June 16, 2019 – Nats 15, Diamondbacks 5 – Nationals Park

https://www.mlb.com/nationals/news/matt-adams-homers-twice-nats-split-series-with-d-backs

 

Weather: 83 degrees, Overcast.

Wind: 8 mph, Out To LF.

Umpires: HP--Barber, 1B--Marquez, 2B--Bellino, 3B--Rackley.

Time: 3:14

Attendance: 29,032

 

It was a warmer and more humid day than Saturday, but not as bad as expected – the shade reached our seats before the end of the first inning, and the threatened thunderstorms held off. Baseball-wise, things had to be better than the previous day, and they were.

 

Ketel Marte couldn’t lead off today with a homer (he was second in the order), but he nevertheless managed to park one off Anibal Sanchez in the first inning. If you’re keeping count, that was his 20^th HR of the season; prior to 2019, he had a total of 22 in almost 1400 career at-bats.

 

Once again, the home team responded in the bottom of the first. Singles by Eaton and Rendon and a walk to Soto loaded the bases, and Kendrick singled in the tying run. After an Adams popup, Kurt Suzuki notched a huge two-out single to score two more.

 

Today, however, Sanchez allowed only one more Arizona run over the next 5 innings, while Washington would get its offense into high gear, as the visitors’ attempt to steal a win using just its bullpen fell flat. Eaton’s second single scored Turner (who had walked and stolen second) and knocked out opener Archie Bradley, who recorded only 4 outs. Zack Godley induced a double-play grounder to end the 2^nd, but the Nats weren’t done. Matt Adams hit a 3-run HR in the 3^rd, Suzuki knocked one out of the park in the 5^th, and Rendon hit a 2-run shot in the 6^th to complete the damage off Godley. Two innings later, Washington added an exclamation point, scoring  5 with two outs on another bases-loaded single by Kendrick, followed by an Adams grand slam. At this point, Diamondbacks catcher Caleb Joseph took the mound and got a grounder from Yan Gomes to retire the side.

 

With the game well in hand, Arizona did manage 3 meaningless late-inning runs off the Nats’ bullpen. Of somewhat greater concern, Suzuki had to leave the game in the top of the 7^th, after a Tanner Rainey pitch bounced and hit him in the neck.