Nationals hold off Padres to claim another series win

James Wood lined a two-run homer, Zack Littell pitched into the seventh inning and the Washington Nationals beat the visiting San Diego Padres 4-2 on Sunday.

Luis Garcia Jr. also homered for the Nationals, who have won or split six consecutive series. Keibert Ruiz had two hits and threw out three baserunners attempting to steal.

Littell (5-4) allowed two runs on five hits. He struck out five and walked two. Littell went 4-0 with a 2.35 ERA in six appearances in May after finishing April with a 7.85 ERA.

Orlando Ribalta pitched two scoreless innings and Clayton Beeter worked the ninth for his fourth save. The game ended on a double play with Ty France called out on strikes and Jackson Merrill thrown out trying to steal second.

Merrill had three hits and scored a run for the Padres, who have lost six of seven. Starter Griffin Canning (0-4) gave up three runs on six hits over five innings.

Garcia gave the Nationals a 1-0 lead when he homered leading off the fourth. CJ Abrams doubled with one out and Jacob Young walked with two outs, but Canning struck out Jose Tena to end the inning.

Ruiz singled with one out in the fifth and Wood lined a home run to center, his 16th of the season, to make it 3-0.

The Padres got to Littell in the seventh. Xander Bogaerts walked and Merrill bunted for a base hit. France doubled to score Bogaerts. Littell was lifted in favor of Ribalta and Nick Castellanos flied to center, scoring Merrill to make it 3-2. Sung-Mun Song walked, but Washington got out of it when Miguel Andujar was called out on strikes with Song thrown out at second trying to steal.

Tena led off the bottom half with a walk and Jorbit Vivas singled. Ruiz bunted into a force play at third and Wood grounded into a fielder's choice, which put runners on first and third. Pinch hitter Andres Chaparro grounded a double down the third base line as pinch runner Nasim Nunez scored Washington's fourth run.

--Field Level Media