Alex Call had two run-scoring singles and left-hander Mitchell Parker pitched six strong innings as the host Washington Nationals broke a four-game losing streak with a 4-3 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Saturday.
Parker (2-0) gave up two hits and one run in six innings. He walked four and struck out two.
James Wood had a two-run double in a three-run first inning capped by Call’s first RBI single, and Call singled in a run in the fourth for a 4-0 lead off left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez (0-1).
The Nationals had lost six of their first seven. The Diamondbacks had won four of their last five.
Second baseman Tim Tawa had a single, an RBI and a run in his major league debut for Arizona after being recalled from Triple-A Reno to replace Ketel Marte.
Marte was placed on the 10-day injured list before the game after sustaining a left hamstring strain while running out a double in the first inning of Arizona’s 6-4 victory on Friday.
Kyle Finnegan got his second save despite giving up a run on a walk, a wild pitch, a fly out that moved the runner to third, and Alek Thomas’ infield single in the ninth, but Thomas was thrown out attempting to steal second to end the game.
Rodriguez gave up five hits and four runs in five innings, with 12 strikeouts and one walk. He struck out the side in the second inning and fanned three more in the fourth despite giving up a run.
Amed Rosario doubled with one out in the bottom of the first inning and Josh Bell walked with two outs, before Wood doubled off the center field fence. Call singled to score Wood but was thrown out attempting to take second to end the inning.
Bell tripled to lead off the fourth and scored on Call’s one-out single for a 4-0 lead.
Tawa, who had Arizona’s first hit in the third inning, walked to open the sixth off Parker. Corbin Carroll walked with one out, and Randal Grichuk’s two-out single drove in Tawa to cut the deficit to 4-1.
Gabriel Moreno and Thomas singled with one out in the seventh and Moreno scored on Tawa’s fielder’s choice groundout to make it 4-2.
Parker faced two batters over the minimum through five innings before giving up a run in the sixth. He pitched 6 1/3 scoreless innings in his season debut, a 5-1 victory over visiting Philadelphia on Sunday.
–Field Level Media
