WASHINGTON – Luis Arraez and Jurickson Profar scored back-to-back pitches in the fifth inning, and the San Diego Padres defeated the Washington Nationals 4-0 on Tuesday night.
Randy Vásquez pitched six innings to earn his first win since June 22 for San Diego, which has won three in a row.
Washington, which has won five of six, is 0-4 against the Padres this season. The Nationals were excluded for the 11th time.
Nationals starter DJ Herz (1-4) was recalled from Triple-A Rochester earlier in the day, went three innings and then escaped a bases-loaded jam in the fourth. He retired the first two batters in the fifth before facing the top of the lineup for the third time.
Arraez launched a 1-2 slider that cleared the wall in right center for his third home run of the season. There was little suspense one pitch later when Profar lined a 425-foot changeup over the visitor’s bullpen in left-center for his 15th home run.
It was the first time San Diego had hit back-to-back home runs since June 7 and the fourth time this season.
Herz’s night ended after he retired Xander Bogaerts to end the fifth. The rookie allowed five hits and struck out four in his first start with Washington since July 7. He has been winless in five starts since striking out 13 batters in six shutout innings against Miami on June 15.
San Diego’s Jackson Merrill added a two-out RBI single in the sixth and a run in the eighth.
Washington first baseman Juan Yepez doubled to lead off the seventh, extending his hitting streak to 14 games and ending Vásquez’s night. Vásquez (3-5) surrendered four hits and did not pass. He got one right.
The Nationals went 0 for 7 with runners in scoring position.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Nationals: Washington optioned RHP Eduardo Salazar to Rochester to make room for Herz. Salazar struck out seven and allowed one unearned run in four innings with the Nationals.
NEXT
San Diego RHP Matt Waldron (5-9, 3.59 ERA) seeks his first win since June 19 on Wednesday night, while Washington rookie LHP Mitchell Parker (5-5, 3.90) seeks his first victory since June 16th.
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