Aaron Barrett threw away a bunt in the sixth inning and the Arizona Diamondbacks quickly capitalized, handing the Washington Nationals their fifth loss in six games with an 11-4 victory.
Down two runs in the ninth, the pitching-rich Nationals resorted to putting first baseman Tyler Moore on the mound, and he retired the first batter he faced, Paul Goldschmidt, on an RBI groundout.
Goldschmidt, Ender Inciarte and A.J. Pollock each had three of Arizona’s 17 hits. Welington Castillo added a three-run home run, his sixth in nine games.
The loss dropped the Nationals two games behind the streaking New York Mets in the National League East. Arizona has won nine of 13.
The Diamondbacks trailed, 2-1, in the sixth when Nick Ahmed tried to put down a sacrifice with runners at first and second and no outs. Barrett (3-3) fielded the ball but made a wild throw that went into foul territory in right field, letting both runners score.
Ahmed wound up reaching third base, and was credited with a single. Pinch-hitter Jarrod Saltalamacchia followed with a broken-bat single for another run and Aaron Hill later drew a bases-loaded walk for his second RBI, making it 5-2.
Castillo hit a three-run home run in the eighth and Arizona scored three more in the ninth.
Moore, a first baseman and outfielder, made his first major league pitching appearance, retiring Goldschmidt and Hill and also hitting Castillo with a pitch.
Rubby De La Rosa (9-5) went five innings for the win.
Nationals starter Gio Gonzalez struck out seven in five innings. He left with a 2-1 after a leadoff single in the sixth.
Michael A. Taylor hit a two-run home run for the Nationals in that ninth.
Arizona right-hander Jeremy Hellickson (7-7, 4.95 ERA) has struck out 24 batters in his last 27 1/3 innings and will start in the series finale against Washington right-hander Joe Ross (2-3, 3.00 ERA), a rookie who’s never started against the Diamondbacks.
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