The boys kept fighting, rallying from a 4-2 deficit to tie it at 4-4, then tying it up at 5-5 when they fell behind again in the series finale with the Arizona Diamondbacks in Chase Field, but they couldn’t come back after falling behind 7-5 in the seventh, and Washington’s Nationals lost a second straight game and the series to the D-backs after winning Friday’s opener.
Corbin vs the D-backs: Patrick Corbin was (56-54) with a 3.91 ERA, a 3.59 FIP, 271 walks, and 897 Ks in 172 games, 154 starts, and 945 2⁄3 IP for the D-backs between 2012-2018, before he signed with the Nationals this past winter, agreeing to 6-year/$140M free agent deal, and as he headed into his first start back in Arizona’s Chase Field, the 30-year-old left-hander was in the midst of an eight-outing unbeaten streak, over which he was (4-0) with a 1.76 ERA, 12 walks, 65 Ks, and a .217/.263/.304 line against in 51 IP.
Returning to the park he called home for six seasons this afternoon, Corbin got a 2-0 lead to work with in the top of the second, but gave up two walks, each of which were followed by doubles, with Adam Jones driving in one, and Nick Ahmed driving in two runs with two-base hits which put the Diamondbacks up by a run, 3-2.
For the 2nd straight day, @NickAhmed13 puts the #Dbacks in front. #SlickNick pic.twitter.com/pMAzGJC9tU
— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) August 4, 2019
Ketel Marte made it a 4-2 game with a liner to center in the first at bat of the D-backs’ third, making his way around the bases after Gerardo Parra dove for the ball and came up empty, turning it into an inside-the-park home run.
Corbin tossed scoreless innings in the fourth and fifth, as the Nationals rallied to tie it up at 4-4, but after grounding out with the bases loaded to end the top of the sixth inning, the left-hander returned to the mound and gave up back-to-back hits, a leadoff single to center by Christian Walker, and an RBI double to left by Adam Jones, whose 23rd two-base hit put the home team back on top, 5-4.
Christian Walker? More like Christian Runner!
— FOX Sports Arizona (@FOXSPORTSAZ) August 4, 2019
He scored on Adam Jones' RBI double as the @Dbacks re-take the lead! #RattleOn pic.twitter.com/V91XxYEyip
Jones took third on a groundout, and Corbin was lifted after a walk to Nick Ahmed put runners on the corners with one out..
Patrick Corbin’s Line: 5.1 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 3 BB, 5 Ks, 1 HR, 87 P, 55 S, 5/3 GO/FO.
Clarke vs the Nationals: Taylor Clarke, 26, and a 2015 D-backs’ 3rd Round pick, made his MLB debut back on April 20th, and heading into today’s series finale, the righty was on a five-start unbeaten streak, over which he was (3-0) with a 4.18 ERA, 10 walks, 17 Ks, and a .247/.327/.483 line against in 23 2⁄3 IP.
Clarke fell behind early, issuing a leadoff walk to Matt Adams in the first at bat of the top of the second, then giving up a one-out, two-run home run to right by Gerardo Parra on a center-cut 2-0 heater that ended up 10-15 rows back in the stands, 2-0. Parra’s 6th.
Brian Dozier took Clarke deep on a 95 MPH 2-2 fastball in the fourth, making it a one-run game after the D-backs went up 4-2 on the Nationals.
Clarke got two outs in the sixth, but with lefty Matt Adams (0 for 1, BB) due up, the D-backs went to the pen after 73 pitches from their starter...
Taylor Clarke’s Line: 5.2 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 3 Ks, 2 HRs, 73 P, 48 S, 4/4 GO/FO.
Tony, Tony, Tony: Anthony Rendon went into this afternoon’s game with hits in 20 of his last 23 games, over which the Nats’ 29-year-old third baseman was 31 for 87 (.356/.442/.598), with nine doubles, four home runs, 13 walks, and 11 Ks in 104 PAs over that stretch, which left him with a .317/.402/.611 line on the season heading into the series finale in Chase Field.
Rendon went 0 for 2 against starter Taylor Clarke, but he singled to left with Trea Turner on second in the seventh, driving in the tying run to make it a 5-5 game.
Rendon't sleep on today's #MLBTwitterHitter...
— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) August 4, 2019
Anthony Rendon comes up CLUTCH with a game-tying RBI single.
BOTTOM 7 // #Nats 5, Dbacks 5 pic.twitter.com/W34EEVtUy7
BULLPEN ACTION: Andrew Chafin came on to face Matt Adams in a two-out, lefty vs lefty matchup in the top of the sixth, and gave up a single to center on a 1-1 fastball, so the D-backs went to the pen again, bringing Yoan López on against Brian Dozier with a runner on first base and a one-run lead. Dozier lined a 2-0 fastball up in the zone to left for the second single of the inning, and Gerardo Parra took a walk to load the bases in front of catcher Yan Gomes, before a wild pitch allowed Adams to score from third and tie it up at 4-4.
Gomes got the intentionals to bring pitcher Patrick Corbin to the plate. Corbin grounded into a force at second to end the threat, however.
Daniel Hudson took over for Corbin with runners on first and third and one out in the sixth and struck Carson Kelly out and retired David Peralta to keep it a one-run game.
Yoshihisa Hirano came on in the top of the seventh, and gave up a leadoff single on a one-hop grounder to third off Trea Turner’s bat. Adam Eaton bunted Turner over to second and Anthony Rendon followed with a game-tying RBI single to left, 5-5. Juan Soto walked in the next at bat, putting two on with one out, but Hirano stranded both runners to keep it tied.
#SENDIT SUNDAY! pic.twitter.com/USk5uFiXvz
— Nationals on MASN (@masnNationals) August 4, 2019
Wander Suero hit Tin Locastro and gave up a single by Ketel Marte (3 for 4), setting Eduardo Escobar up with an RBI opportunity. Escobar hit a fly to center that allowed Locastro to take third. Suero struck Christian Walker out for out No. 2, but Adam Jones lined an 0-1 cutter to right field for a two-run single and a 7-5 lead.
Archie Bradley worked around a two-out single by Andrew Stevenson for a scoreless top of the eighth.
Hunter Strickland worked around a two-out walk to keep it a two-run game.
Bradley returned to the mound in the ninth and retired the side in order with help from a diving Eduardo Escobar at third on a liner that was headed for foul territory for out No. 2.
Final score: 7-5 D-backs.
Nationals now 58-53