Rendon, Nationals roll over White Sox

[June 08, 2016]  CHICAGO -- Washington Nationals right fielder Bryce Harper never doubted that he and his teammates could erase a three-run deficit Tuesday night.

After all, one game earlier, the Nationals rallied back from a five-run deficit thanks to a high-powered lineup and a positive mindset.

"When we're down," Harper said, "we're never down."

The Nationals scored the final eight runs of the game to roll to a 10-5 win over the Chicago White Sox. Washington (35-23) won its second straight game and improved to 8-2 in interleague play.

Harper's two-run double in the fifth inning put Washington on top for good. The Nationals compiled 12 hits and six walks and scored double-digit runs for the second consecutive game.

"Good hitting breeds confidence, and confidence is spreading around," said Nationals manager Dusty Baker, whose team has won six of its past eight games. "We had some guys that had big nights tonight."

Harper provided the go-ahead hit and finished with three RBIs. His two-run double snapped a streak of 21 at-bats without an extra-base hit.

The bottom third of the Nationals lineup also thrived. From the No. 7 spot, Anthony Rendon went 3-for-5 with a double, a home run and three RBIs. Meanwhile, No. 9 hitter Michael Taylor finished 2-for-5 with a double and an RBI.

Jose Abreu and Todd Frazier drove in two runs apiece to lead the White Sox. Chicago (29-29) dropped its fourth consecutive game and fell for the 19th time in 25 contests.

"We have to keep battling," said White Sox right fielder Adam Eaton, who finished 0-for-2 with a pair of walks. "None of us is having fun right now. Baseball can be brutal at times."

Nationals reliever Blake Treinen (4-1) earned the victory after pitching three scoreless innings. Treinen replaced right-hander Joe Ross, who allowed five runs in four erratic innings.

White Sox right-hander Mat Latos (6-2) drew the loss after surrendering six runs in 4 1/3 innings. Latos gave up five hits, walked four and struck out one.

Latos riddled his postgame interview with expletives to describe his poor performance on the mound.

"I could care less about my ERA, strikeouts, you know, my own personal wins," Latos said. "The team gives you a lead like they did today, and to just flat-out blow it is absolutely pathetic. There's nothing I can do about it now. Just get better and make up for it."

The Nationals pulled away with four runs in the sixth inning to take a five-run lead. Ten batters hit during the inning, which included a two-run double by Taylor and a sacrifice fly by Harper.

In the fifth inning, the Nationals seized a 6-5 lead on a two-run double by Harper. He ripped a double over the head of center fielder Austin Jackson to score Ben Revere and Jayson Werth.

Although Harper's average is .249, he said he was seeing pitches well.

White Sox fan wears White Sox glasses during the game against the Washington Nationals at U.S. Cellular Field. Mandatory Credit: Caylor Arnold-USA TODAY Sports

"I have that confidence and the ability to know that I'm fine," Harper said. "I just go out there and do the things I can do to help this team win on any given night, whether that's in the outfield or on the basepaths or in the box.

"For the past month, I've been feeling good at the plate. Maybe the results haven't been there, but I've felt fine."

Chicago grabbed a 2-0 lead as Ross labored through a 39-pitch first inning. Abreu knocked a run-scoring single to left field after Ross issued back-to-back walks to start the game. Four batters later, Ross walked designated hitter J.B. Shuck with the bases loaded.

Washington evened the score at 2 in the second inning. Rendon hit an opposite-field double down the right-field line to score Daniel Murphy. Danny Espinosa then drove in Ryan Zimmerman with a groundout.

The White Sox regained a 5-2 lead in the bottom of the second inning. Abreu snapped the tie with a sacrifice fly. Frazier followed with a two-run shot to center field for his 19th home run.

Rendon answered with a two-run home run in the fourth inning to slice the deficit to 5-4.

NOTES: White Sox OF Melky Cabrera was reinstated from the family emergency leave list and batted fifth in the lineup Tuesday. ... Nationals 3B Ryan Zimmerman returned to the lineup after missing three games on paternity leave. ... White Sox RHP James Shields was added to the 25-man roster. Shields, 34, will make his team debut Wednesday. Chicago acquired Shields from San Diego on Saturday. ... Nationals manager Dusty Baker moved Jayson Werth to designated hitter to open the interleague series. ... The White Sox designated 1B/OF Jerry Sands for assignment. Sands, 28, hit .236 (13-for-55) with one home run and seven RBIs in 24 games. ... The White Sox optioned OF Jason Coats to Triple-A Charlotte.

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