Nationals’ 10th-inning walk-off loss to Padres is ‘hard to swallow’

The Nationals – three early, three up in the 10th inning, one stroke away from .500 and ultimately on the wrong side of an unlikely walk-off loss – fell victim to Profar’s hit that went out of Lane Thomas’ reach and over the wall ended up in right-midfield.

Hunter Harvey made no excuses after allowing four runs (including the ghost runner) in the 10th. But he did offer an explanation.

“We tried to get inside, got an early lead, but couldn’t put it away, and then I kind of gave him a gift by hanging up my splitter,” Harvey said. “I didn’t get it, I put it right where his bat path was, and he did what he had to do.”

Harvey was asked to leave the game after closer Kyle Finnegan was used in back-to-back games, including Saturday’s 8-7 walk-off loss to Colorado and Sunday’s 2-1 win there.

Before the Nationals (38-40) recorded their first out against the Padres (42-41) in the 10th on Monday, Harvey gave up a double, a two-RBI single and a walk. A sacrifice bunt put runners on second and third base and the Nationals led 6-5. Another pop-fly, which landed just out of reach of a fan in foul territory, found itself in the glove of third baseman Nick Senzel for the second out, before an intentional walk to Luis Arraez loaded the bases.

Just as Finnegan had done two nights earlier, Harvey got in two quick hits. Like Finnegan, he couldn’t close it. After six straight four-seams, the juiciest part of Profar’s bat met the first splitter he threw on the outside edge of the plate. Harvey walked down the hill and wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his palm. Not more than ten feet to his right stood Profar, his chest out and his arms wide toward a rugged Petco park.

“It’s definitely hard to swallow,” Nationals Manager Dave Martinez said. “These guys played hard. … We’ll continue to (play hard), we’ll win a lot of games.”

As has been the case all season, the Nationals had only an ounce of life left. With two outs in the top of the 10th, Keibert Ruiz hit a double that landed just a few feet inside the right field line for a lead. Nick Senzel then worked a 10-pitch at-bat before his two-run shot found the first row of seats in left field for a 6-3 lead.

It all happened on a night when left-hander Patrick Corbin endured a three-run third inning to trail 3-0, then retired 14 of the last 15 batters he faced to complete seven innings for the first time this season; and when Joey Meneses, who had hit a go-ahead single the day before, got an RBI hit in the third, fifth and seventh to tie the game.

“It’s baseball,” Senzel said. “This game is crazy. It’s a crazy game. … The last three games were exciting, different situations, hyper-competitive and intense. Yesterday we were on the good side, but tonight we were on the bad side.”

Remark: The Nationals recalled Harold Ramírez from Class AAA Rochester and selected third baseman Trey Lipscomb for Rochester in a corresponding move. Ramírez, who played 48 games for the Tampa Bay Rays this season before being designated for assignment, pinch-hit and went 0 for 2.