PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Juan Soto made a leaping catch in foul territory in the first game of a doubleheader and ended
with a milestone homer in the second game.Both plays from the talented teen
keyed a sensational sweep for the Nationals.Soto hit a solo home run in the 10th
inning
Juan Samuel Jersey , his second of the game, to lead the Washington Nationals to a 7-6 win over the Philadelphia Phillies and a doubleheader sweep
on Tuesday night.“I’ve never seen a 19 year old swing and be that patient at the
plate,” Nationals manager Dave Martinez said. “He’s 19 but he plays like he’s
been in the league a long time.”The Nationals rallied for three runs in the
ninth inning off Seranthony Dominguez to tie the game at 6-all. Soto, who hit a
two-run shot in the fourth, connected off Yacksel Rios (3-2) with one out in the
10th for the winner.Greg Holland retired the first batters in the 10th before he
walked the next two. Holland got Cesar Hernandez to fly out to end the game for
his third save. Wander Suero (3-0) got the win.In the first game, Spencer
Kieboom hit his first major league home run after losing a tooth earlier in the
day, Erick Fedde pitched shutout ball into the sixth inning and the Nationals
beat Phillies 3-1.The doubleheader was needed once Monday’s night’s game was
postponed because of poor field conditions from weekend rain. The grounds crew
used blow torches to dry a field that had not been covered with a tarp and
players described as “spongy” and “soft.”It’s the Phillies who are stuck in the
mud.The Phillies, who were 15 games over .500 in early August and in the thick
of NL playoff race, have lost four straight games and are 6-16 since Aug. 18.
Philadelphia fell 6 ½ games behind Atlanta in the NL East and 6 ½ games behind
St. Louis in the race for the second wild card spot.The Nationals (73-72) also
swept a doubleheader on Saturday and just may pass the slumping Phillies (74-70)
in the final standings.“I’m not going to sugarcoat it. We’re not playing good
baseball right now,” Phillies manager Gabe Kapler said.The second game ended 8
1/2 hours after the first pitch in the opener — and with only a smattering of
fans at the park each time.“I feel beat up right now and I just stood there,”
Martinez said.The Phillies seemed poised to win the nightcap and get some sort
of spark going to stay in the NL playoff picture. They scored five runs in the
fourth inning off starter Tanner Roark
Larry Andersen Jersey , and Jose Bautista hit a solo shot in the eighth to make it 6-3.But Dominguez failed them and Kapler let his closer labor through
43 pitches before pulling him. With 20 active pitchers, Kapler nearly gave them
all a turn during the day — except when Dominguez needed help.The Phillies
loaded the bases in the ninth, but the rally was snuffed when Bautista flied
out.Soto had three hits and four RBIs in the nightcap and passed Ken Griffey Jr.
for fourth on the career list for homers by a teenager with 18. He also has the
most multi-homer games by a teenager in baseball history with three.“Can’t wait
to talk to 2-2 over there,” Roark said in the Nationals clubhouse.The Nats had
reason to smile — even if Kieboom, a rookie catcher, was missing a tooth.
Kieboom is waiting on veneers and lost half a temporary tooth earlier at
breakfast when he bit into a baguette. The other half was stuck in his gums.He
looked as if he spit out a tooth while he walked to the plate in the fifth in
the opener. It was just a big spitball. He pointed to the gap as he jogged back
to the dugout after the solo homer.“I just popped it off,” he said, laughing.
“I’ve got to roll with this for a little while but that’s fine. The Caps, those
boys play with no teeth. I can play with no teeth.”Phillies starter Nick Pivetta
(7-12) was one of seven pitchers to work the opener.Fedde (2-3), making his
second start since he missed two months with a sore right shoulder, tossed
one-hit ball through five.The late afternoon start resulted in a sparse crowd
for the first pitch. The 40-plus-person Phillies contingent in front of the
dugout for the national anthem was larger than the bunch of fans in the upper
deck.“One thing that we continue to focus on is who can perform best under
sub-optimal conditions
http://www.philliesfanproshop.com/authentic-robin-roberts-jersey ,” Kapler said. “So optimal conditions are a packed house and really fired up and
energetic and suboptimal conditions are when you have more challenging
situations. And I think today was a more challenging situation and we always
challenge our guys to do the best under those circumstances that they possibly
can.”FLIP OUTPhillies 3B Maikel Franco flipped over a railing and into the
dugout chasing down a foul ball in the eighth inning of the nightcap. Franco
left the game with a right shoulder contusion and neck soreness.DOUBLE DIPThe
Phillies have played four doubleheaders this season, their most since 2011.
They’ve played three at Citizens Bank Park since the All-Star break.MOVING ON
UPThe Phillies recalled RHP Drew Anderson, RHP Enyel De Los Santos and LHP
Ranger Suarez from Triple-A Lehigh Valley.UP NEXTIt’s a doozy: Washington sends
RHP Stephen Strasburg (7-7, 4.04 ERA) to the mound against RHP Aaron Nola (16-4,
2.29).__ PHOENIX — The Colorado Rockies used another strong pitching performance
to stay on track Saturday.Right-hander Antonio Senzatela gave up three hits in
seven innings in a 5-1 victory over Arizona, following German Marquez’s dominant
outing Friday as the Rockies took the first two games of a three-game series.The
Rockies trail the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League West and the St.
Louis Cardinals for the final wild-card spot. Each deficit is 1 1/2 games. The
Diamondbacks, who led the division Sept. 1, is one loss away from
elimination.Article continues below ...“We need to get it done, no matter how we
get it,” said Colorado catcher Chris Iannetta, whose two-out
Tug McGraw Jersey , two-run single triggered a decisive four-run third inning.“We just need to get wins. We don’t have many games left. We need some
help from teams in front of us to lose some games, and we have to win a bunch.
It’s going to be difficult, but we’ll just try to win one each day and see what
happens.”Colorado left-hander Kyle Freeland (15-7, 2.95) is to face Arizona
righty Zack Godley (14-10, 4.79) in Sunday’s series finale. Freeland has made
nine consecutive quality starts.If home field means anything, Colorado might
have a bit of an edge as it looks to make up the necessary ground in the final
week of the season.The Rockies, who have played one fewer game than the Dodgers,
will play their final seven games at Coors Field against NL East teams
Philadelphia and Washington. Both have been eliminated from the playoffs.The
Rockies set a franchise record with 43 road wins after taking the first two
games of the Arizona series Saturday and also are 41-33 at home.The Dodgers will
play their final game this season against San Diego on Sunday. They have road
series remaining against Arizona and the Padres. St. Louis has a three-game home
series against contending Milwaukee beginning Monday before closing the season
with a three-game set against the NL Central-leading Cubs at Wrigley Field.“I
think most teams feel comfortable and confident at home,” Colorado manager Bud
Black said. “I think we do. We’re much better at home the second half of the
season. We play the schedule.”Arizona has lost 11 of 14 with the troubles coming
because of a sluggish offense compounded by a suddenly leaky bullpen.“I go back
to Jim Carrey ‘you’re saying there a chance’,” Arizona manager Torey Lovullo
said. “I’ve going to live until I can take no more breaths, and I feel like the
whole clubhouse will do the same.”Freeland
Drew Hutchison Jersey , a native of Denver who was the Rockies’ first round pick in the 2014 draft, has developed into a star in his second season in
the rotation, and with right-hander Marquez appears to give the Rockies a
dominant 1-2 punch at the top of the rotation for years to come. Freeland is 25.
Marquez 23. Freeland is fifth in the NL in ERA and victories and fourth in WAR,
and has only gotten sharper as the season has moved along. He is 9-1 with a 2.43
ERA in his last 18 starts, and has given up more than three runs only once in
that stretch. The Rockies have won 14 of his 18 starts during that span.“He’s
doing what successful pitchers do,” Black said. “He’s throwing a lot of strikes
in good spots within his repertoire, and his repertoire is solid major league
stuff across the board. He pitches with a great deal of aggressiveness and
confidence. He’s been able to make a pitch when he needs to, to get out of an
inning and get out of a jam.”The Rockies have won three of Freeland’s previous
four starts against the Diamondbacks, although he is 1-1 with a 4.76 ERA against
them this season and 2-2 against them in his career. He gave up four runs in
five innings in his only start at Chase Field.“Changing speeds very well, much
better than he did a year ago,” Black said. “The consistency of his slider is
much improved from last year. Fastball command much improved. The strikeout/walk
ratio are in order for his type of stuff. He’s fielding his position. He’s
holding runners well. All the things that make his successful.”Godley was pushed
back until Sunday to give Zack Greinke and Patrick Corbin the first two cracks
the Rockies in this series
Larry Bowa Jersey , a maneuver designed to give Arizona the best chance to win this series and in the final week of the season.Like Freeland, Godley has set
career highs in virtually every statistical category in his first full season in
the rotation, although he has battled consistency at times. He leads the NL with
12 hit batters and 16 wild pitches, and his 1.45 WHIP ranks 30th of the 31 NL
qualifiers.Godley has not been at his best since mid-August, going 1-4 with a
7.42 ERA in his last six starts. Included in that was a 13-2 loss at Colorado on
Sept. 10, the first contest of a four-game series in which the Rockies won
three. He is 1-1 with a 6.14 ERA in three starts against the Rockies this season
and is 4-1, 3.99 in eight career outings.
