Final
Nats top Diamondbacks on Taylor's grand slam
May 14, 2015 - 2:12 AM Phoenix, AZ (SportsNetwork.com) - Michael Taylor's grand slam in the ninth inning lifted the Washington Nationals to a 9-6 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks in Wednesday's rubber game.After Aaron Barrett (3-0) allowed a go-ahead run in the eighth, Washington mounted a rally in its last at-bat. Taylor replaced Bryce Harper in the lineup after he was ejected in the seventh inning.
Jayson Werth and Tyler Moore also homered for the Nats, who got all nine of their runs on homers. Starter Gio Gonzalez allowed five runs on nine hits in five innings.
Arizona pounded Washington pitchers for 14 hits but was a dismal 4-for-13 with runners in scoring position and left 12 runners on base. Paul Goldschmidt was a home run shy of the cycle in a three-hit game.
"They had a lot of opportunities, but we were able to get the last swing," said Nats manager Matt Williams.
Addison Reed (0-2) allowed the decisive home run in the ninth, and starter Jeremy Hellickson was charged with four runs in 5 2/3 innings.
Until Drew Storen recorded his 10th save in a 1-2-3 ninth, the Diamondbacks had at least one batter reach base in every inning. It appeared they would squander another run-scoring opportunity when Barrett struck out Goldschmidt for the second out, but back-to-back singles by A.J. Pollock and Yasmany Tomas gave Arizona a 6-5 lead.
Pinch-hitter Clint Robinson grounded out to start the ninth, but Reed got into trouble after that. Denard Span and Yunel Escobar singled, and Werth walked to set up Taylor's grand slam.
"Let's give that team credit," said Arizona manager Chip Hale. "They battled. A guy off the bench who got put in for a guy getting thrown out comes up with a big home run. That's pretty impressive."
Storen struck out the side in the bottom of the ninth to wrap up the series win.
Arizona went up 1-0 in the second on Nick Ahmed's two-out single, but that lead did not last long. Washington's two-out rally an inning later culminated in Werth's three-run home run.
The Diamondbacks responded immediately in the home half of the third. Goldschmidt's double cut Washington's lead to 3-2, and the Nationals conceded the tying run to record an out on Pollock's groundout. They brought the infield in for Aaron Hill's at-bat, but Ian Desmond's error allowed Hill to reach and Arizona to retake the lead.
Goldschmidt tripled to lead off the fifth and scored on a Pollock single, but another two-out home run in the sixth tied the game up. Pinch-hitting for Gonzalez, Moore lined a ball off the left field foul pole for his second home run of the season.
In the top of the seventh, Washington lost Harper when he was ejected for arguing a check-swing call. Home plate umpire Rob Drake made the call without consulting third base umpire Gabe Morales, and he also tossed Williams after his own argument.
Game Notes
Taylor's grand slam was his first plate appearance in the majors with the bases loaded ... Harper's ejection was the fourth in his career ... Ahmed struck out three times ... Washington continues its road trip Thursday with a four-game series at San Diego while Arizona travels to Philadelphia for three games starting Friday.
- WASHINGTON: 9
ARIZONA: 6
Final
May 13 7:19 PM - M.Taylor homered to center on a 1-0 count, Span scored, Y.Escobar scored, Werth scored.
Nationals 9, Diamondbacks 6 Top 9, 1 OutMay 13 7:08 PM - Michael Taylor homers to center field. Jayson Werth scores. Yunel Escobar scores. Denard Span scores.
Nationals 9, Diamondbacks 6 Top 9, 1 OutMay 13 7:08 PM - Tomas singled to center, Trumbo scored, Pollock to third.
Nationals 5, Diamondbacks 6 Bot 8, 2 OutsMay 13 6:52 PM - Yasmany Tomas singles to shallow center field. A.J. Pollock to third. Mark Trumbo scores.
Nationals 5, Diamondbacks 6 Bot 8, 2 OutsMay 13 6:51 PM - Moore homered to left on a 0-1 count, Espinosa scored.
Nationals 5, Diamondbacks 5 Top 6, 2 OutsMay 13 5:40 PM - Tyler Moore homers to left field. Danny Espinosa scores.
Nationals 5, Diamondbacks 5 Top 6, 2 OutsMay 13 5:40 PM - A.J. Pollock singles to left field. Paul Goldschmidt scores.
Nationals 3, Diamondbacks 5 Bot 5, 0 OutsMay 13 5:22 PM - Hill safe at first on fielding error by shortstop Desmond, Goldschmidt scored, Hill to first.
Nationals 3, Diamondbacks 4 Bot 3, 1 OutMay 13 4:40 PM - Aaron Hill reaches on error. Paul Goldschmidt scores. Fielding error by Ian Desmond.
Nationals 3, Diamondbacks 4 Bot 3, 1 OutMay 13 4:39 PM - Pollock grounded out, second baseman Espinosa to first baseman Zimmerman, Trumbo scored, Goldschmidt to third.
Nationals 3, Diamondbacks 3 Bot 3, 1 OutMay 13 4:38 PM - A.J. Pollock grounds out to second base, Danny Espinosa to Ryan Zimmerman. Paul Goldschmidt to third. Mark Trumbo scores.
Nationals 3, Diamondbacks 3 Bot 3, 1 OutMay 13 4:38 PM - Goldschmidt doubled to center, Inciarte scored, Trumbo to third.
Nationals 3, Diamondbacks 2 Bot 3, 0 OutsMay 13 4:37 PM - Paul Goldschmidt doubles to deep center field. Mark Trumbo to third. Ender Inciarte scores.
Nationals 3, Diamondbacks 2 Bot 3, 0 OutsMay 13 4:37 PM - Werth homered to center on a 2-1 count, Span scored, Y.Escobar scored.
Nationals 3, Diamondbacks 1 Top 3, 2 OutsMay 13 4:28 PM - Jayson Werth homers to center field. Yunel Escobar scores. Denard Span scores.
Nationals 3, Diamondbacks 1 Top 3, 2 OutsMay 13 4:27 PM - Nick Ahmed singles to shallow left field, advances to 3rd. Chris Owings scores. Fielding error by Jayson Werth.
Nationals 0, Diamondbacks 1 Bot 2, 2 OutsMay 13 4:10 PM - Denard Span grounds out to second base, Chris Owings to Paul Goldschmidt.
May 13 3:42 PM - WASHINGTON: 0
ARIZONA: 0
Top 1, 0 Outs
May 13 3:40 PM
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