Over the course of a 162-game season, intentionally resting players is to be expected. With a nine-game road trip out west ahead, the Washington Nationals on Sunday decided to test that strategy to the limit — starting Sunday’s finale against the San Diego Padres with Bryce Harper, Daniel Murphy, Jayson Werth and Matt Wieters on the pine.
Against one of the worst teams in baseball, the thinking went, Washington’s depth would prevail.
But starter Joe Ross dug a hole the Nationals couldn’t climb out of in a 5-2 loss that was initially delayed an hour and 20 minutes because of rain.