CHICAGO — Keibert Ruiz and Trey Lipscomb each hit an RBI single during Washington’s three-run eighth inning, and the Nationals beat the Chicago White Sox 6-3 on Tuesday in the opener of a straight doubleheader.
Joey Meneses went 4 for 4 and drove in two runs for Washington, which had lost three of four. Lipscomb had three hits and swiped three bases.
Derek Law (3-1) got three outs for the win, and Kyle Finnegan handled the ninth for his 13th save in 14 opportunities.
Eloy Jiménez hit a solo homer for Chicago, which has dropped two in a row since a four-game win streak. Tommy Pham had two hits and drove in a run.
The doubleheader was scheduled after Monday’s series opener was postponed by rain.
The White Sox trailed 3-1 before pushing across two runs in the fifth against Trevor Williams. Errors by Lipscomb at third base and Eddie Rosario in left field helped set up a sacrifice fly for Braden Shewmake and a tying single for Pham.
The Nationals responded in the eighth against John Brebbia (0-2). Ruiz’s pinch-hit liner to right drove in pinch-runner Nasim Nuñez for a 4-3 lead. Lipscomb singled home Nick Senzel, and Victor Robles greeted Steven Wilson with a sacrifice fly to left.
“We’ve been playing great baseball all season,” Williams said, “and the guys that are coming off the bench, even Nas today … putting the pressure on it for us to score those runs at the end is great momentum going into game two.”
The White Sox put runners on first and second with one out in the ninth, but Zach Remillard bounced into a forceout at third and Nicky Lopez struck out looking for the final out.
Remillard was inserted into the game when rookie third baseman Bryan Ramos departed before the start of the seventh because of left quad tightness.
Jiménez led off the second with his fifth homer for Chicago. It was the first homer allowed by Williams in eight starts this season.
The 32-year-old Williams was charged with three runs, one earned, and four hits in five innings.
“It was gonna be one of those games where whoever blinks first is going to be in trouble, and for us to play like we did, especially coming off a rainout and playing an early game like this, it was huge,” Williams said.
The Nationals went in front with three runs in the fifth. Rosario singled in Lipscomb, and Meneses tacked on a two-run single.
White Sox right-hander Chris Flexen permitted three runs and seven hits in 4 2/3 innings.
TRAINER’S ROOM
White Sox: On Monday, CF Luis Robert Jr. (right hip flexor strain) tried running at 90 percent, and INF Yoán Moncada (left adductor strain) began hitting left-handed. Manager Pedro Grifol has not yet received an update on either player’s progress. “No news is good news, so that means that everything went fine yesterday,” he said. … RHP Dominic Leone (back tightness) threw a live bullpen before the first game of the doubleheader.
Nationals: Manager Dave Martinez said OF Jesse Winker was feeling better toward the end of Monday after he left Sunday’s loss to the Red Sox because of back spasms. Winker was available for the doubleheader.
UP NEXT
Nationals left-hander Mitchell Parker (2-1, 2.67 ERA) and White Sox right-hander Erick Fedde (3-0, 3.00 ERA) take the mound in the second game. Fedde began his major league career with Washington and is facing his former club for the first time.
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