Printer-friendly version
By Liz Alper
Photo: Rady Children’s auxiliary was recognized for their hard work before the game. Courtesy @Padres on Twitter
June 16, 2016 (San Diego) - The Washington Nationals arrived in San Diego for the start of a four-game series tonight. Tanner Roark got the start for Washington against Erik Johnson for San Diego.
Contrary to their past three games, the Padres got things started. Matt Kemp singled in the first, scoring Travis Jankowski and the Padres took a 1-0 lead. Melvin Upton Jr. did the same, scoring Wil Myers and the Padres went up 2-0. By now you must be thinking “where was this in the Marlins series?”
Never fear; the Padres from the Marlins series started to come back in the second. Stephen Drew hit a sacrifice fly, scoring Wilson Ramos and the Padres’ lead was cut to one, 2-1.
The usual Padres eventually came back in the third when none other than Bryce Harper hit a two-run shot to put the Nats ahead 3-2. That was followed by Wilson Ramos’ solo homer and the Nationals went up 4-2.
Myers hit a home run in the fifth to get the Padres to within one, 4-3.
But in the sixth, Anthony Rendon hit a home run of his own to give the Nationals back their two-run lead, 5-3.
Christian Bethancourt grounded out in the Padres’ half of the sixth, bringing home Upton Jr. and bringing the Padres to within one again, 5-4.
Clint Robinson hit a sacrifice fly off of Padres reliever Brad Hand in the seventh, scoring Ben Revere and the Nats went up 6-4.
In the ninth, on a surprise pickoff throw to third by Bethancourt, the ball got past Ryan Schimpf and the Nats added another run in Revere and now led 7-4. Jankowski couldn’t make the catch on a Harper single, scoring Jayson Werth and the Nats led 8-4.
The Padres rallied a bit in their half of the ninth with Kemp’s sac fly, driving home Jankowski, but the Nats would take game one 8-5.
Game two is at 7:40 p.m. tomorrow night. Joe Ross will start for Washington against Christian Friedrich for San Diego.
Recent comments