Vogelsong Roughed Up, Giants Lose To Nats 9-2
Ryan Vogelsong shrugged off a tough start and tried to turn in a decent performance. The game just got out of hand.
Ian Desmond had a career-high five RBIs and Stephen Strasburg pitched the Washington Nationals to a 9-2 victory Monday night that ended the San Francisco Giants' five-game winning streak.
Vogelsong (4-3) retired 10 of 11 batters during one stretch and pitched into the seventh inning. But he gave up six runs and nine hits, ending his three-game winning streak.
"I felt like I had a good game plan," Vogelsong said. "I couldn't make enough good pitches."
The Nationals scored in each of the first three innings against Vogelsong, who gave up six extra-base hits.
"He was up a bit more than what we're used to," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. "He made some really good pitches at times. He got us to a good point. He regrouped and did a good job."
Vogelsong allowed six runs over his previous 26 1-3 innings, a span of four games, before giving up six to the Nationals.
"I'm a perfectionist," Vogelsong said. "I know it's not going to be perfect every time out, but I threw some really good pitches and I threw some really bad ones. It wasn't my night."
Denard Span added a triple and two doubles to help the Nationals win for the eighth time in 10 games. Desmond had three hits and Jayson Werth drove in two runs.
Strasburg (6-4) allowed four hits over six innings and retired his final 10 hitters. He struck out seven and did not walk a batter, improving to 3-0 against the Giants with 29 strikeouts in 25 innings.
"He has good stuff," Bochy said. "He throws 95 (mph) with a good slider and change. His ball is moving and he was on top of his game."
Washington manager Matt Williams, who played 10 seasons with the Giants, said Strasburg was pulled as a precaution with some tightness in his back.
"He could have kept pitching," Williams said. "The third inning he started experiencing it. Once we tacked on a couple runs late, we decided to get him out and make sure he got some treatment
."
Nationals starters have struck out 52 and walked one in their last seven games.
Desmond, who owns a .373 career batting average against the Giants, also has an impressive .434 mark (23 for 53) and 51 RBIs with the bases loaded.
His two-run single with the sacks full in the third gave Washington a 4-1 lead. Desmond also tripled home a run in the second and added a two-run double in the seventh.
"I just swing hard in case I hit it," Desmond said. "The last few years the Giants have been at the top and I think I rise to play the best, but I don't really have an answer. I'm going to keep doing what I'm doing."
The Giants scored their first run in the second. Tyler Colvin doubled with one out and came home on Brandon Crawford's single.
Joaquin Arias added an RBI single in the eighth.
Strasburg struck out the first batter he faced in four of his six innings. He also ended three innings with a strikeout.
"My changeup was working really well," he said. "It kept them off the fastball. I didn't need to use my curve that much. I was able to throw the change for strikes."
NOTES: Giants OF Angel Pagan was out of the lineup with a bruised right shin. He did pinch-hit, and Bochy said Pagan will probably be in Tuesday's lineup. ... Giants RHP Santiago Casilla is expected to start a rehab assignment at Class-A San Jose on Wednesday or Thursday. ... Nationals INF Anthony Rendon (sore right hand) was out of the starting lineup for a third straight game. He's expected to start Tuesday. ... RHP Doug Fister (4-1, 3.19 ERA) pitches Tuesday for the Nationals. He's walked two batters in 36 2-3 innings this year. LHP Madison Bumgarner (8-3, 2.86) starts for the Giants. He's on a six-game winning streak.
Updated June 10, 2014
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