Trey Lipscomb stole home as part of a three-run second, Lane Thomas bombed a two-run home run and the visiting Washington Nationals spoiled Blake Snell’s season debut by beating the San Francisco Giants 8-1 on Monday night.
Trevor Williams (2-0) and three relievers combined on a six-hitter for Washington, which won its second straight in the opener of a nine-game trip.
Snell (0-1), who didn’t pitch in spring training after waiting until March 19 to sign with the Giants, was pulled after three innings, during which he allowed three runs and three hits. He walked two and struck out five.
All three runs came in the second, when consecutive walks to Keibert Ruiz and Ildemaro Vargas set the stage for an RBI single by Lipscomb.
Luis Garcia Jr. followed with a run-producing infield single, putting runners at the corners, from where he and Lipscomb successfully pulled off a double steal for a 3-1 lead.
Thomas’ homer came off reliever Landen Roupp as part of a three-run fifth that broke the game open. Vargas added an RBI double later in the inning.
The Nationals, who had totaled just five runs in their previous three games, tacked on two in the ninth on an RBI single by Thomas and a bases-loaded walk drawn by Vargas.
Williams limited the Giants to one run and three hits in five innings. He walked three and struck out two.
San Francisco’s lone run came in the first on an errant throw by Nationals left fielder Jesse Winker after a one-out double by LaMonte Wade Jr., allowing Jung Hoo Lee to score from first.
Derek Law, Dylan Floro and Matt Barnes mopped up after Williams, shutting out the hosts on just three more hits.
Lipscomb collected three hits and three steals, while Thomas had three hits and three RBIs for the Nationals, who outhit San Francisco 10-6.
Lee and Wade had two hits apiece for the Giants, who went a fourth straight game without hitting a home run.
–Field Level Media