Washington Nationals’ lineup for 3rd of 4 with San Diego Padres in Petco Park...

Yes, the Washington Nationals ended up losing last night’s game, but they did battle back from a 3-0 deficit late in the second of four with the San Diego Padres in Petco Park, with three runs in the seventh and one in the ninth, which gave them a one-run lead for half of an inning before Sean Doolittle’s blown save cost them a win.

In the top of the seventh, Howie Kendrick and Brian Dozier hit back-to-back singles to start the frame, Yan Gomes drove in a run with an RBI single, and Trea Turner hit a two-out, two-run double as the Nationals erased a 3-0 deficit.

In the top of the ninth inning, Dozier (2 for 4), doubled to lead off the inning, then moved up on a bunt by Victor Robles, and scored from third base, (after a hit-by-pitch on Yan Gomes), on a wild pitch from Adam Warren, 4-3.

“We’ve been doing that over the last couple weeks,” Martinez said of the hard-fought rally before Doolittle’s blown save.

“We’ve been playing winning baseball that way,” the manager added, “doing the little things. Even Robles putting down a nice bunt to get [Dozier] over to third, but that’s the way we’ve got to play, we’ve got to do the little things, and like I said, you know, we played good today and it just didn’t happen in the ninth.”

“It’s just one of those days,” Martinez said at another point in his post-game presser, “come back tomorrow, we’ve got Max [Scherzer] on the mound, and here we go again.”

The Nationals will try to avoid a third straight loss on the road with Scherzer going in tonight’s matchup.

Scherzer held the Padres to two runs on four hits in seven innings back in April in D.C., with 10 strikeouts from the 24 batters he faced in what ended up a 4-3 loss in which he received no decision.

“Like I said you’ve got your No. 1 guy out there, and that’s always good,” Martinez said.

“So we’ve just got to continue to play, that was a tough loss today, we’ll come back tomorrow and we’ll do it again.”

HERE’S THE NATIONALS’ LINEUP FOR TONIGHT’S GAME WITH THE PADRES: