Three-error inning costs Nats in opener

By Bill Ladson / MLB.com

WASHINGTON -- Struggles on the hill and in the field helped the Nationals lose to the Astros, 8-2, in front of 10,999 fans at Nationals Park on Monday night.

Like the previous three games, the Nationals had an early lead. In the first inning, Adam Dunn drove in two runs off Houston starter Bud Norris with a double down the right-field line.

But Livan Hernandez, who retired the first six hitters he faced, couldn't hold the lead. In the fifth inning, the Nationals committed three errors as the Astros scored seven runs.

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Houston AB R H RBI BB SO LOB AVG
Bourgeois, CF 5 0 0 0 0 1 2 .222
Keppinger, 2B 4 1 2 0 1 1 1 .290
Pence, RF 4 0 1 0 1 0 1 .281
Lee, C, 1B 5 1 2 0 0 0 2 .250
Blum, SS 4 1 1 3 0 1 3 .259
Manzella, SS 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .220
Johnson, C, 3B 4 1 1 0 0 3 3 .321
Bogusevic, LF 4 2 2 0 0 0 0 .286
Quintero, H, C 4 1 2 2 0 1 0 .233
Norris, P 2 1 0 1 0 0 0 .171
Byrdak, P 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
a-Hernandez, A, PH 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .220
Fulchino, P 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
Abad, P 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
Totals 37 8 11 6 2 7 12 .248
a-Grounded out for Byrdak in the 8th.
Washington AB R H RBI BB SO LOB AVG
Espinosa, SS 5 0 0 0 0 3 2 .226
Kennedy, A, 2B 2 1 1 0 2 0 1 .251
Zimmerman, R, 3B 4 1 2 0 0 0 1 .306
Dunn, A, 1B 4 0 1 2 0 2 3 .262
Bernadina, CF 3 0 0 0 1 1 1 .253
Morse, RF 3 0 0 0 1 1 1 .296
Harris, W, LF 4 0 0 0 0 1 3 .186
Ramos, W, C 4 0 1 0 0 1 0 .276
Hernandez, L, P 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 .158
a-Nieves, PH 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 .205
Stammen, P 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .237
b-Gonzalez, Al, PH 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 .270
Balester, P 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
Bisenius, P 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
c-Maxwell, PH 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .140
Totals 33 2 6 2 4 10 13 .255
a-Struck out for Hernandez, L in the 5th. b-Grounded into a forceout for Stammen in the 7th. c-Flied out for Bisenius in the 9th.
BATTING
2B: Bogusevic (2, Hernandez, L), Johnson, C (21, Hernandez, L).
HR: Quintero, H (4, 5th inning off Hernandez, L, 1 on, 0 out), Blum (2, 5th inning off Hernandez, L, 2 on, 2 out).
TB: Keppinger 2; Pence; Lee, C 2; Blum 4; Johnson, C 2; Bogusevic 3; Quintero, H 5.
RBI: Norris (2), Quintero, H 2 (17), Blum 3 (21).
2-out RBI: Blum 3.
Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Keppinger; Johnson, C 2.
S: Norris.
GIDP: Lee, C.
Team RISP: 5-for-11.
Team LOB: 5.

BATTING
2B: Dunn, A (36, Norris).
TB: Kennedy, A; Zimmerman, R 2; Dunn, A 2; Ramos, W; Hernandez, L.
RBI: Dunn, A 2 (95).
Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Harris, W; Dunn, A 2.
Team RISP: 2-for-5.
Team LOB: 8.

FIELDING
E: Dunn, A (11, throw), Harris, W (3, fielding), Bernadina (4, fielding).
DP: (Espinosa-Kennedy, A-Dunn, A).

Houston IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA
Norris(W, 9-8) 6.2 6 2 2 4 6 0 4.85
Byrdak 0.1 0 0 0 0 1 0 3.11
Fulchino 1.0 0 0 0 0 1 0 5.44
Abad 1.0 0 0 0 0 2 0 2.45
Totals 9.0 6 2 2 4 10 0 4.01
Washington IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA
Hernandez, L(L, 10-12) 5.0 8 8 4 0 5 2 3.75
Stammen 2.0 2 0 0 1 1 0 5.26
Balester 1.0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2.40
Bisenius 1.0 1 0 0 1 0 0 3.00
Totals 9.0 11 8 4 2 7 2 4.18
Pitches-strikes: Norris 112-68, Byrdak 3-3, Fulchino 8-7, Abad 21-13, Hernandez, L 73-50, Stammen 35-23, Balester 15-10, Bisenius 10-6.
Groundouts-flyouts: Norris 5-9, Byrdak 0-0, Fulchino 1-1, Abad 0-1, Hernandez, L 4-6, Stammen 3-2, Balester 2-0, Bisenius 2-0.
Batters faced: Norris 30, Byrdak 1, Fulchino 3, Abad 3, Hernandez, L 24, Stammen 9, Balester 3, Bisenius 4.
Inherited runners-scored: Byrdak 3-0.
Umpires: HP: Brian Gorman. 1B: Ted Barrett. 2B: Tony Randazzo. 3B: Paul Nauert.
Weather: 75 degrees, clear.
Wind: 13 mph, L to R.
T: 2:40.
Att: 10,999