Washington Nationals’ lineup for series finale with the Atlanta Braves

There were positives to take away from last night’s loss, like the fact that the Washington Nationals scored nine runs on 11 hits... in what ended up a 13-9 loss to the Atlanta Braves.

Matt Adams went 2 for 4 with a three-run blast. Anthony Rendon went 2 for 3 with a walk and three runs scored. Juan Soto was 3 for 4 with four RBIs. Trea Turner went 2 for 4 with three runs scored and a walk.

As a team, the Nationals were 5 for 14 with runners in scoring position. So, you know, some positives.

Unfortunately, the bullpen couldn’t hold a lead, and the Braves scored nine runs over the final three innings to even things up in the three-game series in D.C., setting up a rubber match this afternoon.

So how big a setback was it for the bullpen to blow up after the Nationals started turning things around over the last couple weeks?

“Hey, you know what, we’re playing good,” Davey Martinez said after the loss. “These guys, for the last five or six, seven weeks, they’ve been good. So, you know what, today, it’s one game, one loss, come back tomorrow we’ve got a chance to win the series. Let’s come back tomorrow, and we’re swinging the bats really well, we’re playing really well, even when we got down the boys came back and got another run, we just couldn’t hold them.

“I mean, those other guys got a pretty good lineup, so we’ve just got come back tomorrow and do it again and hopefully get on top and stay on top.”

The loss was the Nationals’ first in four games with the Braves this season, but as the Nats’ skipper said, they still have a chance to win the series with the current division leaders...

HERE’S THE NATIONALS’ LINEUP FOR THE SERIES FINALE WITH BRAVES: