WASHINGTON (AP) — Alex Call hit a game-winning single in the 10th inning, Mitchell Parker pitched 6 1/3 innings without allowing an earned run and the Washington Nationals defeated the Los Angeles Angels 3-2 Friday night in the opener of a three-game series.
Washington earned its second walk-off win of the season and its first since April 20 against Houston.
Los Angeles’ Anthony Rendon had three hits in his first road game against Washington, where he played his first seven seasons. The Angels hadn’t played a road game against the Nationals since 2017.
After rookie Nasim Nuñez sacrificed automatic runner Jacob Young to third against Matt Moore (5-3), Angels manager Ron Washington summoned right-hander Ben Joyce from the bullpen. Call worked a full count before lining a shot off the drawn-in Luis Guillorme at second base to score the winning run.
Kyle Finnegan (3-5) pitched two scoreless innings for the Nationals.
Rendon, who logged his first seven seasons with the Nationals before signing a seven-year, $245 million contract with the Angels, had not played in Washington since helping the franchise win the World Series in 2019. The Nationals showed a tribute on the video board before the game and Rendon was cheered before his first plate appearance. He was 3 for 5 with a stolen base.
dragging (former nats great) bp coach up for your recognition is
v e r y
Tony Two Bags pic.twitter.com/ww1nZoPbv3
— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) August 9, 2024
Kevin Pillar led off the second with a single off Parker, who later had Pillar picked off but threw it beyond the grasp of first baseman Juan Yepez. Two batters later, Adell smashed a first-pitch offering over the visitor’s bullpen in left-center for his team-high 17th home run of the season.
Parker gave up two runs — neither earned — and eight hits in 6 1/3 innings. He struck out five and walked none.
Los Angeles starter José Soriano yielded four hits over six innings while striking out seven. Washington scored its only run against him on Keibert Ruiz’s one-out fielder’s choice grounder in the first.
The Nationals tied it in the eighth against José Quijada on a pair of one-out singles from Call and Luis García Jr. and Yepez’s sacrifice fly to center, which scored Call.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Angels: Los Angeles reinstated OF Taylor Ward from the paternity list and optioned INF Charles Leblanc to Triple-A Salt Lake.
Nationals: SS CJ Abrams was scratched from the lineup about an hour before the game. … RHP Jordan Weems (shin splints) threw a bullpen session Wednesday.
UP NEXT
Los Angeles RHP Griffin Canning (4-10, 5.10 ERA) looks to win back-to-back starts for the first time this season as the series continues. Washington counters with LHP Patrick Corbin (2-12, 5.88), who is 0-3 with a 9.56 ERA in his first three attempts to earn his 100th career victory.
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