Nationals go deep three times in victory over Angels
ANAHEIM, Calif. – Josh Bell, Yadiel Hernandez and Nelson Cruz went deep, Maikel Franco drove in three runs and the Washington Nationals snapped a three-game losing streak with a 7-3 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday night.
Josiah Gray (4-2) won his second straight start, allowing three runs and five hits in 5 1/3 innings. The righthander, who was acquired from the Los Angeles Dodgers last season in the trade deadline deal for Max Scherzer and Trea Turner, also struck out three.
Jared Walsh and Brandon Marsh homered for the Angels, who had their three-game winning streak snapped. Walsh has five homers on the season including three in the past four games.
After being shut out 3-0 on Friday, Washington’s offense got back into the swing of things. They are batting .330 through eight games of their current road trip with nine home runs and 54 runs scored.
The Nationals lead the majors with six runs per game on the road (90 runs in 15 games) and a .300 away batting average.
Bell and Hernandez both connected on cutters from Michael Lorenzen (3-2). Bell’s came on a full count with two out in the first inning and went into the rock pile in deep center for his fourth of the season. Hernandez’s
cleared the wall in right-center to lead off the second inning.
The Nationals extended their lead to 4-0 in the fourth when Franco lined a bases-loaded base hit into left-center to drive in Bell and Hernandez.
The Angels closed within a run with three in the home half of the inning. Walsh hit a solo shot to right to get Los Angeles on the board. After Matt Stassi drew a walk, Marsh drove Gray’s fastball over the wall in deep center.
Washington responded with Cruz’s two-run shot to left when Elvis Peguero’s sinker stayed up in the strike zone. Franco made it a four-run advantage with an RBI double in the sixth.
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Nationals: RHP Erick Fedde (2-2, 4.68) tossed a season-high seven innings and allowed only one run in his last start, a 10-2 victory at Colorado on May 3.
Angels: LHP Patrick Sandoval (1-1, 1.29) has generated a swing and miss on 57.8% of his changeups this season. That is the highest rate for a starter in the majors.