PHOENIX -- Archie Bradley didn't possess any of the necessary traits the D-backs want their starters to have in Monday night's 14-1 loss to the Nationals.
"He just didn't have it tonight -- location, getting ahead in the count, all the things that we teach," Arizona manager Chip Hale said.
Washington knocked around Bradley for 3 1/3 innings, saddling the D-backs right-hander with his shortest outing of the season. He set career-highs in runs (eight), earned runs (seven) and hits (12) allowed. Every starter in the Nationals' lineup got a hit off Bradley before he exited the game -- even opposing starter Stephen Strasburg, who finished the night with a trio of singles.
Bradley said he doesn't know what went wrong. But he certainly didn't look like the starter that Hale lauded numerous times during July for giving the club solid outings consistently.
Over his four prior starts, Bradley had pitched to a 2.63 ERA, allowing just seven earned runs over 24 innings. He matched that number on Monday night.
Bradley said he felt good when he was warming up. Perhaps too good.
"It kind of scared me, just because I was throwing the ball where I wanted to in the 'pen every time, which is what you want, but it just didn't translate," Bradley said. "I like a little wildness, a little ineffectiveness in the 'pen, and sometimes it works out for you."
The Nationals scored four runs on five hits in the first, sending 10 batters to the plate. Bradley gave up an RBI sacrifice fly to Anthony Rendon, then consecutive RBI singles to Wilson Ramos, Clint Robinson, and Danny Espinosa.
Rendon drove in another pair of runs in the second with a double. Bradley was chased with one out in the fourth after giving up three straight singles.
"What it comes down to is just a bad outing," Bradley said. "I made too many bad pitches and they capitalized. It's a good hitting team and they did what they're supposed to with balls over the plate."