Final
Harris' three-run shot powers Nationals past Diamonbacks
May 31, 2008 - 6:01 AM PHOENIX (Ticker) -- Having posted just 10 hits all season entering Friday, Willie Harris seemed an unlikely hero for the Washington Nationals until a misplaced fastball changed everything.Harris belted a go-ahead, three-run homer in the seventh inning, powering the Nationals to a 7-4 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks.
With the game tied at 3-3 in the top of the seventh, Harris lined a second-pitch fastball from Diamondbacks starter Micah Owings (6-3) just over the wall in right field for a three-run shot, just his fifth hit in 27 at-bats this month.
"We were trying to go away with a fastball and just trying to get a groundball out," Owings said. "I missed my spot and paid for it. In the big leagues, that is going to happen when you don't hit your spot."
Joel Hanrahan (1-2), who came on in relief of starter Tim Redding, tossed 1 2/3 scoreless frames to notch his first win of the season.
Luis Ayala surrendered a solo homer in the eighth before handing it over to closer Jon Rauch, who set down the Diamondbacks in order in the ninth for his 12th save in 14 chances.
Orlando Hudson also homered for Arizona, which has lost a season-high five straight and 10 of the its last 14 contests.
"It just feels like we're putting too much pressure on (ourselves) at the plate, especially if we are behind," Diamondbacks manager Bob Melvin said. "The three-run homer took the wind out of our sails. We just have to keep grinding and battling at it."
The Nationals took the lead for good when Owings hit Rob Mackowiak, who had struck out in his first two at-bats against the righthander. Elijah Dukes followed with a single, setting the stage for Harris' homer.
"When I hit it, I knew I hit it good, but I thought it was going to be a double or something," Harris said. "I was fortunate enough to get it up a little more, but it was a line drive, and that's what I try to do, is hit line drives. I'm by far not a home-run hitter, and I don't consider myself one either."
After Chad Tracy hit his first homer of the season in the eighth to trim the Diamondbacks' deficit to 6-4, Harris added an insurance run in the ninth, when he scored on groundout by Felipe Lopez.
Washington's Jesus Flores, whose two-run single plated the first runs of the game in the second, left the contest as the Nationals took the field in the bottom of the seventh. The catcher had been experiencing headaches and nausea after twice being hit in the head by foul tips earlier in the game.
"After I came back from the sixth inning, I started to feel dizzy and a little nauseous with a headache," Flores said. "I told the trainer I didn't feel good."
- NL
FINAL
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
- - - - - - - - - - - -
WASHINGTON 0 2 0 0 0 1 3 0 1 7 9 0
ARIZONA 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 1 0 4 6 0 (FINAL)
BATTERIES: WAS - TIM REDDING, JOEL HANRAHAN (6TH), LUIS AYALA (8TH), JON RAUCH
(9TH) AND JESUS FLORES, WIL NIEVES (7TH)
ARI - MICAH OWINGS, MAX SCHERZER (7TH) AND CHRIS SNYDER
May 31 12:23 AM - NL
AT ARIZONA - SCORING UPDATE
FIELDER'S CHOICE BY FELIPE LOPEZ SCORED WILLIE HARRIS.
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, F LOPEZ ON FIRST, C GUZMAN ON THIRD, 2 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: WASHINGTON 7
ARIZONA 4 TOP, 9TH
DUE UP FOR WASHINGTON: L MILLEDGE (.241, 0-FOR-2, HBP, SF, RBI)
Nationals 7, Diamondbacks 4 Top 9, 0 OutsMay 31 12:16 AM - NL
AT ARIZONA - SCORING UPDATE
SOLO HOME RUN BY CHAD TRACY (1) TO RIGHT WITH 1 OUT IN THE
8TH OFF LUIS AYALA.
CURRENT SCORE: WASHINGTON 6, ARIZONA 4
DUE UP FOR ARIZONA: J UPTON (.276, 0-FOR-3)
Nationals 6, Diamondbacks 4 Bot 8, 0 OutsMay 30 11:59 PM - NL
AT ARIZONA - SCORING UPDATE
THREE-RUN HOME RUN BY WILLIE HARRIS (2) TO RIGHT WITH 1 OUT
IN THE 7TH OFF MICAH OWINGS SCORED ROB MACKOWIAK AND ELIJAH DUKES.
CURRENT SCORE: WASHINGTON 6, ARIZONA 3
DUE UP FOR WASHINGTON: C GUZMAN (.304, 1-FOR-3)
Nationals 6, Diamondbacks 3 Top 7, 0 OutsMay 30 11:33 PM - NL
AT ARIZONA - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY CHRIS SNYDER SCORED JUSTIN UPTON.
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, C SNYDER ON FIRST, J SALAZAR ON SECOND, 1 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: WASHINGTON 3
ARIZONA 3 BOTTOM, 6TH
DUE UP FOR ARIZONA: M OWINGS (.306, 1-FOR-1, BB)
Nationals 3, Diamondbacks 3 Bot 6, 0 OutsMay 30 11:20 PM - NL
AT ARIZONA - SCORING UPDATE
SACRIFICE FLY BY LASTINGS MILLEDGE SCORED CRISTIAN GUZMAN.
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, D YOUNG ON FIRST, 2 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: WASHINGTON 3
ARIZONA 2 TOP, 6TH
DUE UP FOR WASHINGTON: R LANGERHANS (.125, 0-FOR-1, SAC)
Nationals 3, Diamondbacks 2 Top 6, 0 OutsMay 30 11:08 PM - NL
AT ARIZONA - SCORING UPDATE
SACRIFICE FLY BY STEPHEN DREW SCORED JEFF SALAZAR.
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, C YOUNG ON FIRST, M OWINGS ON THIRD, 2 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: WASHINGTON 2
ARIZONA 2 BOTTOM, 5TH
DUE UP FOR ARIZONA: O HUDSON (.314, 1-FOR-2, HR, RBI)
Nationals 2, Diamondbacks 2 Bot 5, 0 OutsMay 30 10:51 PM - NL
AT ARIZONA - SCORING UPDATE
SOLO HOME RUN BY ORLANDO HUDSON (5) TO RIGHT WITH 1 OUT IN
THE 4TH OFF TIM REDDING.
CURRENT SCORE: WASHINGTON 2, ARIZONA 1
DUE UP FOR ARIZONA: C JACKSON (.304, 0-FOR-1)
Nationals 2, Diamondbacks 1 Bot 4, 0 OutsMay 30 10:31 PM - NL
AT ARIZONA - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY JESUS FLORES SCORED DMITRI YOUNG AND LASTINGS
MILLEDGE.
SITUATION: 2 RUNS IN, J FLORES ON FIRST, 1 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: WASHINGTON 2
ARIZONA 0 TOP, 2ND
DUE UP FOR WASHINGTON: R MACKOWIAK (.146, 1 HR, 4 RBI)
Nationals 2, Diamondbacks 0 Top 2, 0 OutsMay 30 9:59 PM
Related News
- Washington Nationals news & notes: Getting more pitching in 2024 + more... Dec 26
- 2023 Arizona Diamondbacks Reviews: #17 Andrew Saalfrank Dec 25
- SnakePit Round Table: Merry Christmas! Dec 25
- 2023 Arizona Diamondbacks Reviews: #18, Joe Mantiply Dec 24
- 2023 SnakePit Awards: MVP - nominations open Dec 24
- Snake Bytes: 12/24 Merry Christmas! Dec 24
- 2023 Arizona Diamondbacks Reviews: #19, Tommy Henry Dec 23
- 2023 SnakePit Awards: Pitcher of the Year - Merrill Kelly Dec 23
- 2023 Diamondbacks Reviews: #20 Kyle Nelson Dec 22
- Towards a 2024 Diamondbacks roster: Back-up catcher Dec 22
- Washington Nationals news & notes: Keibert Ruiz, CS% and moreā¦ Dec 22
- 2023 Arizona Diamondbacks Reviews: #21, Drey Jameson Dec 21