WASHINGTON _ This one was potentially devastating.
And for far more than the loss of a giant lead and a game in the 11th inning.
An inning before Matt Adams' home run gave the Nationals a 7-6 walk-off victory, Padres rookie shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. walked off the field after suffering an apparent groin injury making a stretch that would test an Olympic gymnast trying to get a force out at second base.
Tatis, the Padres' leader in many offensive categories, immediately fell to the ground as manager Andy Green and athletic trainer Mark Rogow sprinted from the dugout. After laying on his stomach for a couple minutes, Tatis walked gingerly to the dugout.
Francisco Mejia entered the game to play left field for the first time in the majors. Wil Myers moved from left to third base, and Manny Machado moved to shortstop.
Wilmer Difo had lined a single to right field leading off the 10th and gone to second on Victor Robles' grounder to Padres reliever Matt Wisler on the fateful play in which the pitcher threw high to Tatis trying to force Difo.
Wisler then got the Nationals 2-3-4 hitters, the last of them when Machado made a diving stop, spun and threw out Howie Kendrick to strand the Difo at third.
What seemed like it would the Padres' day to accomplish some rare feats ended instead in a defeat that seemed secondary to the loss of Tatis.
This one was wild.
By Sunday's second inning, the Padres had more runs off Jeremy Hellickson than they did in two games (12 innings) against the Nationals starter last season.
When Hellickson departed after three innings, he had allowed six runs.
Then Padres starter Joey Lucchesi gave away two-thirds of the 6-0 lead in the third inning and another run on his second pitch of the fourth inning.
Another homer, this one off reliever Adam Warren, completed the Nationals' run all the way back in the fifth.
The loss meant the Padres were unable to complete their first sweep in the nation's capital since 2008 and their first sweep of any road series longer than two games since 2016.
They head to Atlanta for the final four games of this weeklong trip with a 16-12 record, their best mark after the first 28 games of a season since being 17-11 in 2010.
They could have matched that mark had they been able to win a sixth straight game on Sunday, which would have been their longest winning streak since 2013.
