Nationals jump on Ray, keep D-backs at bay to take series
PHOENIX -- Stephen Strasburg left after struggling with his control in the second inning, and the Washington Nationals wrapped up a successful nine-game trip with a 6-2 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Sunday.
After the game, Strasburg said his early departure was a precaution. He described the problem as slight "achiness" in his forearm. Strasburg said he wants to "nip it in the bud" so he's available to the team in the crucial stages of the late season.
He said the issue has bothered him since the All-Star break and was worse in his previous start, when he pitched through it, going seven innings, limiting Cincinnati to one run on four hits while fanning 11 and walking one.
"It's not really like intense pain in a specific area," he said. "It's just kind of like general tightness and I'm having a tough time to really get loose out there."
Strasburg, 10-3 with a 3.25 ERA, uncharacteristically walked the No. 8 and No. 9 batters in the second inning before departing with a 5-0 lead. He threw 51 pitches, 29 strikes.
Brian Goodwin's leadoff homer ignited a four-run first inning off Robbie Ray (9-5), who lasted five innings, allowing five runs.
Ray: "I was missing everything over the middle" in the first inning. pic.twitter.com/gz5qnXyjn1
— FOX Sports Arizona (@FOXSPORTSAZ) July 24, 2017
Bryce Harper singled in the first to extend his hitting streak to 16 games.
Wilmer Difo hit his second home run of the season off reliever T.J. McFarland in the seventh.
Joe Blanton (1-2) got two outs and earned the win.
The NL East-leading Nationals took two of three in Arizona to go 7-2 on the trip.
Nine players batted for Washington in the opening inning. Goodwin started it with a booming shot high above the home run line across the batter's eye in straightaway center.
Difo and Harper singled and Ryan Zimmerman's sacrifice fly made it 2-0. Daniel Murphy walked and Anthony Rendon singled in a run. Jose Lobaton capped the scoring with a two-out RBI single before Strasburg bounced into a fielder's choice to end Ray's 39-pitch inning.
Lovullo: "They caught us with a quick punch" in the first inning. pic.twitter.com/Wm3HDzeq38
— FOX Sports Arizona (@FOXSPORTSAZ) July 24, 2017
Arizona broke through with two runs in the fifth.
Chris Iannetta had a pinch-hit single with one out and David Descalso walked before Ketel Marte and David Peralta each singled in a run. With runners at first and third and one out, Blanton came on to strike out Paul Goldschmidt and got Chris Owings to ground into a fielder's choice.
The Diamondbacks had runners at second and third with one out in the sixth but Enny Romero struck out A.J. Pollock and Descalso bounced out to second. Romero left the game in the seventh with an apparent injury.
Arizona, 3-6 since the All-Star break, stranded 11 runners.
Washington's Andrew Stevenson, called up from Triple-A Syracuse, was 0 for 2 in his major league debut.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Diamondbacks OF J.D. Martinez appeared in his first game in Arizona as a Diamondback after missing three games with a bruised wrist, the result of being hit by a pitch in his Diamondbacks debut. He walked as a pinch hitter in the seventh.
J.D. Martinez admits injured hand "bit at me a little" during pinch-hit appearance. But he could be back in starting lineup Mon. vs. Braves. pic.twitter.com/wXfV1pbFsu
— FOX Sports Arizona (@FOXSPORTSAZ) July 24, 2017
UP NEXT
Arizona begins a three-game home series against Atlanta on Monday night. Zack Greinke (11-4, 2.93 ERA), 9-0 with a 2.41 ERA in 11 home starts, goes for the Diamondbacks. R.A. Dickey (6-6, 4.14) counters for the Braves.
