Washington scored three runs in the sixth inning while Detroit stranded 11 runners on base in the loss.
The Washington Nationals (75-84) again bent but didn’t break and defeated the Detroit Tigers (74-85). The Nationals made the Tigers strand eleven runners en route to a 4-2 win.
For the second straight game, the Nationals used the opener strategy to hold down the Tigers’ offense.
The game was a pitchers’ duel until the Nationals broke through in the sixth inning.
Andrés Chaparro and Brady House singled. CJ Abrams then continued to make his mark on the series with a single that scored Chaparro. Abrams' single would end the outing for the Tigers starter, Framber Valdez. Yohandy Morales then hit a two-run, 422-foot home run to give the Nationals a 3-0 lead off reliever Tyler Kinley.
Valdez worked 5.1 innings, allowed four hits, two earned runs, three walks, and six strikeouts. This outing was indicative of his entire season, flashes of good pitching, though then inconsistencies show up.
Ben Malgeri inched the Tigers closer with a solo home run in the bottom half of the sixth inning, his second home run of the series.
James Wood helped push the lead right back to three runs in the top of the seventh inning. Nasim Nuñez singled, then stole second and third base. Wood grounded out to first base, allowing Nuñez to score and give the Nationals a 4-1 lead.
Malgeri knocked in his second run of the game in the ninth, in a rally attempt by the Tigers. Jace Jung and Kevin McGonigle singled. Malgeri singled to right field to bring the score to 4-2, and the tying run to the plate, but the Tigers couldn’t get another hit.
Yovanny Cruz earned the save for the Nationals.
