Nationals 2 - 3 Diamondbacks
Final
  for this game

D-backs rally to end season with win over Nats

Sep 30, 2013 - 1:28 AM Phoenix, AZ (Sports Network) - A.J. Pollock's tie-breaking single capped a two-run rally in the bottom of the eighth inning that lifted the Arizona Diamondbacks to a 3-2 victory over the Washington Nationals in the season finale for both teams at Chase Field.

Martin Prado tied the contest with an RBI single of his own off Ryan Mattheus (0-2) in the eighth and went 2-for-4 to help Arizona avoid a sweep of the three-game set and finish 81-81 for a second consecutive year.

The comeback spoiled the final game for Nationals manager Davey Johnson, who announced last November that he will retire at the conclusion of the 2013 campaign.

"Time to go home," Johnson said. "Put me out to pasture."

David Hernandez (5-6) threw a 1-2-3 top of the eighth to earn the win in relief of Wade Miley, who permitted two runs -- one earned -- over seven innings. Brad Ziegler struck out two in the ninth to nail down his 13th save.

Nationals starter Tanner Roark received a no-decision despite holding the Diamondbacks to one unearned run and three hits over a seven-inning stint.

Steve Lombardozzi went 2-for-4 with an RBI for Washington, which placed second in the NL East with an 86-76 record.

Roark left with the Nationals holding a 2-1 lead, but Mattheus squandered it by surrendering consecutive one-out singles to Adam Eaton, Paul Goldschmidt and Martin Prado that knocked in a run. Goldschmidt's knock extended his career-best hitting streak to 19 games.

After Aaron Hill flied out, Pollock delivered a shot up the middle that struck Mattheus' foot and caromed past the mound as pinch-runner Tony Campana raced home from third.

The Nationals then went down quietly against Ziegler in the ninth.

Miley worked out of trouble several times in keeping the Nationals off the scoreboard over the game's first five innings, but couldn't come away unscathed in the sixth while carrying a 1-0 advantage.

A throwing error by Prado enabled Washington's Tyler Moore to reach second, and Zach Walters followed with a fly ball to right that eluded Gerardo Parra and rolled to the wall for a game-tying triple. Lombardozzi then singled Walters home to put the Nationals in front.

Arizona touched Roark for an unearned run in the first inning, the result of an error by the rookie pitcher. After Willie Bloomquist led off with a single, Roark fielded a bunt from Eaton but threw wildly to first, giving the Diamondbacks runners on second and third. A sacrifice fly off the bat of Goldschmidt plated Bloomquist for a 1-0 edge.

Roark was terrific thereafter, setting down 15 out of 16 hitters between the second and sixth innings. He got into a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the seventh, but fanned Tuffy Gosewich before getting pinch-hitter Wil Nieves to ground out to end the threat.

"We as a team expected to be still paying right now," Diamondbacks shortstop Willie Bloomquist said. "I think that is where expectations need to stay. As a whole this year it has been disappointing even though we ended on a high note."

Game Notes

Johnson, who won a World Series piloting the New York Mets in 1986, compiled a 1,372-1,071 managerial record in 17 overall seasons. His win total ranks 28th in MLB history ... Goldschmidt will share the NL home run title with Pittsburgh's Pedro Alvarez, with both players ending with 36 ... Roark posted a 1.51 ERA over 14 appearances, five of which were starts, this season ... The Diamondbacks went 3-for-8 with runners in scoring position.






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