By the time Zack Littell walked off the mound at Nationals Park after the fourth inning Friday, head hung low and shoulders slumped, the damage had already been done.
The veteran right-hander allowed eight runs on 11 hits, putting the Washington Nationals in a hole they couldn’t climb out of as the San Francisco Giants took the opener of the three-game series, 10-5. After a 5-2 road trip with a sweep of the Milwaukee Brewers and a split with the Pittsburgh Pirates, the Nationals (9-11) began their homestand by once again having to confront their pitching woes.