Eduardo Rodriguez, Diamondbacks earn tight win over Nationals
Jul 18, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo (17) watches game action against the St. Louis Cardinals in the first inning at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images Gabriel Moreno drove in the go-ahead run with a seventh-inning sacrifice fly as the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks beat the Washington Nationals 3-2 on Friday.
Moreno and Tim Tawa each had two hits and an RBI for Arizona, which has won four straight and six of seven.
Dylan Crews hit a two-run homer for Washington, which had won three of four.
Arizona's Eduardo Rodriguez (9-3) allowed two runs on seven hits over six innings. He struck out four and walked three. Rodriguez pitched out of trouble on several occasions to bounce back from a poor outing against the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday.
Paul Sewald pitched a perfect ninth inning for his 24th save.
Washington bulk reliever Zack Littell (7-8) gave up a run on four hits over five innings, with five strikeouts and one walk. Opener Carson Palmquist was charged with two runs in 1 1/3 innings.
In the seventh, Ketel Marte hit a one-out single off Littell, who was lifted for Tom Cosgrove. Corbin Carroll singled and Geraldo Perdomo walked to load the bases. Moreno flied to deep left, driving in Marte scoring from third to make it 3-2.
The D-backs squandered a chance in the first. After Carroll and Perdomo drew one-out walks, Moreno blooped a single to center. Carroll had to wait for the ball to fall and stopped at third. Perdomo rounded second too far and was thrown out trying to get back.
When Andres Chaparro doubled with one out in the bottom of the first, Washington had runners on second and third, but Rodriguez struck out CJ Abrams and got Crews to fly out.
Arizona took a 2-0 lead in the second. Max Kepler led off with a double and Tyler Locklear walked. After Adrian Del Castillo bunted the runners over, Littell replaced Palmquist.
Tawa laid down a perfect bunt and was safe at first as Kepler scored. Marte hit into what appeared to be a 3-6-3 double play, but Arizona challenged and Marte was ruled safe at first with Locklear scoring on the play.
The Nationals tied it in the fourth when Abrams singled and Crews followed with a homer to left-center.
The first two Nationals reached in the sixth, but after a sacrifice bunt, Rodriguez fanned Harry Ford, walked Luis Garcia Jr. and got Nasim Nunez to ground out.
--Field Level Media
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