Instant Analysis: Nats 6, Diamondbacks 1

Zack Littell offered up another dominant-if-abbreviated start, and Curtis Mead and Dylan Crews homered as the Nationals won again in Arizona

Photo by Billy Sabatini / ALL-PRO REELS

PHOENIX – The Nationals have rediscovered their groove. And they’ve done it, fittingly, on the road.

With another offensive barrage in the top of the first and another dominant-if-abbreviated performance from their starting pitcher, the Nats beat the Diamondbacks again to secure their fourth straight road series (the franchise’s longest such streak since 2018) and give themselves a shot at a weekend sweep Sunday afternoon at Chase Field.

For the second time in less than 24 hours, they took a 2-0 lead two batters into the game, with Curtis Mead supplying the top-of-the-first homer this time. Arizona starter Eduardo Rodriguez did settle down after that, preventing the Nationals from scoring again into the seventh. But Dylan Crews then opened that frame with a towering blast to left for his second homer of the season, and Jacob Young later added a triple before scoring on Nasim Nuñez’s safety squeeze. Nuñez and Keibert Ruiz went on to drive in a pair of insurance runs in the ninth to pad the lead.

That was plenty of offensive support for the Nats pitching staff, which got another dominant start from Zack Littell. The veteran carried a no-hitter into the fifth and ultimately allowed only one run on two hits (same as Foster Griffin) on Friday night before getting a quick hook from manager Blake Butera.

The bullpen had little trouble finishing what Littell started, with Orlando Ribalta and Mitchell Parker each tossing a scoreless inning before Brad Lord pitched the eighth and ninth to close out the Nationals’ 21st win in 33 road games.

HITTING HIGHLIGHT: Just when it looked like he was completely lost at the plate, Crews put forth perhaps his best swing as a big leaguer. He stepped up to bat in the seventh 1 for his last 17 with zero walks, and though there had been a few loud outs sprinkled in there, there still weren’t enough tangible results to suggest he was on the verge of a breakout. Then he ambushed a first-pitch fastball from Rodriguez and absolutely destroyed it. The ball sailed 432 feet to left-center, a no-doubt home run that allowed Crews the opportunity to admire his handiwork before taking a stroll around the bases. One swing isn’t going to completely cure him, but he did follow the seventh-inning homer with a ninth-inning single. If nothing else, he at least has something positive to cling to as he attempts to establish himself as a more-consistent offensive threat.

PITCHING HIGHLIGHT: Just like Griffin in the series opener, Littell was in complete control from the start. He threw first-pitch strikes to 14 of the 19 batters he faced, and by staying ahead in the count, he got quick outs, retiring the first six batters of the game on a scant 17 pitches. Littell carried a no-hitter into the fifth, at which point he surrendered a leadoff single to Pavin Smith. LuJames Groover’s two-out RBI single to center (with Jacob Young letting the ball get by him for an error) put Littell into a jam, but he escaped without further damage. Like Griffin, though, he wasn’t allowed to return to the mound for the sixth despite a super-low pitch count (64). Regardless, there’s no discounting his sustained run of success. Littell is now 6-0 with a 2.27 ERA over his last seven outings, finally living up to his reputation when he signed.

NOTABLE: One day after fouling a ball off his right knee, James Wood was back in the lineup but held to DH duties. He hit a leadoff single and scored on Mead’s first-inning homer, then struck out three times before drawing a walk in his final plate appearance.

UP NEXT: It’s an even earlier Sunday start than usual, with first pitch scheduled for 3:15 p.m. EDT/12:15 p.m. MST for the series finale, which is being broadcast by Peacock. Cade Cavalli gets the start against former Nationals right-hander Michael Soroka. TV: Peacock/NBCSN RADIO: 106.7 FM