Nationals 5, Tigers 4
WASHINGTON -- Pinch-hitter Clint Robinson hit a solo homer with one out in the bottom of the ninth off Mark Lowe as the Washington Nationals beat the Detroit Tigers 5-4 on Monday, sending the Tigers to their seventh loss in a row.
Robinson's homer came one batter after Danny Espinosa was ejected after he was called out on strikes by home plate umpire Brian Knight.
It may not have been a magical night on the mound for Stephen Strasburg, but Nationals fans may be willing to forgive the right-handed pitcher in the short term.
Strasburg, 27, gave up four runs, including two homers, in seven innings to the Tigers on a night that several media outlets reported that he had signed a seven-year contract extension with the team. He struck 11 batters -- the 24th time in his career has fanned at least 10 -- but did not figure in the decision.
The starter from San Diego State did fan the side in the seventh as he retired nine batters in a row, six of them by strikeout. Strasburg walked Miguel Cabrera to lead off the eighth and was replaced by Blake Treinen.
The winning pitcher was Shawn Kelley (1-0), who got the last out in top of the ninth, while Lowe (1-2) suffered the loss.
Ben Revere of the Nationals had a sacrifice fly off reliever Kyle Ryan to tie the game at 4-4 in the seventh.
The Nationals had trimmed the margin to 4-3 with a two-run homer in the sixth by Daniel Murphy (two hits), who entered the game hitting .395 with 18 extra-base hits.
Detroit starter Anibal Sanchez entered the game with a lifetime mark of 9-1 and an ERA of 1.98 in 21 starts against Washington. He gave up four earned runs on six hits in six innings plus three batters Monday and also did not figure in the decision.
J.D. Martinez and Nick Castellanos had two hits apiece for the Tigers. Washington (20-12) snapped a four-game losing streak while the Tigers (14-17) got off to a bad start on their road trip.
Strasburg gave up two homers in the first five innings, and they were hit at about the same time that multiple outlets, including CBS Sports, reported that Strasburg had agreed to a seven-year, $175 million extension.
Strasburg, the No. 1 overall draft pick of 2009, was set to become a free agent after this year and was pitching two days before former Washington right-hander Jordan Zimmermann, who left via free agency after 2015, was set to pitch for Detroit against the Nationals.
Castellanos cranked a 96 mph fastball from Strasburg just over the fence in left for a two-run homer in the first. His sixth homer of the year scored Ian Kinsler, who led off the inning with a walk.
Murphy had an RBI single in the fourth to cut the margin to 2-1. His hit scored Anthony Rendon, who had walked and stole second.
The Tigers took a 4-1 lead when J.D. Martinez lined a two-run homer to left in the fifth off Strasburg.
Detroit starter Sanchez was aided by strong defense in the early going. Right fielder J.D. Martinez made a nice running catch on a popup on a ball hit by Rendon in the first, and Cabrera, the first baseman, started a nifty double play on a grounder off the bat of Revere to end the third.
Washington's Bryce Harper began Monday with 12 plate appearances in a row without an official at-bat, with 10 walks, one hit by pitch and one sacrifice fly to set a major-league record. The streak came to an end when he grounded out to the pitcher for the last out of the first.
Harper was called out looking on strikes in the fourth and voiced his displeasure with home plate umpire Knight. Harper then walked in the sixth.
NOTES: The Tigers called up OF Tyler Collins from Triple-A Toledo for his second stint with the team this year. Detroit sent RHP Buck Farmer to Triple-A after Sunday's game ... Detroit entered Monday with six losses in a row, having been outscored 43-16 ... The Nationals were coming off a three-city, 10-game road trip to St. Louis, Kansas City and Chicago in which they were 5-5 after losing the fourth of four games Sunday 4-3 to the Cubs in 13 innings ... Washington OF Bryce Harper, who tied a major-league record with six walks Sunday, entered Monday with an on-base average of .432 with 30 walks. Harper began Monday with 12 plate appearances in a row without an official at-bat, with 10 walks, one hit by pitch and one sacrifice fly to set a major-league record ... Washington RHP Stephen Strasburg entered the game with a record of 5-0 and an ERA of 2.36, while Tigers RHP Anibal Sanchez was 3-3, 5.87 ... Tigers RHP Michael Fulmer (1-1, 6.30) will face Washington RHP Joe Ross (3-1, 1.23) on Tuesday.