|
 LaRoche hit the first walk-off homer of his career, a solo shot
that came with two outs in the bottom of the 11th inning, giving the
Washington Nationals their seventh consecutive victory, a 5-4
decision over the Arizona Diamondbacks in the opener of a four-game
series.
In addition to a seventh straight victory, the Nationals (70-53)
scored a third consecutive walk-off win. Washington kept its
six-game lead over Atlanta in the National League East as the Braves
also won Monday.
LaRoche admitted afterward that he had wondered whether he would
ever get a walk-off. After all, the first baseman now is in his 11th
season. But Arizona right-hander Will Harris (0-3), called up
earlier in the day, surprised LaRoche with a 3-1 curveball that the
veteran crushed.
"I got every bit of that one," LaRoche said with a smile. "Nice to
get my first [walk-off]. Took me long enough. It was a good
feeling."
LaRoche and the Nationals almost didn't get that feeling because in
the top of the 11th, the D-backs (53-72) loaded the bases with no
outs before right-hander Craig Stammen (3-4) struck out third
baseman Jake Lamb and shortstop Didi Gregorius and then got pinch
hitter Cliff Pennington on a grounder to second.
"I just made good pitches, and they didn't hit them," Stammen said.
"I got lucky. Obviously, the cards were stacked against me, and
there was only a certain way I was going to get out of it, and . . .
that's the way it went."
Gregorius made some nice plays on defense and hit a two-run homer
earlier but was frustrated at his strikeout in the 11th.
"We had bases loaded," Gregorius said. "We missed our opportunity...
me striking out instead of putting the ball in play. It wasn't fun."
The Nationals have had the fun during the walk-off part of their
winning streak. They rallied from a three-run deficit to beat
Pittsburgh 4-3 on Saturday.
On Sunday, the Pirates scored three in the ninth for a 5-4 lead
before the Nationals forced extra innings and won it 6-5 in the
11th.
"It's part of the game; it just happens sometimes," Washington
manager Matt Williams said. "You never want it by any means, but if
you are given the situation you have one choice, you can give up or
you can fight, and these guys fight so that's great."
The Diamondbacks forced extra innings on Monday when Nationals
right-hander Tyler Clippard couldn't protect a 4-3 lead in the
ninth. Closer Rafael Soriano has been used a lot lately, so Williams
wanted Clippard to try for his second save. It didn't happen because
right fielder David Peralta led off with a homer to right, tying the
score at 4-4.
The offenses were quiet for the first six innings until Washington
catcher Wilson Ramos (2-for-4) hit a two-run homer off Arizona
starter Vidal Nuno in the seventh for a 2-1 lead.
Gregorius then lined a two-run homer to right field in the top of
the eighth. That ended Washington starter Jordan Zimmermann's night
and gave Arizona a 3-2 lead.
[to top of second column] |
The Nationals scored twice in the eighth against right-hander Brad
Ziegler. Third baseman Anthony Rendon tied it with an RBI triple, and
right fielder Jayson Werth put the Nationals up 4-3 with a sacrifice
fly.
Neither team did much in the early going. The Nationals stopped two
potential Arizona rallies by turning double plays to end the first and
third innings -- the latter coming when Nuno tried to sacrifice, and
Washington turned it into a 5-6-4 twin killing.
The D-backs finally broke through in the top of the fifth. Left fielder
Mark Trumbo (walk) and catcher Miguel Montero (single) reached to put
runners on first and second with no outs.
They both moved up on first baseman Jordan Pacheco's sacrifice, and
Trumbo scored on Lamb's sacrifice fly to deep center for the game's
first run.
Zimmermann pitched seven innings of three-run ball, while Nuno allowed
two runs in seven innings.
Montero finished 3-for-4, and Gregorius contributed two hits for
Arizona, which suffered another frustrating loss.
"It was a good game," Arizona manager Kirk Gibson said. "We just didn't
come out on top."
NOTES: RF Jayson Werth returned to the Washington starting lineup for
the first time since Aug. 7. He was sidelined, except for brief
appearances in three games, by a sprained AC joint in his right
shoulder. Werth walked and doubled after coming in late during Sunday's
6-5 victory over the Pirates. ...The Nationals signed OF Nate
Schierholtz to a minor league contract and assigned him to Triple-A
Syracuse. Schierholtz has played 776 games in the major leagues with the
Cubs, Phillies and Giants and is a good pinch hitter (.289 average in
166 career at-bats there). ... The Diamondbacks brought up RHP Will
Harris from Triple-A Reno before the game. He was 0-2 with a 9.24 ERA in
12 games with Arizona earlier this season. To make room for Harris, the
D-backs optioned RHP Bradin Hagens back to Triple-A Reno. Hagens pitched
in his first two major league games recently and had an 0-1 record with
a 3.38 ERA
[© 2014 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
Copyright 2014 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
 |
