In a span of four days, the Padres only victory over the Washington Nationals came against San Diego native Stephen Strasburg.
The leaders of the National League East division triumphed Sunday 4-1 at Petco Park, taking the third of four games with the Friars despite making three errors.
Those blunders wound up costing the Nats only one run in the series finale.
Jabari Blash was plated in the first inning after Wil Myers sent a grounder to shortstop and Washington’s Wilmer Difo sent a wayward throw toward first base. Other than that gift, San Diego was held off the scoreboard.
It was the third time in this series the Padres were held to a single run as they managed to produce only six total runs over the last four days.
Padres manager Andy Green is desperately trying to get his offense going. Blash was called up Saturday from Triple-A when Padres rookie right-fielder Hunter Renfroe was surprisingly demoted to El Paso.
Renfroe remains second on the team with 20 homers this year, but perhaps it shouldn’t be too surprising he was sent down considering he’s batting a paltry .230 with a subpar .285 on-base percentage.
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Renfroe and Ryan Schimpf clearly have proven they can slug homers at the major league level but they still need to prove they can hit on a consistent basis and that’s why they are both currently back in the minors.
Rookie starting pitcher Dinelson Lamet was searching for his fifth win in six starts, but ran into some trouble after allowing the lead to get away in the fifth inning.
Lamet struck out eight and only allowed three runs on three hits but was removed after 94 pitches in 4.2 innings. The righty was saddled with the loss and his record fell to 7-5.
Daniel Murphy helped the Nationals take a 2-1 lead on a RBI single in the fifth inning. Buddy Bauman made a cameo just in time to allow a RBI double to Adam Lind before Craig Stammen struck out Anthony Rendon to end the threat.
Nats lefty Gio Gonzalez went 6.2 innings and only allowed the one unearned run to improve to 12-5.
Zero Padres collected multiple hits against Washington Sunday but the Friars did strike out 12 times against Gonzalez and the Nationals bullpen.
After sweeping the lowly Phillies earlier in the week, San Diego finished its seven-game homestand 4-3.
The Friars travel to Saint Louis Monday and start their six-game road trip against the Cardinals Tuesday at 5:15 p.m.
Clayton Richard is scheduled to oppose Cardinals pitcher Lance Lynn.
