Washington Nationals’ lineup for 3rd of 4 with the Mets in New York...

In last night’s 4-2 loss, the Washington Nationals put the leadoff runner on in each of the first six innings, but only managed to bring that runner around once, when Tanner Roark tripled to start the third, and scored on a Wilmer Difo double.

[ed. note - “Before we once again delve into the Nationals’ offensive woes, let’s all take a fun break to read Roark’s answer when he was asked about that aforementioned triple, which, if you hadn’t guessed, was his first career triple. It happed on a fly to short right that bounced on the dirt down the line up and hopped up and along the railing in front the stands, which is apparently still in play, and got away from Mets’ outfielder Brandon Nimmo. Roark’s take on the play...”]:

“I didn’t know if he was going to get to it or if it was going to be even fair, so my 90-degree turn at first base, I didn’t even round the base. Ryan Zimmerman was making fun of me and how I turn the bases, but then I saw the ball go past Nimmo and I just kept running.”

Seriously though, Roark does straight up make a 90-degree turn at first base...

Also, enjoy this piece MLB’s @Cut4 put together overlaying Amed Rosario’s triple and Roark running around the bases. Just wait ... you’ll see Roark get there eventually:

But what were we talking about? Oh, yes, the Nationals’ lack of consistent production on the offensive end...

In addition to not making anything of five of the leadoff batters that reached base in the first six innings, the Nationals went 1 for 12 overall with runners in scoring position and left eight me on base in what ended up a two-run loss.

“We need to be more consistent with our at bats,” Davey Martinez said after the second of four with New York, “... especially with runners in scoring position. We tend to hit home runs in situations like that, that’s how we get our runs, but we’ve just got to put the ball in play every now and then, just get base hits. That’s what it boils down to. We left so many men on base today, and we’ve just got to figure out how to — we just need a hit, and just get on for the next guy and get on for the next guy, eventually somebody will hit a home run like Matt [Adams], but we’ve got to figure out a way to get guys in, get guys over, we had a guy on second base today with no outs, he stayed there, so those are the little things I always talk about that we need to do better.”

HERE’S THE NATIONALS’ LINEUP THAT WILL TRY TO DO BETTER TODAY: