The arrival of Anthony Rizzo might have overshadowed the Padres offensive shortcomings as the dropped the series to the Nationals, losing three of four. Rizzo reached base every game and looked fantastic both at the plate and in the field. He put collected three hits in ten at-bats including a double, triple, and homerun. He also displayed patience in the plate, walking five times and was hit by a pitch.

The Padres however were unable to get the key hit this series. They came up empty with the bases loaded in each of their losses where a hit could have been the difference of the game. The three losses also made their longest homestand of the year an unsuccessful one, having won only five of the 11 games played.

Below is a game by game recap of the Padres four game stand against Washington.

June 9^th, 2011 Padres 7, Nationals 3

WP Aaron Harang (7-2) 6IP 6H 2R 2ER 3BB 4K 0HR

LP Livan Hernandez (3-8) 5.1IP 9H 6R 6ER 1BB 4K 1HR

Padres’ top prospect Anthony Rizzo made his major-league debut amongst a lot of hype and did not disappoint. After taking a called third strike on a ball that appeared inside in his first big-league at-bat, Rizzo reached base every other time. Rizzo finished the day one-for-two, with a pair a walks. He tripled of the Geico sign on the Padres’ bullpen wall in deep left-center for his first big-league hit.

The Padres jumped to an early lead in the bottom of the first. Chris Denorfia singled but then was picked off. Jason Barlett followed with a single of his own and then scored when Chase Headley deposited the ball over the wall 382 feet from the plate to put the Friars up 2-0.

Washington answered back by loading the bases with no outs in the top of the second. But Aaron Harang only surrendered a sacrifice fly to Alex Cora, getting Livan Hernandez and Rick Ankiel to make outs to end the inning.

Rizzo led off the fifth inning with a triple but was almost stranded there until Chris Denorfia’s two out single up the middle, allowing Rizzo to score his first run.

Michael Morse brought the Nationals within a run with an RBI single to shallow center scoring Jayson Werth. Werth had singled and stole second to get in scoring position.

The Padres added on with consecutive singles by Headley, Ryan Ludwick, and Brad Hawpe, scoring Headley. Kyle Phillips also collected n RBI with a bases loaded walk before Nick Hundley scored on Logan Forsythe’s sacrifice fly.

The Padres had a chance to blow it open with the Rizzo up with the bases juiced with two out in the seventh, but Henry Rodriguez threw a wild pitch allowing all runners to advance before he walked Rizzo. Will Venable struck out to end the inning in his first at-bat since being called up from Triple-A Tucson.

Pat Neshek gave up a homer to pinch-hitter Wilson Ramos in the back of the Padres’ bullpen to end the scoring at 7-3.

June 10^th, 2011 Nationals 2, Padres 1

WP Jason Marquis (7-2) 6IP 3H 1R 1ER 3BB 5K 0HR

LP Mat Latos (4-7) 6IP 4H 2R 2ER 2BB 6K 1HR

S Drew Storen (13) 1IP 1H 0R 0ER 1BB 1K 0HR

Michael Morse homered in the second and Jason Marquis pitched out of trouble giving the Nationals a 2-1 win over the Padres on Friday Night.

Latos pitched good enough to win, having only thrown one bad pitch on a 1-2 count to Michael Morse who roped it 427’ into left field to put Washington up 2-0. Latos struck out six Nationals while only walking two. It was his first loss in four starts.

Marquis got into a little bit a trouble in the sixth, having walked Ryan Ludwick with the bases loaded to bring up Padre phenom Anthony Rizzo with one out. But Rizzo struck out swinging on a changeup. Marquis then induced a groundout by Jorge Cantu to limit the damage at one run.

Drew Storen walked Rizzo to start the ninth but Cantu grounded into a double play. Kyle Phillips then had a pinch hit single but Nick Hundley struck out looking to end the game.

 June 11^th, 2011 Nationals 2, Padres 1

WP John Lannan (4-5) 6.1IP 6H 1R 1ER 2BB 1K 1HR

LP Clayton Richard (2-8) 7IP 5H 2R 2ER 0BB 1K 0HR

S Drew Storen (14) 1IP 0H 0R 0ER 1BB 2K 0HR

The Padres and Nationals both wore uniforms from 1936 to celebrate 75 years of baseball in San Diego. The Friars were dressed as the Pacific Coast League Padres and Washington as the 1936 Senators, for the early evening game on Saturday.

The Nationals jumped to an early lead in the first when Ian Desmond hit a one out single and then scored on a double by David Espinosa. After Espinosa stole third, Clayton Richard struck out Mike Morse. But catcher Wilson Ramos hit a ball up the middle just a couple inches from the glove of Richard to score Espinosa and put the Nationals up 2-0.

With one out in the bottom of the second, Anthony Rizzo hit the first pitch he saw into the right-centerfield stands to cut the lead in half. It was his first big-league homerun and RBI. Rizzo went two-for-four with a double also.

Ryan Ludwick appeared to have tied the game, hitting the ball off the corner of the Western Metal Supply Building. But Jim Riggleman call for the replay and replay showed that the ball was in fact foul by a couple inches.

The Padres had an opportunity in the ninth with the bases loaded but Brad Hawpe grounded out, stranding all three runners.

Drew Storen was able to record his second consecutive save in as many days. Both on a called third strike, this time with Chris Denorfia with the bat on his shoulder.

June 12^th, 2011 Nationals 2, Padres 0

WP Todd Coffey (2-0) 1IP 0H 0R 0ER 0BB 1K 0HR

LP Heath Bell (2-3) 1IP 3H 2R 2ER 1BB 0K 0HR

S Drew Storen (15) 1IP 1H 0R 0ER 0BB 0K 0HR

Heath Bell gave up two runs in the top of the ninth, losing to the Nationals 2-0. Bell loade the bases with one out in the ninth when Davis Espinosa hit a tailing line drive to right field that was caught by a leaping Chris Denorfia, as his back crashed into the padding of the Petco Porch. Denorfia got the ball in quickly and got Alex Cora in a rundown as Brian Bixler scored. But Cora slipped by a diving Chase Headley to reach third safely, prompting an argument by Headley before time had been called. With Cora ruled safe the inning continued and Lance Nix added an insurance run with a single to right field.

Tim Stauffer continually pitched out of trouble, but never gave up a run in seven strong innings, allowing only five hits and three walks.

He loaded the bases in the first on a walk, single and hit batsman with just one out. But Stauffer got Wilson Ramos to hit a comebacker to the mound. Stauffer threw home to start the 1-2-3 double play to eescape the inning. Stauffer got out of jams in the second, fifth, sixth and seven innings as well.

Mike Adams got into a bit of trouble as well when Lance Nix doubled to lead off the inning. He advanced to third on a fielder’s choice before he was thrown out on Wilson Ramos’s grounder to right.

Bell loaded the bases with one out before Espinosa’s sac fly. Cora then scored on Lance Nix’s two out single to put Washington up 2-0.

Drew Storen picked up another save even though he gave up a leadoff single to Denorfia. Denorfia advanced to second when Ryan Ludwick was thrown out on a great play by Jerry Hairton Jr., fielding a groundball on the third baseline barehanded and making an off-balanced throw to nail Ludwick at first base.

Storen then got Anthony Rizzo to pop-up before Hundley grounded out to the pitcher to end the game.