The Sports Xchange
Aug 13, 2017
WASHINGTON -- Edwin Jackson allowed one run in six innings and Adam Lind was 3-for-3 with one RBI as the Washington Nationals beat the San Francisco Giants 3-1 on Saturday night despite losing right fielder Bryce Harper to a possible leg injury in the first inning.
The game ended around 1:15 a.m. ET Sunday with a few hundred fans in the stands after a long rain delay before the first pitch.
Washington scored two runs in the first and then Lind had an RBI double in the sixth against Giants starter Jeff Samardzija (7-12) to give Washington a 3-1 lead.
Jackson (3-2) gave up one run and five hits in six innings before Brandon Kintzler took over and pitched a scoreless seventh.
Ryan Madson allowed a double to Buster Posey but pitched a scoreless eighth for Washington. Left-hander Sean Doolittle threw a perfect ninth for his eighth save with the Nationals.
Doolittle was one of three University of Virginia products in the game, along with Washington first baseman Ryan Zimmerman (2 for 3 with a walk) and Giants left fielder Jarrett Parker (1-for-4).
Virginia was in the news Saturday for the racial unrest that took place. A moment of silence was observed before the game for the victims of the clash.
Samardzija gave up three runs and nine hits in six innings and threw a less than ideal 120 pitches. Wilmer Difo also had two hits for Washington. The Nationals are 69-45 and the Giants are 46-71, including 0-4 this year against Washington.
Joe Panik hit a solo homer off Jackson in the first inning to give the visitors a 1-0 lead. It was the seventh homer of the season for Panik, who had gone 79 at-bats since his last homer on July 15 at San Diego.
Washington scored two runs in the last of the first take a 2-1 lead even though Harper was injured in the process.
Zimmerman had an RBI double and Daniel Murphy drove in a run with a single after Harper, the third batter for the Nationals, left the game.
Harper, the National League MVP in 2015, left after his left foot slipped on the first base bag as he tried to beat out a ground ball to first baseman Ryder Jones.
Harper fell to the ground and held his left knee for several minutes. He was helped off the field and did not put any weight on his left leg as athletic trainer Paul Lessard and hitting coach Rick Schu helped him to the clubhouse.
The start of the game was delayed three hours, one minute by rain Saturday and there was a light rain in the top of the first inning.
Harper is hitting .326 with 29 homers and 89 RBIs in 106 games and 402 at-bats for the first-place Nationals, who entered the day 14 1/2 games ahead of the second-place Miami Marlins in the National League East.
NOTES: Giants RHP Mark Melancon, who pitched a scoreless eighth inning, was activated off the disabled list and INF Miguel Gomez (right knee inflammation) was placed on the 10-day disabled list, retroactive to Aug. 9. ... Washington RHP Stephen Strasburg (right elbow nerve impingement) told reporters he is slated to make a minor league rehab appearance Monday for Class A Potomac of the Carolina League. The game will be in Woodbridge, Va., against the Salem (Va.) Red Sox, a farm team of Boston. ... Washington RHP A.J. Cole (1-2, 5.63 ERA) and RHP Max Scherzer (12-5, 2.23) will pitch for the Nationals in a day-night doubleheader Sunday. They will be opposed by Giants RHP Chris Stratton (0-2, 6.63) and LHP Matt Moore (3-12, 5.88).