|
 The Arizona Diamondbacks manager responded by holding a meeting with
his team before Monday's game at Nationals Park to reinforce that
message.
How did he feel about that energy after the Diamondbacks hit four
homers and weathered a four-run Washington rally in the ninth to
beat the Nationals 6-4?
"It was excellent," said Hale, with a smile. "We came out and swung
the bats. We always hustle."
The Diamondbacks got another strong start from rookie Zack Godley,
who pitched six shutout innings, while shortstop Nick Ahmed had four
hits and one of the four homers.
"Zack gave us a big lift," Hale said of Godley, who became the third
Arizona pitcher to win each of his first three major league starts.
Godley (3-0) gave up just three singles and two walks while striking
out six. He was efficient and effectively wild, as he threw just 83
pitches, 48 for strikes.
"I felt really good," he said. "I was locating pitches really good
and let the defense work."
Since the All-Star break, the Nationals have faced aces such as
Clayton Kershaw, Zack Greinke, Matt Harvey and Gerrit Cole. On
Monday, they couldn't score against a pitcher in his third major
league game.
"It doesn't matter," said Washington manager Matt Williams, noting
Godley is unbeaten.
Arizona (51-53) won for the eighth time in 11 games while Washington
(54-50), in its first home game since July 22, lost its fourth game
in a row. When the Mets beat the Miami Marlins 12-1 later Monday,
the Nationals fell out of first place in the National League East
for the first time since June 19.
"These guys keep fighting," Fister said of his teammates, whose
four-run rally in the ninth fell short. "That is what this game is
all about."
After Godley exited, Diamondbacks reliever Addison Reed pitched two
scoreless innings before Virginia native Daniel Hudson started the
ninth. Hudson gave up a solo homer to first baseman Ryan Zimmerman,
an RBI single by catcher Wilson Ramos and a two-run double to center
fielder Michael A. Taylor before closer Brad Ziegler came on to face
pinch hitter Jayson Werth with one out, Taylor on second and the
score 6-4.
Hale noted the ground single by Ramos up the middle could have been
a possible double play to end the game.
"There were a lot of balls that found holes," Hale said of the
outing by Hudson. "He was throwing strikes and getting groundballs.
It was just tough luck."
Ziegler got Werth on a grounder and retired third baseman Yunel
Escobar for the final out on a foul fly ball to left for his 19th
save.
"He did a great job," Hale said of Ziegler, noting the movement on
his sidearm offerings.
Washington starter Doug Fister, who has not won at home since June
25, yielded five runs and eight hits in six innings. Fister (4-7)
gave up a season-high three homers.
[to top of second column] |
"These guys are good hitters. I have to respect that," said Fister,
whose ERA rose to 4.60.
"We were able to get the ball up," Hale said of hitting against
sinkerballer Fister.
The Diamondbacks got a solo shot by third baseman Jake Lamb in the
ninth that upped the margin to 6-0. It was the fourth homer of the
season for Lamb, who had two hits on the night.
Arizona left fielder David Peralta added two hits, including a
homer.
The Nationals were swept in a three-game weekend series in New York
against the Mets, then fell Monday in the opener of a seven-game
homestand that precedes a three-city, West Coast trip.
Center fielder A.J. Pollock had a sacrifice fly in the fifth to give
the Diamondbacks a 5-0 lead.
The Diamondbacks scored three runs in the fourth against Fister, as
Peralta hit a two-run homer -- his 10th of the year -- and catcher
Welington Castillo followed with a solo shot two pitches later to
make it 4-0. It was the 12th homer of the year for Castillo.
For the second day in a row, a Washington starting pitcher allowed
back-to-back homers. Jordan Zimmermann gave up long balls Sunday in
New York against the Mets' Curtis Granderson and Daniel Murphy on
back-to-back pitches.
Ahmed gave his team a 1-0 with a solo homer in the third. Ahmed
entered the game hitting .188 against righties and .324 against
left-handers. However, his seventh homer of the season, on a 3-1
pitch from Fister, was his fifth of the season against a
right-hander.
NOTES: Washington RHP Max Scherzer (11-8, 2.22 ERA) will start
Tuesday against Arizona LHP Patrick Corbin (2-3, 3.21 ERA). ...
Nationals manager Matt Williams, a former Diamondbacks third
baseman, was on the Arizona coaching staff during the 2013 season
before he got the head job in Washington. ... Arizona CF A.J.
Pollock was in the starting lineup and hitting second after sitting
out Saturday and Sunday with soft tissue soreness in his left knee.
... Arizona assistant GM Bryan Minniti was part of the Washington
front office through the end of the 2014 season. He made the trip
with the Diamondbacks to the nation's capital.
[© 2015 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
Copyright 2015 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. |
