PHOENIX, AZ - The Washington Nationals wrapped up their West Coast road trip and three-game series against the Arizona Diamondbacks with a 3-1 loss on Sunday afternoon. After making club history with a 10-run first inning and a four-game streak of at least nine runs scored, the Nationals’ offense was held in check by Arizona ace Corbin Burnes, who exited early with an undisclosed injury, and a strong Diamondbacks bullpen.

Despite the loss, the Nationals finished the trip with a 4-2 record and will return to Washington, D.C., having won 10 of their last 14 games, moving closer to the .500 mark. They sit at 28-31, in third place in the NL East, and trail the first-place New York Mets by five games.

LHP Mitchell Parker took the mound for Washington and struggled in the first inning, allowing three runs. Reflecting on his early struggles, Parker said in his post-game press conference, "I was throwing strikes; they were just getting good swings on them. Better execution would probably be a better move. Just try to limit the hard contact as much as possible."

After that rough start, Parker settled in, retiring 14 straight batters following a home run by Eugenio Suárez and a walk to Josh Naylor. He finished with five innings pitched, allowing three runs on three hits, with two strikeouts and two walks over 66 pitches (44 strikes). Parker’s record now stands at 4-5 with a 4.71 ERA, and his first-inning ERA remains high at 10.50. However, after the opening frame, he lowered his ERA to an impressive 3.40.

"I've definitely got to take the good things out of it," Parker said. "After the first inning, I felt like everything settled in and we were getting back on track to where we want to be. Kept us in the game as much as possible. That's the whole goal, just to try to keep us in the game."

Parker started the sixth but was lifted after a four-pitch walk to Geraldo Perdomo. Eduardo Salazar, recently recalled from Triple-A Rochester, entered and worked out of a bases-loaded jam with help from José Tena, who redeemed a wild throw with a strong play at the plate. Salazar, along with Zach Brzykcy and Brad Lord, combined for hitless, scoreless relief the rest of the way.

Catcher Keibert Ruiz, who struck out with runners on second and third in the second inning, praised Parker’s fastball despite the tough outing: "It's hard, especially with the fastball he's got. You just want to stay on the fastball and react to the breaking ball. But he was making good pitches. Sometimes it's going to be like that. You have to keep your head up and don't try to chase those breaking balls."

On the mound for Arizona, Corbin Burnes pitched 4.2 scoreless innings before showing signs of discomfort after a two-out single by CJ Abrams. His velocity dipped, prompting a visit from manager Torey Lovullo and trainer Max Esposito. Burnes left after 70 pitches with the Diamondbacks leading 3-0. Jalen Beeks quickly entered and allowed the inherited runner to score, charging Burnes with one earned run. Cristian Mena, just up from Triple-A Reno, also warmed in the bullpen.

Offensively, the Nationals managed just six hits and went 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position. Their lone run came when Nathaniel Lowe lined an 0-2 fastball from Beeks the opposite way for an RBI single, but they could not capitalize further, leaving the tying run at the plate in the late innings.

Since May 14, the Nationals are tied with the Cubs and Yankees for the best record in baseball at 11-4 (.733), with the Phillies (12-5, .706) and Brewers (11-5, .688) close behind.

Up next…

After wrapping up their current road trip, the Nationals will return to the East Coast tonight and enjoy a day off tomorrow. They’ll then kick off a six-game homestand, beginning with a series against the Chicago Cubs, followed by a weekend matchup with the Texas Rangers. Once the Rangers series concludes, the Nationals will head to New York for a brief three-game set against the Mets at the start of the week, before returning to D.C. to take on the Miami Marlins.