WASHINGTON (AP) — Alex Call hit a game-winning single in the 10th inning, Mitchell Parker pitched 6 1/3 innings without allowing an earned run and the Washington Nationals defeated the Los Angeles Angels 3-2 Friday night in the opener of a three-game series.
Washington earned its second walk-off win of the season and its first since April 20 against Houston.
Los Angeles’ Anthony Rendon had three hits in his first road game against Washington, where he played his first seven seasons. The Angels hadn’t played a road game against the Nationals since 2017.
After rookie Nasim Nuñez sacrificed automatic runner Jacob Young to third against Matt Moore (5-3), Angels manager Ron Washington summoned right-hander Ben Joyce from the bullpen.
Call worked a full count, seeing three consecutive pitches faster than 100 mph before lining a 99-mph fastball off the drawn-in Luis Guillorme at second base to score the winning run.
“It just looked like it was going right in his glove, so I was kind of deflated because I hit it hard,” Call said. “Then it just happened fast and I saw the ball kind of floating and I’m like, ‘Oh my gosh, you didn’t catch it, and it’s time to have some fun.’”
Washington called on Joyce to make a potential squeeze bunt more challenging for the Nationals. He said Joyce had done his job getting a hard-hit ball to an infielder.
“We’re in the big leagues,” Washington said. “That ball hit his glove. He’s in a position where the ball comes off the bat, you play with that. You’re not in the minor leagues.”
Call had a three-hit night and is batting .548 (17 for 31) with a homer and eight RBIs since his call-up from Triple-A Rochester on July 29.
Kyle Finnegan (3-5) pitched two scoreless innings for the Nationals. The All-Star threw 29 pitches a day after throwing 28 in the ninth inning of a loss to San Francisco, and urged manager Dave Martinez to let him go back out for the 10th.
“Every time we get to that ninth inning or 10th inning, whatever it is, he’s the guy,” Martinez said. “I love having him out there. I know he’s going to give everything he’s got. A lot of times, it works out really well for him.”
Rendon logged his first seven seasons with the Nationals before signing a seven-year, $245 million contract with the Angels, but had not played in Washington since helping the franchise win the World Series in 2019. The Nationals showed a tribute on the video board before the game and Rendon was cheered before his first plate appearance. He was 3 for 5 with a stolen base.
Kevin Pillar led off the second with a single off Parker. Parker later had Pillar picked off but threw it beyond the grasp of first baseman Juan Yepez. Two batters later, Jo Adell smashed a first-pitch offering over the visitor’s bullpen in left-center for his team-high 17th home run of the season.
Parker gave up two runs — neither earned — and eight hits in 6 1/3 innings. He struck out five and walked none.
Los Angeles starter José Soriano yielded four hits over six innings while striking out seven. Washington scored its only run against him on Keibert Ruiz’s one-out fielder’s choice grounder in the first.
The Nationals tied it in the eighth against José Quijada on a pair of one-out singles from Call and Luis García Jr. and Yepez’s sacrifice fly to center, which scored Call.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Angels: Los Angeles reinstated OF Taylor Ward from the paternity list and optioned INF Charles Leblanc to Triple-A Salt Lake.
Nationals: SS CJ Abrams (back spasms) was scratched from the lineup about an hour before the game. Martinez said he was day to day. … RHP Jordan Weems (shin splints) threw a bullpen session Wednesday.
UP NEXT
Los Angeles RHP Griffin Canning (4-10, 5.10 ERA) looks to win back-to-back starts for the first time this season as the series continues. Washington counters with LHP Patrick Corbin (2-12, 5.88), who is 0-3 with a 9.56 ERA in his first three attempts to earn his 100th career victory.
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb