Rendon homer lifts Nationals over Diamondbacks
WASHINGTON -- Anthony Rendon hit a go-ahead three-run homer in the sixth inning and Max Scherzer won his 19th game as the Washington Nationals came back to beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 4-2 on Tuesday night despite getting just three hits.
Jose Lobaton, starting in place of injured catcher Wilson Ramos, had the first hit for the Nationals when he blooped a single to center to start the sixth off Arizona starter Matt Koch.
After a walk to pinch-hitter Wilmer Difo, Koch was replaced by Randall Delgado. Trea Turner walked to load the bases and two batters later Stephen Drew drove in a run with a sacrifice fly to make it 2-1.
Rendon then golfed a pitch from losing pitcher Delgado (4-2) over the fence in left to give Washington a 4-2 lead. It was the 19th homer of the year and 500th career hit for Rendon, a former first-round pick out of Rice. That gave Rendon 84 RBIs this year, a career-best, after he had just one RBI in April.
Koch, in his first career start, gave up just one hit and two runs in five innings and did not figure in the decision. Delgado yielded two runs on the one hit in one inning.
Scherzer (19-7), with one more start left this weekend, was lifted for a pinch-hitter Difo in the sixth. He gave up six hits and two runs with two walks and 10 strikeouts. Scherzer now has 277 strikeouts this season, the most in Nationals history, from 2005 to present.
Sammy Solis pitched a perfect seventh for the Nationals and Shawn Kelley went a scoreless eighth. Closer Mark Melancon got his 14th save for Washington and 44th overall as he threw the ninth, getting University of Virginia product Phil Gosselin for the last out.
Chris Owings had two hits for the Diamondbacks.
The Nationals (92-65) are now 14-17 against the National League West this year while Arizona (65-92) has lost four of its last five.
Jean Segura hit the first pitch of the game from Scherzer over the fence in left for his 20th homer of the season. It was the 29th homer allowed this year by Scherzer, which is tied for the league lead.
Segura hit two homers on Monday and that gave him three long balls in five at-bats over the two games. It was the eighth leadoff homer for the Diamondbacks this season.
Koch was acquired in a trade with the Mets in 2015 and made his big league debut on Sept. 9 out of the bullpen for Arizona.
Scherzer, after giving up five hits in the first three innings, fanned six in a row before Paul Goldschmidt drew a walk with two outs in the fifth. Scherzer struck out nine in the first five innings.
Scherzer was drafted by Arizona out of the University of Missouri and made his MLB debut with the club in 2008.
NOTES: Washington C Wilson Ramos has a torn ACL in his right knee and is done for the year, manager Dusty Baker said Tuesday. Ramos was injured in the sixth inning Monday when he came down awkwardly after taking a relay throw from 1B Ryan Zimmerman. Ramos, a pending free agent, will have surgery at some point in the next week after hitting .307 with a career-high 22 homers and 80 RBIs in 131 games. "This was the most inopportune time for this to happen," Baker said. The Nationals started C Jose Lobaton (.220 in 35 games) on Tuesday and will also use C Pedro Severino, hitting .350 in 12 games ... C Spencer Kieboom was called up from Double-A Harrisburg on Tuesday by Washington to give the team more catching depth. He was already on the 40-man roster and will be making his MLB debut. He hit .230 in 94 games with Harrisburg this year ... Washington LHP Gio Gonzalez (11-10, 4.51) will face Arizona RHP Shelby Miller (2-12, 6.47) on Wednesday ... The Nationals were also without RF Bryce Harper (thumb) and INF Daniel Murphy (strained glute) in the starting lineup ... Arizona RHP Matt Koch, who made his first MLB start Tuesday, had a 1.29 ERA in five bullpen outings to begin his big league career.