The Washington Nationals delivered their most productive offensive performance of the season on Friday night, collecting a season-high in hits and runs during a 15-9 victory over the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium. Brady House provided the go-ahead RBI double in the seventh inning, while Josh Bell and Jacob Young drove in three runs to help Washington overcome multiple lead changes in the series opener.
The Nationals tallied 19 hits in the game and scored in the final five innings, including a decisive four-run ninth. The offensive outburst came despite Washington entering the night with just six wins in 24 games in June.
CJ Abrams, Luis García Jr., and Nathaniel Lowe recorded three hits. García and Lowe added two RBIs apiece. Washington’s fifth lead change of the night came in the seventh, when Bell drew a walk-off reliever, Sam Bachman, after falling behind in the count 0-1. House followed by sending the next pitch down the left field line to bring in Bell, giving the Nationals a 10-9 lead they would not relinquish.
Brad Lord earned the win in relief, improving to 2-5 after allowing just one hit over 1 2/3 scoreless innings. Bachman was charged with the loss, dropping to 1-1.
The game was played under the shadow of an off-field development for the Angels, who announced earlier in the day that manager Ron Washington would miss the remainder of the season due to a medical issue. Ray Montgomery was named interim manager.
The game itself featured numerous offensive highlights on both sides. Bell started the scoring with a two-run home run in the second inning, followed by a two-out, two-run double from Young later in the frame. Abrams then singled to bring in Young before being thrown out trying to stretch the hit into a double.
Los Angeles responded with Taylor Ward, Nolan Schanuel, and Jo Adell home runs. The Angels held a 7-6 lead after five innings, but the Nationals answered quickly in the top of the sixth with two more runs. Lowe’s RBI double and Daylen Lile’s run-scoring single restored a one-run advantage for Washington.
Despite the loss, the Angels produced a season-high 19 hits, with seven different players recording multiple hits. However, they could not match Washington’s consistent scoring in the late innings.
The Nationals secured the win by scoring one run in the sixth, two in the seventh, two in the eighth, and four in the ninth. The late rally was punctuated by a stretch of timely hitting that kept the pressure on the Angels’ bullpen throughout.
The series continues Saturday with Nationals right-hander Michael Soroka (3-5, 5.06 ERA) scheduled to face Angels right-hander Kyle Hendricks (5-6, 4.83 ERA). According to current betting odds, the Angels are slightly home favorites at -120, with the Nationals at +100. The over/under for total runs is set at 9.5.
