Washington Nationals avoid sweep with 4-3 win over Arizona Diamondbacks in finale in Chase Field...

Fedde vs the D-backs:

Subtract the eight runs in three innings Erick Fedde gave up in his outing against Atlanta in Truist Park two starts back, and the Nationals’ 29-year-old, 2014 1st Round pick has a solid 3.24 ERA in his other six outings going back to June 10th, with three earned runs or fewer allowed in each those turns in Washington’s rotation.

He bounced back from the rough start against the Braves with a 5 ¹⁄₃-inning, 85-pitch outing against Seattle in which he gave up six hits, three walks, and two earned runs.

This afternoon in Arizona’s Chase Field, Fedde fell behind early, with help from his defense.

Josh Rojas and Alek Thomas hit back-to-back singles to start the series finale, and with Nats’ center fielder Victor Robles firing an ill-advised throw to third base on the play, Thomas was able to take second, while Rojas got to third safely, and a sac fly by Ketel Marte put the D-backs up 1-0 early. Thomas took third on a wild pitch from the Nationals’ starter, then he scored on a two-out hit by Daulton Varsho, 2-0.

Marte doubled to center with one out in the D-backs’ third, and took third on a single up the middle by Christian Walker, but Fedde got a 4-6-3 DP out of David Peralta to bring an abrupt end to a 15-pitch third.

Fedde issued leadoff and two-out walks to Varsho and Jose Herrera in the home-half of the fourth, and Josh Rojas made him pay for the free passes with a two-out RBI single to right field which put the D-backs up 3-1, a half-inning after the Nationals got on the board.

A two-out double and an E:9 on Juan Soto’s misplay off the center field wall on the hit, put David Peralta on third base with two down in the D-backs’ fifth, and a walk to Varsho ended a 97-pitch outing for Fedde, who was replaced on the mound by righty Jordan Weems...

Erick Fedde’s Line: 4.2 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 4 BB, 3 Ks, 99 P, 58 S, 5/1 GO/FO.

Martin, Corbin, Martin:

A 2017 2nd Round pick by Houston’s Astros who was traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks in the Zack Greinke trade in late July 2019, after he debuted for the ‘Stros, and tore his UCL in his right elbow later that season, 26-year-old starter Corbin Martin sat out of 2020 as he rehabbed and he got back on the mound in 2021.

Going into today’s outing in the series finale with Washington in Chase Field, Arizona’s right-hander, who was up with the D-backs early this season, but had been at Triple-A Reno until called up to make this start, had a 4.40 ERA, a 2.42 FIP, and a .273/.333/.346 line against in five relief appearances in the majors.

“He’s been throwing the ball really well in Reno,” D-backs’ manager Torey Lovullo said, as quoted by Alex Weiner of Arizona Sports 98.7 FM.

“He’s been working hard. It hasn’t been an easy road for him. We know that. But when it happens, it happens fast.

And I think he’s connecting some things and we’re really excited to have him here.”

Martin tossed two scoreless to start this afternoon, as the D-backs jumped out to a 2-0 lead, but the Nationals threatened in the third, with Victor Robles singling, and Juan Soto walking for the second time in the game, but Robles got thrown out at third, on an ill-advised stolen base attempt, and after Josh Bell walked as well, Nelson Cruz took a base-loading free pass which passed the RBI opportunity on to Yadiel Hernández (1 for 1, 2B). Hernández grounded out to third, however, and Nationals were scoreless after two and a half.

Keibert Ruiz doubled off Martin with one out in the fourth, taking a 3-2 fastball to right field for his 18th two-base hit of the season, and he scored on an RBI single by Ehire Adrianza in the next at-bat, 2-1 Arizona.

Corbin Martin’s Line: 4.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 5 BB, 71 P, 36 S, 4/2 GO/FO.

Bullpen Action:

D-backs’ lefty Kyle Nelson struck out Juan Soto and Nelson Cruz around a Josh Bell liner to center in a 1-2-3 fifth.

Jordan Weems stranded the two runners he inherited in the home-half of the fifth to keep it a 3-1 game in the Diamondbacks’ favor.

Lefty Caleb Smith was next out of the ‘pen for the D-backs, and he gave up a couple hits, with Yadiel Hernández singling with one out and scoring on a throwing error on a Keibert Ruiz grounder to third, on which Josh Rojas threw the ball away, 3-2. Ruiz took third on the error, but got thrown out on a botched safety squeeze with Ehire Adrianza at the plate, and Adrianza grounded out to end the top of the sixth.

Weems came back out for the D-backs’ sixth, and got two outs before a walk ended his day, and Carl Edwards, Jr. took over and stranded the inherited runner.

Ian Kennedy walked César Hernández with one out in the Nats’ half of the seventh, and Josh Bell hit a ground-rule double to right in the next at-bat, or at least that’s how it was called at first, but the Nationals challenged, saying the ball bounced off the fence, and over a corner which inexplicably juts out in right, without going out of play, and the umpires looked at it and got the call right, overturning the ruling on the field, tie game, 3-3 after six and a half.

Edwards, Jr. returned to the mound in a tie game in the bottom of the seventh, and worked around a one-out single and two-out walk to keep it tied.

Lane Thomas doubled in a pinch hit at-bat to start the Nationals’ eighth, took third on a sac bunt by Luis García, and scored on an RBI single by Keibert Ruiz, 4-3 Nationals.

Steve Cishek took over in the D-backs’ eighth, with a one-run lead, and gave up back-to-back singles by Jake McCarthy and Josh Rojas to start the frame, then hit Alek Thomas, loading the bases with no one out, but Cishek popped up Ketel Marte for out No. 1, then Kyle Finnegan took over and got an inning-ending 6-4-3 DP out of Christian Walker. Still 4-3 Nationals.

Mark Melancon put two on but stranded them both in the top of the ninth.

Finnegan came back out for the bottom of the ninth inning and retired the side in order to end it. Ballgame.

Nationals now 32-65