WASHINGTON — Washington has had one winning season in 57 years. Major League executives figured building a glass-plated palace on desolate waterfront property would ignite a torrid romance with fans.
The six-year love affair has had all the spark of a soggy book of matches. That could change with the current gritty bunch, and the likely June promotion of top draft pick/greatest amateur pitcher ever Stephen Strasburg.
But Wednesday’s crowd of 11,191, the lowest du jour, was so quiet that the TV broadcast on the concourse could be heard in the dugouts. Those who wandered in on a chilly, wet evening were treated to a terrific comeback as Washington thwarted the Rockies 6-4 at Nationals Park.
The loss was a microcosm of the season. Colorado shows flashes of brilliance, but nothing consistent. The Rockies defense was uneven and the bullpen, Fort Knox for three weeks, leaked at the worst possible time. Setup man Rafael Betancourt was tagged for two runs, pulled in the eighth inning.
The relievers had strung together nine consecutive scoreless innings. But it was clear from his third pitch that Betancourt was off. Josh Willingham lined a single off third baseman Melvin Mora’s glove, and following an out, Adam Kennedy was walked to set up a confrontation with light-hitting backup catcher Wil Nieves. The blueprint called for a double play.
Instead, Nieves rapped a double to center field, smashing a belt-high fastball that had a mind to cut but instead ran directly over the plate. A sacrifice fly from pinch-hitter Pudge Rodriguez led to Betancourt’s exit (two outs, two hits, two runs).
Matt Capps posted his seventh save as he struck out pinch-hitter Ian Stewart looking with two runners aboard. It pushed the Rockies back under .500 for the third time this young season.
This felt more like playoff hockey than baseball with the constant back-and-forth. The Rockies were a flammable mix through three innings, then mysteriously turned down the heat on struggling Washington starter John Lannan. Eight batters hit in the first inning, but only two scored on Jason Giambi’s sacrifice fly and Troy Tulowitzki’s groundout.
But Jason Hammel, for the second time this season, couldn’t protect a multi-run lead. Washington moved ahead 4-3 in the third as the right-hander struggled with a pedestrian fastball and breaking pitch. He proved he could survive without his best stuff – seven innings, three earned runs — but the Rockies needed him to put his foot down.
The defense didn’t do him any favors. Giambi couldn’t knock down Adam Dunn’s two-run double down the right-field line and Clint Barmes whiffed on a backhand groundball that allowed Josh Willingham to score in the Nationals’ four-run third inning.
This is the type of game that the Rockies found a way to win over the final four months of last season. This year, they continue to discover painful ways to lose.
Troy E. Renck: 303-954-1301 or trenck@denverpost.com.
