Arizona Diamondbacks vs Washington Nationals Box Score on May 04, 2017

The Sports Xchange
May 4, 2017

WASHINGTON -- Max Scherzer gave up just two hits, had two hits of his own and drove in the first run against his former team as the first-place Washington Nationals beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 4-2 Thursday, taking two of three games in the series.

Scherzer (4-2) struck out a season-high 11 batters and allowed two walks while throwing 107 pitches in seven innings. Matt Albers pitched a perfect eighth and Enny Romero got the last three outs in the ninth for the save, his first.

Washington right fielder Bryce Harper was replaced in the top of the seventh by Chris Heisey. There was no immediate word on the condition of Harper, who made a diving catch on a bloop off the bat of Braden Shipley in the third.

Scherzer reached on an infield single to third with the bases loaded and two outs in the second, and his RBI gave the Nationals a 1-0 lead.

The Nationals loaded the bases again in the third on three straight walks allowed by starter Shipley (0-1). Anthony Rendon then lined a two-run single to give Washington a 3-0 lead. Michael A. Taylor followed with a walk and Jose Lobaton grounded into a double play to end the threat.

Jake Lamb of Arizona broke up the shutout with a solo homer in the seventh to make it 3-1. It was the seventh homer of the year for Lamb. Heisey had an RBI groundout in the eighth to make it 4-1, and Paul Goldschmidt of Arizona hit a solo homer in the ninth off Joe Blanton to trim the margin to 4-2.

Scherzer was a first-round draft pick by Arizona in 2006 out of the University of Missouri. He is now 5-0 in his career against the Diamondbacks.

Shipley went four innings plus one batter in the fifth. He was replaced by Randall Delgado after giving up five hits, three runs and six walks with two strikeouts.

Ryan Zimmerman singled in the fifth to chase Shipley and up his hitting streak to 11 games. Taylor was 2-for-2 with two walks and two steals and is now 9-for-19 in his last five games since taking over for the injured Adam Eaton in center. Trea Turner also had two hits for Washington.

NOTES: Arizona OF Jeremy Hazelbaker was sent to Triple-A Reno to make room for RHP Braden Shipley, who made his first major-league start of the year Thursday. Hazelbaker hit his first homer of the year Tuesday in Washington and had four pinch-hit homers last year for the St. Louis Cardinals. ... Washington RHP Stephen Strasburg (2-1, 3.09 ERA) will face former Nationals minor leaguer Nick Pivetta (0-1, 3.60 ERA) of host Philadelphia on Friday. ... Arizona RHP Zack Greinke (2-2, 3.19 ERA) will oppose Colorado RHP German Marquez (0-1, 7.20 ERA) on Friday in Denver.