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| Harris' three-run shot powers Nationals past Diamonbacks WASHINGTON 7, ARIZONA 4 |
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PHOENIX (Ticker) -- Having posted just 10 hits all season entering Friday, Willie Harris seemed an unlikely hero for the Washington Nationals until a misplaced fastball changed everything. Harris belted a go-ahead, three-run homer in the seventh inning, powering the Nationals to a 7-4 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks. With the game tied at 3-3 in the top of the seventh, Harris lined a second-pitch fastball from Diamondbacks starter Micah Owings (6-3) just over the wall in right field for a three-run shot, just his fifth hit in 27 at-bats this month. "We were trying to go away with a fastball and just trying to get a groundball out," Owings said. "I missed my spot and paid for it. In the big leagues, that is going to happen when you don't hit your spot." Joel Hanrahan (1-2), who came on in relief of starter Tim Redding, tossed 1 2/3 scoreless frames to notch his first win of the season. Luis Ayala surrendered a solo homer in the eighth before handing it over to closer Jon Rauch, who set down the Diamondbacks in order in the ninth for his 12th save in 14 chances. Orlando Hudson also homered for Arizona, which has lost a season-high five straight and 10 of the its last 14 contests. "It just feels like we're putting too much pressure on (ourselves) at the plate, especially if we are behind," Diamondbacks manager Bob Melvin said. "The three-run homer took the wind out of our sails. We just have to keep grinding and battling at it." The Nationals took the lead for good when Owings hit Rob Mackowiak, who had struck out in his first two at-bats against the righthander. Elijah Dukes followed with a single, setting the stage for Harris' homer. "When I hit it, I knew I hit it good, but I thought it was going to be a double or something," Harris said. "I was fortunate enough to get it up a little more, but it was a line drive, and that's what I try to do, is hit line drives. I'm by far not a home-run hitter, and I don't consider myself one either." After Chad Tracy hit his first homer of the season in the eighth to trim the Diamondbacks' deficit to 6-4, Harris added an insurance run in the ninth, when he scored on groundout by Felipe Lopez. Washington's Jesus Flores, whose two-run single plated the first runs of the game in the second, left the contest as the Nationals took the field in the bottom of the seventh. The catcher had been experiencing headaches and nausea after twice being hit in the head by foul tips earlier in the game. "After I came back from the sixth inning, I started to feel dizzy and a little nauseous with a headache," Flores said. "I told the trainer I didn't feel good." |
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