Diamondbacks 11, Nationals 4
WASHINGTON -- Welington Castillo had two hits, including a three-run homer, and Aaron Hill drove in two runs without any hits as the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the slumping Washington Nationals 11-4 on Wednesday night in a wild game.
Hill had a sacrifice fly in the third inning and a bases-loaded walk in a four-run sixth and made a fabulous diving catch to rob Nationals catcher Jose Lobaton of a double in the fourth before the Diamondbacks staged their comeback.
Center fielder A.J. Pollock, left fielder Ender Inciarte and first baseman Paul Goldschmidt each had three hits at the top of the Arizona lineup.
Arizona (52-54) won for the eighth time in 11 games and Washington (55-51) lost for the fifth time in six outings. The Nationals are two games behind the National League East-leading New York Mets, who won in Miami for their sixth victory in a row.
The Diamondbacks, who had 17 hits and scored 10 runs in the last four innings, took the lead in the sixth with four runs.
Right fielder Yasmany Tomas and second baseman Chris Owings scored when Washington reliever Aaron Barrett (3-3) made a throwing error on a bunt single by Diamondbacks shortstop Nick Ahmed.
Pinch-hitter Jarrod Saltalamacchia, batting for starting and winning pitcher Rubby De La Rosa (9-5), singled to drive in Ahmed and give the visitors a 4-2 lead. Hill drew his bases-loaded walk off reliever Tanner Roark to build the margin to 5-2.
Castillo crushed a three-run homer in the eighth off Matt Thornton to give Arizona an 8-2 advantage. The Diamondbacks made it 9-2 in the ninth on a balk by Felipe Rivero.
Pollock singled in a run to make it 10-2 and that brought in infielder/outfielder Tyler Moore to pitch in a mop-up role for the Nationals in the ninth. Goldschmidt drove in a run with a fielder's choice to make it 11-2.
Washington center fielder Michael A. Taylor hit a two-run homer in the ninth.
De La Rosa allowed two hits and two runs with three strikeouts and three walks in five innings but labored, throwing 101 pitches. Nationals starter Gio Gonzalez, who did not factor in the decision, gave up eight hits and one walk but just two runs in five innings but threw 95 pitches.
Third baseman Yunel Escobar and Taylor had two hits for Washington.
The Nationals scored two runs in the first on back-to-back sacrifice flies to right by first baseman Ryan Zimmerman and left fielder Jayson Werth against De La Rosa. The fly balls scored Escobar, who led off with a double to center, and second baseman Anthony Rendon, who drew a walk after the Escobar hit.
Washington scored three runs in the first inning Tuesday against Arizona, including a leadoff homer by Escobar.
Hill had a sacrifice fly in the third to cut the margin to 2-1.
Gonzalez did not allow more than two earned runs in his previous six starts, giving up only six earned runs in that span.
In his previous start against the Nationals this year, De La Rosa benefited from offensive firepower in a 14-6 win in Arizona as he allowed four runs in seven innings.
NOTES: RHP Zack Godley, who is 3-0 with a 1.50 ERA through his first three major league starts, was optioned to Double-A Mobile, and the Diamondbacks called up RHP Allen Webster from Triple-A Reno. Chief baseball officer Tony La Russa told reporters that the team does not plan to go with a six-man rotation and wanted more help in the bullpen after LHP Patrick Corbin lasted just 1 1/3 innings Tuesday. ... The four-game series ends Thursday afternoon with Arizona RHP Jeremy Hellickson (7-7, 4.95 ERA) facing Washington rookie RHP Joe Ross (2-3, 3.00). ... Nationals RHP Stephen Strasburg, on the disabled list since July 5 with a left oblique strain, threw a bullpen session Wednesday after he making a rehab start Monday for Triple-A Syracuse. He could start for Washington this weekend at home against the Colorado Rockies.