Daylen Lile went 2-for-5, including the go-ahead RBI, to help the Washington Nationals avoid a sweep with an 8-7 win against the host Kansas City Royals on Wednesday.
The rookie outfielder knocked a line-drive single off reliever Carlos Estevez (4-5) in the top of the ninth to drive in Luis Garcia Jr.
Nationals reliever Jose Ferrer (4-3) held the Royals scoreless in 1 1/3 innings in the eighth and ninth to earn the win.
Kansas City tied the game 7-7 in the eighth. Pinch runner Tyler Tolbert stole second and third and scored on Bobby Witt Jr.’s sacrifice fly.
After its five-run lead was cut to two in the second, Washington added insurance over the next two innings. In the third, Lile reached on a fielder’s choice and later scored on a Brady House single to make it 6-3.
CJ Abrams pushed the advantage to 7-3 in the fourth with a lead-off solo shot just inside the right field pole.
The Royals tightened the gap in the bottom of the fourth. With Mike Yastrzemski (walk) and Witt (hit by pitch) on base, Vinnie Pasquantino belted a changeup 410 feet to right field to narrow the deficiit to 7-6.
The Nationals opened the scoring in the first inning against Royals right-hander Seth Lugo. James Wood singled, Abrams walked, Garcia reached on a force-out and Josh Bell walked to load the bases. That brought up Nathaniel Lowe, who then mashed a grand slam to right field to give the visitors a 4-0 lead.
They added another to make it 5-0 when Drew Millas connected for a double that drove in Lile.
Kansas City narrowed the deficit in the bottom half of the first. Yastrzemski walked, Witt singled, and each moved up a base on Jake Irvin’s wild pitch with Pasquantino at the plate. Yastrzemski scored on Pasquantino’s groundout to cut it to 5-1 and Adam Frazier’s single brought in Witt to make it 5-2.
The hosts pulled within 5-3 in the second. John Rave opened with a single and, after a walk and groundout moved him to third, he came around on a single from Witt.
Both starters went four innings, with Washington right-hander Irvin giving up six runs on seven hits and four walks with three strikeouts, and Kansas City’s Lugo allowing seven runs (six earned) on six hits and four walks with two strikeouts.
–Field Level Media
