The Nationals lead this game 2-0 after three innings thanks not only to their early offense against Cole (making his first start back from a triceps injury) but some effective pitching from Tanner Roark.
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Rendon, batting cleanup for the first time this year, had his first homer since July 7 when he went deep in the fifth inning.
Dodgers 13, Diamondbacks 7: Chris Taylor, in his third start since coming up from the minors, drove in six runs and fell a single shy of the cycle, and Bud Norris finally beat Arizona in Los Angeles’ victory. He allowed no runs and four hits with 12 strikeouts and no walks in eight innings over two rehab starts with Triple-A Indianapolis. He walked a man and hit another with a pitch but didn’t allow another hit after Dozier’s blast until a two-out double in the seventh inning ended his night.
Right-hander Andrew Cashner and three relievers held San Francisco to five hits, and solo homers by Adam Rosales and Wil Myers capped a four-run assault against Madison Bumgarner as the San Diego Padres defeated the Giants. He struck out five Saturday and got a big ovation from the sellout crowd of 38,861 when he came to bat in the eighth and again when he left in the top of the ninth.
For the Washington Nationals, the last thing they want is for their All-Star second basemen, Daniel Murphy, to be injured from playing in the All-Star Game and miss time.
The 25-year-old was a first-round pick by the Pirates in the 2011 draft out of UCLA, where he pitched for three years.
Nationals: RHP Max Scherzer (10-6, 3.03) makes his first start since appearing in the All-Star game. Third baseman Anthony Rendon made a spectacular over-the-shoulder catch of a fifth-inning foul pop down the left-field line. Stephen Drew doubled three times, Danny Espinosa hit an RBI double, and the bottom four hitters had six hits and three runs. Espinosa eventually came around to score after Ben Revere made contact on a weak infield hit.
Pittsburgh had three total runners reach in the second inning, but Roark deftly avoided damage with two groundouts including a double play on a ball hit by Sean Rodriguez.
Cole’s first major league appearance since June 10 was delayed 71 minutes by rain. The official scorer made a change in Friday’s game.
Cole has a 2-0 record and 1.74 ERA in three starts against Washington. Josh Harrison, the Pirates’ second baseman, tracked the ball down in shallow right field but his throw to first off a spin was wild. Red Sox left-hander Eduardo Rogriguez, who has struggled mightily in six starts this season (8.59 ERA, 1.74 WHIP), will try Saturday to start the second half of the season right. Scherzer threw a no-hitter at home against the Pirates on June 20, 2015. That is clear evidence of both Davey Lopes’ expertise as their first base coach, and manager Dusty Baker’s emphasis on aggressive baserunning.
Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Francisco Liriano throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Friday, July 15, 2016, in Washington.
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Pirates: RF Gregory Polanco either will return to the lineup by Tuesday or be placed on the disabled list with left hamstring tightness, manager Clint Hurdle said.
