Curtis Mead and Dylan Crews homered, Zack Littell won his fifth straight start, and the Washington Nationals beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 6-1 on Saturday in Phoenix.
Mead hit a two-run homer on the eighth pitch of the game off Eduardo Rodriguez (5-2), as the Nationals secured the series win and improved to 21-12 in road games. Only Atlanta (23) has more road wins.
Littell (6-4) gave up one run and two hits in five innings, with four strikeouts and one walk. He was removed after throwing 64 pitches, 42 strikes, and threw first-pitch strikes to 15 of the 19 he faced.
Crews had two hits and scored twice, and Nasim Nunez singled and drove in two.
The Nationals lead the MLB with 351 runs and 51 first-inning runs. They have lost only one of their last eight series.
Littell allowed only a hit batter in the first four innings before Pavin Smith broke up the no-hitter with a sharp ground single to left-center to open the fifth.
LuJames Groover singled in Smith with his first major league hit to close the deficit to 2-1 with two outs, and Groover reached third when center fielder Young misplayed his single for an error.
Tommy Troy walked and Littell retired Ketel Marte, his last batter, on a grounder to second base.
The D-backs did not get another hit off three Washington relievers.
They have three runs and eight hits in the first two games of the series and have lost seven of nine.
Rodriguez gave up four runs and six hits, with five strikeouts and one walk. The D-Backs were 9-3 in his previous 12 starts. He was seeking his 100th career win.
James Wood singled before Mead’s 411-foot homer, his ninth.
Crews hit a 432-foot homer leading off the seventh off Rodriguez and Jacob Young tripled with one out, knocking out Rodriguez. Nunez’s sacrifice bunt off Juan Morillo scored Young.
Nunez and Keibert Ruiz drove in runs in a two-run ninth.
–Field Level Media
