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Nats struggling to find offense

April 13, 2008 1:52 am

BY MATT EPPERS

WASHINGTON--

"It always works that way," Acta joked. "That's how it was last year. Whenever we were struggling, we faced guys like [Jake] Peavy or [Cole] Hamels."

In the midst of its current losing streak, Washington ran up against Tim Hudson Friday night. Hudson held the Nationals to three hits over eight shutout innings.

The Nationals faced another of Atlanta's vaunted starting pitchers yesterday in John Smoltz.

Washington fared slightly better against Smoltz than Hudson, but the overall result was the same: The losing streak continues.

Smoltz allowed one run on five hits through six innings, and Jeff Francoeur belted two home runs and drove in a career-high seven runs to propel the visiting Braves to a 10-2 win over the stumbling Nationals.

Much of the announced crowd of 32,532 had filed out by the time it was over.

Those who stayed, however, saw the Nationals lose their ninth straight game, the franchise's longest such streak since 2000.

"Obviously we're frustrated because we're losing," said Ryan Zimmerman, who was 2-for-3 with an RBI. "But the important thing is sticking together. You have to worry about [the losing streak], but you can't let it get the better of you."

After rain delayed the first pitch 91 minutes, the Braves wasted no time putting the game out of reach.

Cleanup hitter Mark Teixeira singled in a run in the top of the first off Nationals starter John Lannan.

Francoeur followed with a line-drive, three-run homer to left that gave Smoltz all the support he needed.

Washington put two runners on in the first and third only to see Smoltz escape jams. In all, the Nationals left 10 runners on base.

"We expect to be better," said Austin Kearns. "You don't tip your hat before the game at the tough guy on the mound. You've got to find a way to give yourself a chance."

In the top of the fourth, Lannan (0-2) loaded the bases on a pair of singles and a walk. Francoeur brought in two with a single to push the lead to 6-0.

Lannan finished the inning but did not return, charged with six runs on nine hits in four innings.

"Today, he was just unable to throw strikes and locate his pitches," Acta said of his starter. "He was missing the target by a couple of feet on some occasions. It put us behind the eight ball against a very tough team."

The Nationals got on the board in the bottom half of the fourth on Willie Harris' RBI triple.

On in relief of Lannan, Jason Bergmann then gave up an RBI groundout in the fifth and back-to-back home runs in the sixth.

Francoeur smacked another line-drive homer--a two-run shot--to nearly the same spot as his first. Brian McCann followed with a solo shot on the very next pitch.

Bergmann was charged with four runs on four hits in two innings.

"Playing catch-up baseball at this level against a guy like John Smoltz is not very good," Acta said. "Before you get up to the plate, you're down 4-0 and you have your work cut out for you against this guy."

Zimmerman added the Nationals' second run with a sacrifice fly in the eighth.

NATIONALS NOTES

Closer Chad Cordero was activated from the 15-day disabled list after yesterday's loss and will be available for today's series finale with Atlanta.

The 26-year-old closer hasn't pitched for Washington at all this season.

Cordero went on the DL April 4 with tendinitis in his right shoulder and completed a brief rehab assignment Friday night at Class-A Potomac. In two appearances at Potomac, Cordero pitched two scoreless innings, allowing one hit and fanning two.

"My arm feels good," said Cordero. "It feels a lot better than it did when I went on the DL. Hopefully it will work out all right."

Jason Bergmann was optioned to Class-AAA Columbus to make room on the 25-man roster for Cordero.

On the year, Bergmann is 0-1 with a 11.68 ERA in 12 innings of work.

"When you don't throw well and the team is losing, somebody's got to take the hit," Bergmann said after yesterday's game. "I was not throwing well, and that contributed to most of our losses."

Like Cordero, outfielder Wily Mo Peña has not played for the Nationals yet this season.

Also like Cordero, Peña's time away from the team will be coming to a close. The Nationals expect to activate the burly 6-foot-3 slugger from the 15-day disabled list today.

Peña began a rehab assignment at Triple-A Columbus last night. Washington is in such need of hitting that the plan is to recall Peña after just one rehab appearance.

"We could have taken our time, but [Peña] has gotten better quicker than we expected," Acta said.

With a single in his first at-bat, third baseman Ryan Zimmerman broke out of an 0-for-16 slump. Zimmerman had been hitless in his last four games, and hadn't gotten on base since a 2-for-4 showing on April 6.

Atlanta

Washington

Atlanta

400

213

000--

10

Washington

000

100

100--

2

E--Smoltz (1). LOB--Atlanta 7, Washington 10. 2B--KJohnson (1), Mccann (4), Diaz (1), Zimmerman (3). 3B--Harris (1). HR--Mccann (3), off Bergmann; Francoeur 2 (3), off Bergmann, Lannan. RBIs--Teixeira (6), Francoeur 7 (11), Mccann (8), Smoltz (1), Zimmerman (4), Harris (1). SB--FLopez (2). SF--Zimmerman. DP--Atlanta 1; Washington 1.

Atlanta

Washington

Inherited runners-scored--Bennett 3-1. WP--Smoltz. T--2:44. A--32,532 (41,888).

Matt Eppers: 540/374-5440
Email: sports@freelancestar.com