Zim impactful, but Nats' offense sputters

WASHINGTON -- At 36 years old, Ryan Zimmerman is OK with his role off the bench. Actually, he’s embraced it -- making S.O.B. (Studs Off the Bench) shirts.

In the second game of Saturday’s doubleheader, he was exactly that, a stud. Making just his 17th start of the season, he led the Nats in hits (two doubles) in the 6-2 loss to the Brewers at Nationals Park.

Zimmerman broke the scoreless tie in the bottom of the third inning, driving in Trea Turner on a double to right field.

• Corbin’s HR struggles continue in G1 loss

After Washington's 4-1 loss in the first game of the doubleheader, manager Dave Martinez was frustrated about the lack of timely hitting, saying it could have been a whole different game had certain hard-hit balls dropped in the right spots.

Adding Zimmerman to the lineup helped some, but again, it was not enough to win a game. The same could be said for Kyle Schwarber’s monster home run in the first game -- the offense needs more than one player to be “on."

“I definitely have to stay positive with these guys,” said Martinez on how he tries to motivate his team. “I mean, that's what I do. I get positive, I try to coach them up and try to do everything I can to get them to understand, ‘Hey, just keep the train going.’ I mean, that's what it's all about. Get on for the next guy and keep going and keep pushing.”

The bottom of the fourth was prime for an offensive rally with the Nats loading the bases with one out on a single, a throwing error and a walk. Trea Turner then drove in the go-ahead run on a fielder's choice to make it 2-1, and Juan Soto was intentionally walked, loading the bases again with two outs for Zimmerman.

It could have been a storybook moment for Zimmerman to hit a grand slam, or even drive in a run or two -- but the 2021 Nationals offense is not a fairytale as Zim hit a liner directly to Lorenzo Cain in center to end the threat.

“That's why baseball is hard,” said Turner on Zimmerman’s fly ball. “You know, [I] want to say it evens out, but it doesn't. So that's why this game is great. And it's why it stinks, because of stuff like that."

Including the results from Saturday’s contests, the Nats have now scored three runs or fewer in 27 of their games this season.

“We're hitting the baseball, we're just not hitting with runners in scoring position,” said Martinez. “We're not getting that one or two hits when guys are on base. We're hitting the ball; we just need to focus on hitting the ball when guys are on base. Don't get tentative -- you know, just go up there and swing. Good things happen when you swing the bat. So, let's swing the bat. Let it rip.”