Washington Nationals pitcher John Lannan had his worst outing of the year (and one of the worst of his career), as the Detroit Tigers mauled the lefty in securing a 7-4 victory in Detroit. Lannan gave up ten hits in just over four innings, while walking four and giving up one home run. The problem seemed to be with Lannan’s sinker — which didn’t sink, a requirement that Nats skipper Jim Riggleman noted after the game.”It’s not just about keeping the ball down but you want to do so with [movement],” Riggleman said. “You want the ball still sinking because that gets hitters to pound the ball into the ground. When [Lannan] does that he is very effective. Today the ball wasn’t sinking. Right now he’s searching, [Washington pitching coach] Steve [McCatty] is searching. He’s a very good pitcher, but right now he’s being tested.” But Riggleman — and team — seem committed to Lannan, who was Washington’s best starter in 2009 (and whose effectiveness sparked interest from other MLB teams during the off-season. “John needs to get that sinker back and when he does he will be alright,” Nats’ catcher Ivan Rodriguez said. “When you’re down in this game, you have to work extra hard to get back on top.”