Six lead changes and a fifth inning that swung the game were enough to define this one. The Washington Nationals outlasted the Arizona Diamondbacks 10-7, turning a tied game into a decisive edge with a four-run fifth and never letting go.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ARI | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 1 |
| WSH | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 1 | X | 10 | 15 | 0 |
James Wood was the biggest bat in the yard. He went 2-for-4 with two home runs, three RBI and a walk, both blasts landing in the middle of Washington's breakout innings. He scored twice himself, part of an offense that piled up 15 hits on the night. C. J. Abrams matched him blow for blow, going 3-for-5 with two homers of his own and three RBI, including the swing that put Washington in front for good.
The turning point came in the fifth. With the score tied at 4-4 after Wood's two-run homer off Jonathan Loaisiga had erased an Arizona lead moments earlier, Abrams answered with a two-run homer to center, scoring Lile and making it 6-4 in what stands as the game's decisive go-ahead swing. Washington kept pressing from there, breaking things open further in the seventh when Brady House doubled home Crews, Jacob Young doubled in House, and Luis Garcia reached on an infield single as Young scored on a throwing error by pitcher Garcia, pushing the lead to 9-4.
Arizona never stopped scoring, but never caught up. Gerardo Perdomo opened the game with a solo homer, Ketel Marte added one of his own in the fourth, and Gabriel Moreno drove in two runs including a sacrifice fly. Arizona starter Kohl Drake lasted 4.0 innings, allowing 4 runs on 5 hits, and reliever Jonathan Loaisiga took the loss after allowing 2 runs on 2 hits in 1.0 inning. The Diamondbacks scored two more in the ninth on a Waldschmidt single and an Arenado groundout, but the deficit was too much, falling 10-7.
Washington starter Miles Mikolas went 4.0 innings and allowed 3 runs, with Riley Cornelio picking up the win after 2.0 innings of 1-run ball, and Clayton Beeter closing it out for his 10th save of the season. The Nationals improved to 54-52, riding a two-game winning streak, while Arizona fell to 55-51 with its second straight loss.