Nationals Slip Past Cubs In 12 Innings
WASHINGTON (AP) — Jayson Werth singled in the winning run with two outs in the 12th inning, giving the Washington Nationals a 5-4 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday long after starters Stephen Strasburg and Jason Hammel dueled to a scintillating draw.
Facing Adam Warren, Werth hit a liner off the wall in center field to score Michael Taylor, who hit an RBI single against Trevor Cahill (0-2) earlier in the inning.
Addison Russell had given the Cubs the lead with a run-scoring single off Yusmeiro Petit (2-0) in the top half.
A sellout crowd of 42,000, largest of the season in Washington, watched the deciding matchup of a three-game series between first-place teams.
Strasburg gave up one run in seven innings for the Nationals, and Hammel did the same for Chicago. After they departed, both teams received shoddy bullpen work.
Pinch-hitter Stephen Drew gave Washington a 2-1 lead with a homer in the eighth off Pedro Strop. It was the Nationals' club-record ninth pinch-hit home run of the season, the third by Drew.
With closer Jonathan Papelbon on the disabled list, Washington manager Dusty Baker summoned Matt Belisle to protect the lead in the ninth. Belisle promptly gave up a leadoff double to Kris Bryant, and Baker turned to Oliver Perez to end it.
Anthony Rizzo greeted the left-hander with a two-run shot to right.
Cubs closer Hector Rendon added his name to the list of ineffective relievers in the bottom half. He issued a leadoff walk to Bryce Harper and an RBI single to Wilson Ramos.
The back-and-forth nature of the late innings came after each starter turned in a dominant performance.
Strasburg struck out eight, allowing six hits and a walk. He wasn't involved in the decision, so he's 10-0 with a 2.90 ERA after 14 starts this season.
Hammel remained 9-0 lifetime against the Nationals after giving up five hits, striking out four and walking nine. He ended his outing by getting Anthony Rendon to ground out with a runner on third.
Ben Zobrist opened the game by hitting a 1-2 pitch from Strasburg over the wall in right. Jason Heyward followed with a double and was cut down trying to steal third.
Chicago didn't put another runner in scoring position until the seventh, when Albert Almora Jr. doubled with one out.
The Nationals got a first-inning run when Ben Revere singled and scored on a wild pitch. After Ramos led off the Washington second with a single, Hammel retired 13 straight.
Copyright 2016 The Associated Press.
