Yohandy Morales hit a two-run homer and the visiting Washington Nationals held on for a 4-2 victory over the Detroit Tigers on Wednesday afternoon.
Morales’ fourth homer of the season allowed the Nationals (75-84) to win the three-game series 2-1. Brady House had two hits and scored a run while CJ Abrams, who homered twice on Tuesday, reached base three times and knocked in a run.
Detroit starter Framber Valdez (10-12) gave up two runs and four hits while striking out six in 5 1/3 innings. Ben Malgeri hit his fifth homer of the season and drove in both Tigers runs. Kevin McGonigle added three hits for Detroit (74-85).
Valdez set down the first 11 batters he faced before House slapped a single. Abrams drew a walk but Valdez got out of the jam by inducing Dylan Crews to ground out.
Valdez walked two batters in the fifth but escaped again by striking out James Wood. Detroit also had two baserunners that inning as Zach McKinstry drew a two-out walk and McGonigle singled. They were left stranded as Hao-Yu Lee struck out.
Washington broke the deadlock in the sixth. Andres Chaparro led off with a single and House followed with another hit. Abrams’ single to right knocked in Chaparro and Morales’ homer to right-center made it 3-0. Morales launched a Tyler Kinley slider an estimated 422 feet.
Malgeri led off the bottom of the inning by launching the first pitch he saw from winning pitcher Will Dion (2-2) over the left-center field wall to put Detroit on the board.
The Nationals manufactured a run in the seventh. Nasim Nunez singled, stole second and third and scored on Wood’s groundout.
Detroit threatened in the eighth as Riley Greene and Max Clark drew walks against Erik Tolman, but they were left stranded when Spencer Torkelson struck out against Yovanny Cruz, who came on after the walk to Clark.
Singles by Jace Jung, McGonigle and Malgeri produced a ninth-inning run but Greene flied out to end the game as Cruz recorded his first save.