Field Level Media
Sep 9, 2018
Bryce Harper hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the seventh inning that capped Washington's comeback from an early four-run deficit and gave the Nationals a 6-5 victory over the Chicago Cubs in the nightcap of a doubleheader Saturday at Nationals Park.
Greg Holland worked around a leadoff hit by pitch in the ninth to earn his second save with the Nationals after a 1-hour, 29-minute rain delay in the bottom of the eighth inning.
Washington won the first game of the doubleheader 10-3, thanks to a complete game from right-hander Max Scherzer.
The Nationals needed to come back from a 4-0 deficit thanks to Victor Caratini's grand slam in the top of the fourth off starter Jefry Rodriguez. Caratini crushed a 1-0 pitch into the seats for that early lead.
The Nationals' rally began when Adrian Sanchez got an RBI triple in the bottom of the fourth. He sent a shot to center that drove in Harper from first.
The ball glanced off the glove of center fielder Albert Almora Jr., and that let Harper come in.
Washington got another two back in the sixth when Anthony Rendon hit a solo homer, and later in the inning, Sanchez sent an RBI double to right. That cut the lead to 4-3.
The Cubs appeared to gain some insurance when Kris Bryant added an RBI double in the top of the seventh for a 5-3 advantage. However, everything turned around in the bottom half.
Rendon started a three-run rally with his RBI double to left. Justin Wilson (4-4) then came in for the Cubs, and Harper belted his two-run homer to deep center that put Washington in front for the first time at 6-5.
Wander Suero (2-0) earned the victory in relief. Sean Doolittle came on for Washington with one out in the eighth and got the final two outs of that inning before the rains made the umpires halt play.
The left-hander was coming off the disabled list and pitching for the first time since July 6.
Both starters came away with a no-decision. Rodriguez gave up the four runs in his four-inning effort while Chicago starter Cole Hamels went 5 2/3 innings and gave up two of his three runs in the sixth inning.
--Field Level Media