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GAME IN A NUTSHELL: The Nationals showed up at Turner Field on Monday, hoping a change of scenery would be the impetus for a change of fortunes. Instead, they dug themselves into an even deeper hole with another ugly performance that extended their losing streak to six games and may have cost them their starting third baseman.
Doug Fister was shaky over 5 2/3 innings, giving up 10 hits and committing two costly errors on pickoff attempts. One of those errors set up a play in which Andrelton Simmons slid hard into third base and injured Yunel Escobar’s left hand, knocking Escobar out of the game and perhaps leading to hot tempers later when Nationals reliever Rafael Martin hit Simmons in the back with his first pitch out of the bullpen.