Turner benched after lack of hustle

MILWAUKEE — A few hours after he was named the Nationals’ 2018 Heart and Hustle Award winner, Trea Turner was officially out of the lineup.

Manager Dave Martinez benched Turner after he bunted in Monday night’s loss, then walked out of the batter’s box and tossed his batting gloves away. He probably would have been out if he had run. But as Turner put it later, “I probably should have run to first.”

Martinez agreed, and said that he was so surprised by Turner’s reaction that he figured he must have fouled the bunt off his foot.

“I was like, why would he walk off the field?” Martinez asked. When he learned that Turner had simply figured he would be out anyway, Martinez said, “We’re trying to win a ballgame. There’s a good chance he won’t play tomorrow.”

Turner did not start Tuesday against the Brewers as Wilmer Difo took Turner’s place. Outfielder Bryce Harper also was out of the lineup with a stomach bug.

Martinez has not benched a player for any known reason this season. When Harper failed to run out a double play ball just before the All-Star break, Mar- tinez said he spoke to him about the play but did not bench him.

When Pedro Severino flipped his bat after a home run in a blowout a week or so before that, Martinez made his displeasure known to the media. Severino was sent down a day later, though performance dictated that move.

Still, the Turner play highlights another aspect of Martinez’s growth as a rookie manager, and another example of how this team continues to test him. He has had to answer the critiques of his relievers, defend his sometimes-sulking superstar, and manage a flurry of injuries that poked holes in the lineup. 1962: The Cardinals’ Stan Musial became the all-time RBI leader in the NL. His two-run home run, in a 5-2 loss to the Dodgers,gave him 1,862 RBIs, passing Mel Ott.

2015: The Phillies’ Cole Hamels became the first pitcher to no-hit the Cubs in 50 years. On the final play, rookie center fielder Odubel Herrera stumbled on the warning track but leaned forward to catch Kris Bryant’s fly to end the 5-0 victory. Hamels struck out 13 in the first nohitter against the Cubs since Sandy Koufax’s perfect game in 1965.