[April 24, 2014]WASHINGTON — Pulling out
come-from-behind victories is nothing new for the Washington Nationals
this season, but this one might be the best thus far.
Trailing by three heading into the bottom of the ninth and
looking at a three-game sweep, the Nationals rallied for four runs
against Los Angeles' beleaguered bullpen to earn a shocking 5-4
victory Wednesday, Washington's seventh come-from-behind win this
year.
"I've played on teams where it's just a feeling — you can't really
explain it," Washington right fielder Jayson Werth said. "There's
confidence there. You never feel out. I feel it on this team, for
sure."
After center fielder Mike Trout's ninth-inning single gave the
Angels a three-run advantage with just three outs to go, one might
have thought the Nationals' confidence would be at its nadir.
But closer Ernesto Frieri imploded, giving up a solo home run to
Jose Lobaton to open the bottom of the ninth.
"They keep fighting. All the way through," Washington manager Matt
Williams said.
That seemed to open the floodgates. After striking out pinch hitter
Zach Walters, Frieri gave up a single to center fielder Denard Span
and a walk to third baseman Anthony Rendon. Werth then doubled down
the line on a 3-0 pitch, the carom off the side wall allowing Rendon
to score from first to tie the score at 4-4.
"It's one of those situations where if I hit into a double play
there, it's probably the worst play you've ever seen, but if you get
a hit it's the best," Werth said. "I'm glad it worked out."
Angels manager Mike Scioscia pulled Frieri (0-2), replacing him with
Fernando Salas. But first baseman Adam LaRoche served his first
pitch to the left-center gap as the Nationals poured out of the
dugout to celebrate an unlikely victory.
"That was a big win, needless to say," LaRoche said. "We needed that
one."
It was a crushing loss for the Angels and Frieri, whose ERA
ballooned to 9.35 after another rough outing.
"The bottom line is making pitches," Scioscia said. "The inability
to do that can come from a lot of causes: confidence, mechanics,
stuff. With Ernie, he's confident and he's always turning the ball
loose, but right now he's got to be able to get that fastball into
better zones to put guys away."
After meeting with reporters, Scioscia went into the clubhouse to
give Frieri a pat on the back and some kind words, but Angels
starter Jered Weaver wasn't quite so charitable.
"What do you want me to say?" he said when asked if he had spoken to
his closer. "He's a grown man. ... There's no need to pat him on the
butt."
Trailing 1-0 in a pitcher's duel between Gio Gonzalez and Weaver,
the Angels opened the sixth with a walk by Trout. With Trout
breaking for second, first baseman Albert Pujols hammered a ball
down the left-field line and the speedy Trout just beat the throw
from left fielder Bryce Harper to tie the score. It was Pujols' 19th
RBI in 14 games.
One batter later, shortstop Erick Aybar followed with an RBI single
off reliever Aaron Barrett to score Pujols and give Los Angeles a
2-1 advantage. Third baseman David Freese broke an 0-for-13 skid
with a double in the seventh for the Angels, and he later scored on
a wild pitch to seemingly provide an insurance run.
The Nationals had lost five straight games to Los Angeles and were
staring at a 2-5 start to their season-long 11-game homestand before
the late-inning heroics. Washington now has four last-at-bat
victories this season.
"You don't ever want to get swept, especially at home," LaRoche
said. "To end the series with at least one is nice for us."
Weaver went six solid innings, scattering seven hits while striking
out two. Gonzalez had a brief five-plus innings of work despite
tossing just 83 pitches. Williams said his starter had a tight
shoulder, but Gonzalez said he was fine.
The Nationals manufactured a run in the second, with second baseman
Danny Espinosa reaching on an infield single, stealing second and
moving to third on a groundout, setting the stage for Gonzalez to
help his own cause. The pitcher blooped a single over short for his
second hit and RBI of the season to give Washington a 1-0 edge.
NOTES: After 1B Albert Pujols hit his 500th home run on Tuesday, he
said he got just three or four hours of sleep while receiving
congratulatory calls and texts from friends and family, including
Boston Red Sox DH David Ortiz. He added that his family, not the
Hall of Fame, will get the first crack at his souvenirs from the
historic game. ... Washington manager Matt Williams admitted his
team isn't quite as sharp as he'd like, even as it hovers around
.500. "I don't think we've put it together yet," he said. ... The
Angels have an off-day Thursday before starting a three-game set in
New York. The Nationals host a four-game series against San Diego
starting Thursday.
Trailing by three heading into the bottom of the ninth and
looking at a three-game sweep, the Nationals rallied for four runs
against Los Angeles' beleaguered bullpen to earn a shocking 5-4
victory Wednesday, Washington's seventh come-from-behind win this
year.
