WASHINGTON -- In a game with massive playoff implications, in front of a home crowd providing playoff-like energy, Washington's pitching faltered down the stretch, dropping the Nationals to five games back of the Mets with an 8-5 loss.
In the fifth inning with two runners in scoring position and a one-run lead, manager Matt Williams allowed a struggling Max Scherzer to hit for himself with two outs. The decision simultaneously showed Williams' faith in his ace, who staggered through five uneasy innings, and the lack thereof in his bullpen, which posted a 4.