Nationals extend hot streak with win over D-backs

James Wood hit a solo homer and Josh Bell added a three-run shot as the Washington Nationals beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 9-7 in the opener of a three-game series on Friday in Phoenix.
Robert Hassell III had two hits and three RBIs for Washington, which has won three straight and nine of its past 12. Nathaniel Lowe contributed two hits, including a go-ahead two-run single in the sixth inning.
Washington starter Jake Irvin (5-1) allowed six runs on 10 hits with one walk and no strikeouts over five innings. After Andrew Chafin and Brad Lord combined for three scoreless innings, Kyle Finnegan allowed a run in the ninth before recording his 16th save.
Pavin Smith had two hits and two RBIs for Arizona, which has lost eight of its past nine games, including three straight. Geraldo Perdomo had two RBIs.
The Nationals moved ahead 8-6 after loading the bases with two outs in the sixth inning when Lowe delivered a two-run broken-bat single against Juan Morillo (0-1).
Washington tacked on an insurance run in the seventh when Luis Garcia Jr. hit a ground-rule double and scored on Hassell’s one-out single.
The Nationals began the scoring with two runs in the first inning. With the bases loaded and two outs, Hassell singled home two runs against Merrill Kelly.
Arizona responded with four runs in the bottom of the first. Perdomo singled in a run before Ketel Marte scored on Josh Naylor’s groundout. Eugenio Suarez and Smith added RBI singles to help the D-backs move ahead.
The Nationals powered up to regain the lead with four runs in the third inning. Wood hit a leadoff blast for his team-leading 16th homer of the season and fourth in his past six games.
Lowe followed with a four-pitch walk and Garcia singled before Bell crushed a 3-1 pitch over the center field wall for a three-run homer. The 430-foot blast was Bell’s ninth homer this season.
Arizona tied the game at 6-6 with two runs in the bottom of the third. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. singled in a run with one out before scoring from second on Smith’s double.
Kelly pitched five innings, giving up six runs (four earned) on six hits with two walks and six strikeouts.
The D-backs pushed a run across in the ninth when Corbin Carroll scored on Perdomo’s groundout.