHINGTON -- The Nats were swept in four games by the Dodgers for the first time, as they lost, 5-1, on July 4. Over the series, Washington put up just 11 runs -- bringing the total to 16 over the season-series seven-game sweep.

Starting pitcher Joe Ross kept the game close, allowing three runs, including a solo homer to Matt Beaty in the top of the fourth inning. The righty recorded his third career 10-plus strikeout game, fanning 11 batters over 6 2/3 innings, the most since a career-high 12 batters on June 8, 2017, vs. the Orioles.

However, strikeouts and double plays crushed any of the seven chances the Nationals had when they did get on base. With slugger Kyle Schwarber (10-day IL) and Trea Turner (day to day) both out of the Fourth of July lineup, the Nats needed their “next man up” to get the offense going.

When they got a player on base and it seemed like there was a chance to begin a rally, an inning-ending double play stranded the runner -- Josh Bell and Starlin Castro each hit into double plays, in the third and fifth, respectively. Then Tres Barrera grounded into a double play in the bottom of the ninth to end the game.

Prior to Sunday's game, Washington was tied for the most double plays grounded into (69) in the National League. Fifty-one of those plays ended an inning, including the three recorded in this loss.

Manager Dave Martinez hates excuses. He also knows that the schedule doesn’t get easier for the banged-up Nationals as they head west for a seven-game road trip -- facing the Padres for four and the Giants for three to close out the first half of the season.

The skipper is encouraged by Castro and others -- like Alcides Escobar, who has gone 4-for-8 since joining the Nationals on July 3 -- who are trying to pick off where they left off. However, with some key members of the Nats' lineup sidelined, something needs to start happening in order to win without those starters.

“It's kind of tough, seeing pitchers going down and Schwarber, having the hottest month of all time, going down,” said Ross. “[We've] just got to have that kind of mentality to compete: next guy up, come out and make a play. Sometimes you've just got to go out there and find someone to produce. Obviously, we didn't score 10 runs today. But you know -- I think Schwarber couldn't carry us through the whole season. So, at some point, someone's got to step up, and we'll all kind of bear that load.”

Despite hitting into the double play, Martinez praised Castro for his recent surge at the plate. In Sunday’s game, and over the homestand, Castro has shown flashes of being the hitter his skipper knows, and expects, him to be.

Castro notched two hits and an RBI against the Dodgers, smacking a single that drove in the first and only Nationals run in the bottom of the third inning.

But Sunday's game wasn't the only time that things began to click for the third baseman. From the beginning of this homestand (June 28), Castro has gone 10-for-21, including seven RBIs, improving his batting average to .264 on the season.

“He's been hitting the way I thought he would hit all along,” said Martinez. "I've seen him hit -- he’s got it. He’s a guy that when the season's over, he's gonna have 170 to 200 hits. He’s just getting going and he's swinging the bat well. I thought he was a good fit to put him in the three-hole today and he got a couple of hits. I hope he continues to have the success he's having right now, because we're gonna need [him] to.”