Alex Call’s one-out RBI single in the bottom of the 10th inning lifted the host Washington Nationals to a 3-2 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Friday night.
With Angels left-hander Matt Moore (5-3) on the mound to start the 10th, the Nationals’ Nasim Nunez bunted automatic runner Jacob Young to third. Angels manager Ron Washington then brought in Ben Joyce, looking for a strikeout.
But Call hit a 99-mph fastball from Joyce past second baseman Luis Guillorme and into shallow center field, driving home Young for the game-winning run.
Nationals reliever Kyle Finnegan (3-5) got the win as the Nationals overcame the return of third baseman Anthony Rendon, who led the Angels’ offense with three hits.
It was Rendon’s first trip to Washington since he left the team via free agency after the Nationals’ 2019 World Series championship.
The Nationals jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first inning against Angels starter Jose Soriano. Call led off with an infield single but was caught trying to steal second. Luis Garcia Jr. followed with a walk and went to third on a single by Juan Yepez.
It appeared Soriano was going to get out of the inning unscathed when Keibert Ruiz hit a sharp grounder to second baseman Michael Stefanic, but instead of an inning-ending double play, shortstop Zach Neto could not handle Stefanic’s throw at second base.
Garcia scored on the play and the error gave the Nationals runners on first and second, still with just one out. Soriano, however, avoided further damage.
Nationals starter Mitchell Parker retired the Angels in order in the first inning, but Kevin Pillar began the second with a single. Two outs later, Jo Adell hit a 431-foot homer to center on a first-pitch fastball to give the Angels a 2-1 lead. It was Adell’s team-leading 17th homer of the season.
The Angels had opportunities to add to their lead, putting two runners on base in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings, but didn’t push across a run. The Angels finished 1-for-13 with runners in scoring position.
The Nationals rallied to tie the score at 2-2 in the eighth inning on a sacrifice fly by Yepez.
–Field Level Media