The Nationals did their best to help Oakland with their draft position. In the end, though, Clint Hurdle overcame Dusty Baker’s strategery and the Nats’ tenuous grasp of baseball fundamentals to preserve the ninth spot in the draft thanks to Oakland’s win over Texas.
Ivan Nova, making his last start of the year, struggled in the first, but got some help. After a leadoff double, the Nats gave him a free out with a sacrifice bunt before Daniel Murphy drove in the run with a single that would have scored the runner from second. The Nats got runners to second and third with one out, but on a grounder to third Anthony Rendon, who was on third, wandered too far off the base because, y’know, only the Pirates have bad fundamentals.