Difo gives Nationals walk-off win over Phillies
Max Scherzer of Washington struck out 15 in 6 1/3 innings but finished with a no-decision, and Wilmer Difo later produced a walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth as the Nationals rallied for a 5-4 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Sunday.
Scherzer was named the National League Pitcher of the Month for April and showed why with a spectacular performance. At one point, from the second through the sixth innings, he recorded 12 straight outs by strikeouts.
The last strikeout in that run came with runners on first and second and no outs in the sixth. Scherzer then got Maikel Franco to ground an inning-ending double play that kept the Nationals in front 1-0.
But he ran into trouble in the seventh. Pedro Florimon led off with a single and stole second before Scherzer struck out Jorge Alfaro, and Sammy Solis came on to pitch.
Nick Williams tied the game with a bloop single to center. Brandon Kintzler replaced Solis, and Rhys Hoskins (double) and Odubel Herrera (single) delivered back-to-back RBI hits later in the inning that gave Philadelphia a 3-1 lead.
Franco made it 4-1 with a solo homer in the eighth off Carlos Torres.
However, the Nationals' Anthony Rendon lined a two-hit single in the bottom half, cutting the lead to 4-3. Washington then rallied for two in the ninth against Hector Neris (1-2).
The Nationals loaded the bases with no outs, and Neris walked pinch hitter Pedro Severino to force in the tying run. With five Phillies playing in the infield, Difo lined a game-winning single to center.
Sean Doolittle (1-1) earned the win for Washington.
Phillies starter Jake Arrieta also got a tough-luck no-decision. He allowed one run on just two hits in six innings.
The only run Arrieta allowed came on a Matt Adams homer that gave the Nationals a 1-0 lead in the second. Adams has homered in four of his last six games.
Ryan Zimmerman of Washington did not start for a second straight game. The Washington Post reported that Zimmerman and manager Dave Martinez said it was "stiffness" and "soreness."
--Field Level Media
