The Arizona Diamondbacks probably have their sights set game series against the Washington Nationals.
This 10-game road trip hasn't been so fun for the Diamondbacks and their 3-6 record on the quest is more than proof. Luckily, the subpar trek still has the club two games ahead of San Francisco in the National League West standings.
Arizona made it two straight wins after a six-game slide with Wednesday's 4-2 win in the third installment of this series. Ian Kennedy pitched well in Tuesday's victory with seven shutout frames and Daniel Hudson followed last night with a gem of his own, holding the Nationals to a pair of runs in 8 2/3 innings of work.
Laynce Nix and Jonny Gomes hit back-to-back homers off of Hudson in the ninth, so J.J. Putz got the last out for his 32nd save. It would have been Hudson's first-career shutout.
"I wanted him to finish it out, but he gave up back-to-back home runs," Arizona manager Kirk Gibson said. "J.J.'s done a great job in that role. It was a no-brainer."
Miguel Montero drove in two runs and Lyle Overbay collected an RBI for the D'Backs, who will return to Chase Field to host San Diego and Colorado after this set at Nationals Park. Justin Upton went 1-for-3 with a run scored and was back in the lineup after leaving Tuesday's game due to a sore elbow from a pitch by Jordan Zimmermann.
"I was a little upset about it," Upton said on the club's site. "My thing is, man, control your pitches. I don't know if you were trying to hit me or not, but control your pitches. Obviously, I know what their plan is, they're going to try to come inside. So be it."
On an interesting note, the D'Backs didn't take batting practice for a second straight night and they have won both times. Gibson said there won't be any pre-game swings either for Thursday's series finale.
Youngster Wade Miley probably hopes the no BP rule will remain in effect when he makes his second career start tonight. His first major league start didn't go so well, as the lefty gave up five runs and seven hits in four innings of Saturday's 8-1 loss at Atlanta. He struck out five and walked two batters.
Miley, the club's Minor League Pitcher of the Year in 2010, was 4-1 with a 3.64 ERA in eight starts for the Triple-A Reno Aces and is taking the rotation spot left open by Jason Marquis, who landed on the disabled list with a fractured right fibula.
Washington has lost two in a row and three of five games, but is a decent 5-4 on a 10-game homestand. Livan Hernandez was rattled for four runs and seven hits over 7 1/3 innings to absorb the loss, falling to 7-12 on the season.
"I take responsibility for that one," Nats manager Davey Johnson said on the club's website. "He was really pitching a great game and when he's good, he's really good. I had it in my mind that if he gives me seven, I'm getting him out of there. I balked. He got into trouble and couldn't get out of it."
Nix and Gomes hit the late homers and Ian Desmond collected three hits for the Nationals, who didn't have outfielder Jayson Werth in the lineup because of a groin strain. Werth suffered the injury on Tuesday and is day-to-day. Third baseman Ryan Zimmerman went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts and saw his streak of reaching base safely stop at 29 games. He batted .407 during the run that started on July 22.
John Lannan has a strong career mark against Arizona, going 3-1 with a 1.04 earned run average in four starts, but is just 1-3 in his previous five trips to the hill overall. In Saturday's 5-0 loss versus Philadelphia, Lannan was reached for five runs - three earned - in five innings. He is 8-9 in 26 starts to go along with a 3.61 ERA.
Lannan, a lefty, is 4-5 in 13 outings at Nationals Park this season.
Arizona and Washington split a two-game series at Chase Field from June 2-5.
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