Abrams, Wood homer twice as Nationals beat Diamondbacks 10‑7
WASHINGTON (Interstat) — CJ Abrams homered twice, James Wood also hit two home runs and the Washington Nationals overcame a 4-2 deficit with a five-run fifth inning to beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 10-7 on Sunday afternoon at Nationals Park.
Abrams went 3 for 5 with two home runs and three RBIs, including a go-ahead two-run homer in the fifth that gave Washington a 6-4 lead. Wood finished 2 for 4 with two home runs and three RBIs, his second blast coming in the eighth inning to extend the lead. The Nationals improved to 54-52, while the Diamondbacks dropped to 55-51.
The game drew 21,341 fans and lasted 2 hours, 57 minutes.
Arizona struck first in the opening inning. Geraldo Perdomo walked and scored on Gabriel Moreno’s ground-rule double to left field for a 1-0 lead. The Diamondbacks added another run in the third when Perdomo led off with a solo home run to right, his eighth of the season, making it 2-1.
Washington tied it in the bottom of the third when Abrams hit a solo shot to center field, his 26th homer, after a review overturned the initial call. Arizona regained the lead in the fourth on Ketel Marte’s solo homer to center, his 19th, for a 3-2 advantage.
The Diamondbacks stretched the lead in the fifth. Corbin Carroll doubled and scored on a sacrifice fly by Moreno, increasing the margin to 4-2.
But the game turned in the bottom of the fifth. Nasim Nuñez walked, and Wood crushed a two-run homer to center, his 29th, tying the score 4-4. After Daylen Lile singled, Abrams followed with his second homer of the game, a two-run shot to center, giving Washington a 6-4 lead.
The Nationals added three more runs in the seventh. Dylan Crews singled, moved to second on a strikeout, and scored on Brady House’s double to center. Jacob Young doubled home House, and Luis García Jr. singled home Young on a play that included a throwing error by pitcher Brandyn Garcia. Washington led 9-4.
Arizona scratched out a run in the eighth on a sacrifice fly by Tyler Locklear, but Wood answered in the bottom half with his second homer of the day, a solo shot to left center, his 30th, making it 10-5.
The Diamondbacks mounted a rally in the ninth. Carroll walked, Perdomo walked and Moreno walked to load the bases. Ketel Marte forced out Perdomo at third, but Ryan Waldschmidt singled home Carroll, and Nolan Arenado grounded out to score Moreno, cutting the deficit to 10-7. But Nationals reliever Clayton Beeter got Locklear to ground out to second to end the game, earning his 10th save.
Riley Cornelio (2-1) earned the win with two innings of relief, allowing one earned run on one hit. Washington starter Miles Mikolas went four innings, giving up three earned runs on four hits with one strikeout. Max Kranick and Beeter each tossed a scoreless inning.
Jonathan Loáisiga (2-3) took the loss for Arizona, allowing four runs in the fifth inning.
Abrams continued his torrid series against Arizona. He went 3 for 4 with a home run and three RBIs in Saturday’s 5-3 win, had two hits in Friday’s 3-2 loss, and entered the game on a four-game hitting streak that included a two-homer, four-RBI performance at Colorado on July 21.
Gabriel Moreno drove in two runs for Arizona, going 2 for 3 with two doubles and a walk. Perdomo had a home run and a walk in two at-bats. Arizona outhit Washington 9-15 but left nine runners on base.
The Nationals will host the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday, while the Diamondbacks travel to Pittsburgh to face the Pirates.
Interstat’s game simulator projected a final score of Arizona 8, Washington 4. The ELO system gave Arizona a 52.60 percent probability to win. Arizona was a pregame favorite with a spread of minus 1.5. The total of 17 runs went under the over-under line of 10.