Mark Reynolds homers twice in Nationals debut; Nats beat D-backs, 6-4 for sweep of four-game set in Chase Field...

Mark Reynolds was drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 16th Round of the 2004 Draft, when current Washington Nationals’ GM Mike Rizzo was still the D-backs’ scouting director. Signed to a free agent deal in mid-April, and called up when Ryan Zimmerman landed on the DL this weekend, Reynolds debuted with his eighth major league team in tonight in the Nats’ series finale in Chase Field.

Reynolds homered twice, with the second home run a two-run blast in the eighth that put the Nationals back on top, 6-4, after Brandon Kintzler gave up three in the D-backs’ half of the seventh.

Hellboy vs D-backs: Jeremy Hellickson took a bid for a perfect game into the seventh inning of his last outing before tonight’s, retiring 18-straight San Diego Padres’ hitters to start what ended up being an impressive if not perfect outing on the road in Petco Park. He ended that night with a streak of 12 ¹⁄₃ scoreless innings going, over which he’d struck out 12, while he’d avoided walking anyone.

The last start was his longest yet, as Nats’ skipper Davey Martinez managed his innings early in his tenure with Washington after Hellickson signed late this Spring.

“We talked after his last start,” Martinez said, “and he actually told me, he said, ‘Hey, I’ll get it,’ and I told him, ‘I have no doubt, I know you will. I’ve seen you, I’ve been with your for a long time. I get it. You’re going to help us win a lot of games.’”

Hellickson earned his first win in five starts in the outing against the Padres, and he tried to make it two in a row in the finale with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Hellickson retired the first seven batters he faced, but a one-out single to left by Ketel Marte and a two-out, RBI triple to right by David Peralta got the D-backs on the board, down 2-1 in the home-half of the third inning.

A leadoff walk to Daniel Descalso (Hellickson’s first walk in 17+ innings) and a one-out single to center by A.J. Pollock set the D-backs up with another RBI opportunity in the fourth, but Steven Souza grounded into a force at second base for out No. 2, and Chris Owings sent a grounder back to the mound to end a 21-pitch frame.

A quick, 12-pitch, 1-2-3 fifth inning ended Hellickson’s outing.

Jeremy Hellickson’s Line: 5.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 Ks, 61 P, 43 S, 7/0 GO/FO.

Cleanliness next to Godleyness: When he faced the Washington Nationals in the nation’s capital late last month, D-backs’ righty Zack Godley gave up 10 hits, three walks, and four earned runs over five innings in what ended up a 5-4 win.

After taking on the LA Dodgers in back-to-back starts, he was back at it against the Nats in tonight’s series finale in Chase Field. He took the mound with a (4-2) record in seven starts with a 3.83 ERA, a 3.62 FIP, 18 walks (4.05 BB/9), 37 Ks (8.33 K/9), and a .260/.339/.367 line against in 40 IP on the year.

A leadoff walk to Trea Turner and a stolen base by the Nationals’ leadoff man, put a runner in scoring position early, and Howie Kendrick drove him in with an RBI single to right field on a 1-0 curve from Godley, 1-0.

Bryce Harper made it a 2-0 game with an absolute bomb of a one-out solo shot in the top of the third, crushing a 3-0 sinker from Godley and sending a no-doubter of a homer deep into the right field seats. No. 13 of 2018 for Harper.

Turner got Godley again, taking a 1-1 curve to left on a line for a solo home run to lead off the fifth and make it 3-1 Nationals, and Mark Reynolds hit the third homer of the game off the D-backs’ starter on a 2-1 curve in the first at bat of the sixth, 4-1.

Zack Godley’s Line: 6.1 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 6 Ks, 3 HRs, 103 P, 64 S, 8/0 GO/FO.

Turning It On: 24-year-old Nationals’ shortstop Trea Turner was 4 for 12 in the series and 21 for 62 (.339 AVG) over his last 17 games heading into the fourth of four in Chase Field, with three doubles, three home runs, 10 RBIs, 11 walks, and 14 runs scored over that stretch, and he walked and scored the first time up, then homered to left on a 1-1 curve in his third plate appearance, putting the Nats up 3-1 in the fifth with his 5th of 2018.

Reynolds In: Signed in mid-April, and called up over the weekend when Ryan Zimmerman went on the 10-Day with an oblique issue, Mark Reynolds made his Nationals debut in the series finale with the D-backs tonight. Coming off a .267/.352/.487, 22 double and 30 home run, 0.8 fWAR campaign in Colorado last season, Reynolds got off to a good start, singling through the left side in his first at bat in a Nats uniform.

With a runner in scoring position and two out in the third, Reynolds fell behind 0-2, took a curve in the dirt that allowed Matt Adams (who’d doubled) to take third, but popped up to third to end the inning. 1 for 2.

Reynolds hit a 2-1 curve from Godley out to left-center in the sixth, for his first of the season and the Nationals’ third home run of the game, 4-1. 2 for 3.

He did it again in the eighth, taking a 96 mph 3-2 fastball from Archie Bradley for a ride to center for a two-run blast that made it 6-4 Nationals.

BULLPEN ACTION: Sammy Solis took over for the Nationals in the sixth, and had an E:6 on a sharp grounder to short put the leadoff runner on. He struck Daniel Descalso out with a 1-2 fastball to get the first out before Davey Martinez went to the pen for Trevor Gott vs righty Paul Goldschmidt, who lined out to right for out No. 2. A misplay on a two-out grounder to short by A.J. Pollock put runners on the corners for Steven Souza, Jr., who K’d swinging at a high 96 mph 1-2 heater.

Jorge De La Rosa took over for Zack Godley with one out in the top of the seventh, and got two quick outs.

Brandon Kintzler got the bottom of the seventh for the Nats, and gave up a leadoff single to center by Chris Owings, a one-out double to by Ketel Marte, and a two-run single to center by Jarrod Dyson that made it a one-run game, 4-3 Nationals, and Daniel Descalso hit a 3-2 sinker to center to bring Dyson around and tie it up, 4-4.

Kintzler gave up just 11 hits and one run in his last 16 ²⁄₃ innings before tonight, but he got tagged for three on four hits in ²⁄₃ of an inning.

Archie Bradley gave up a leadoff single by Howie Kendrick, and a one-out, two-run homer to center by Mark Reynolds, who crushed a 96 mph 3-2 fastball and put the Nats back on top, 6-4.

Ryan Madson finished off the seventh and came back out with a 1-2-3 eighth.

Sean Doolittle got the ninth and locked down his ninth save in nine opportunities, working around a leadoff single for a scoreless frame, with help from a leaping Andrew Stevenson, who tracked down a hard-hit ball to left off John Ryan Murphy’s bat for the second out of the frame.

Ballgame.

Final Score: 6-4 Nationals

Nationals now 24-18