WASHINGTON, D.C. - APRIL 6 - The Washington Nationals got back in the win column with a 4-3 final score on Saturday against the Diamondbacks. Another quality start from Mitchell Parker, combined with an early offensive explosion, propelled the Nats to their second win of the season.

Parker took the mound for the Nationals, looking to do whatever he could to get the team a win just as he did last Sunday against Philadelphia. He did just that, keeping the D-Backs scoreless and holding them to just one hit entering the sixth inning, where he would ultimately allow his first run of the season. He walked Tim Tawa and Corbin Carroll before allowing a Randal Grichuk single to score Tawa. Dave Martinez let Parker finish the inning, and he kept the damage to just one run. He would depart with his team holding a three-run lead after 82 pitches, four walks, two hits, and two strikeouts. Parker would also leave the ballpark boasting a 0.73 ERA on the season.

The bullpen would let the game become close, but they ultimately held the fort down. Jorge Lopez came in to relieve Parker and got two outs but allowed a run, so Jose A. Ferrer bailed him out and finished the seventh. Eduardo Salazar came in as the setup man and did a great job, getting the ball to Kyle Finnegan in a 4-2 ballgame. Finnegan walked Eugenio Suarez before throwing a wild pitch to get Garrett Hampson (who pinch ran for Suarez) to second base. Gabriel Moreno then flew out, and Hampson reached third. Next, Alek Thomas hit a ball past first base, but Finnegan did not cover first, which allowed Hampson to score and Thomas to reach safely. Not long after, with the score at 4-3 and two outs in the top of the ninth, Riley Adams caught Thomas stealing to end the game. The Nationals held on, ending a win on a caught stealing for the first time since the club moved to D.C. in 2005.

Offensively, the Nats started off strong for the second day in a row. Amed Rosario doubled, Josh Bell walked, and James Wood hit a two-run double before Alex Call followed it up with an RBI single to give the Nats a 3-0 lead. The bats went quiet until the fourth, when Bell tripled and Call drove him in to push the lead to four. While that was the last of the Nationals’ scoring, it was just enough to get the win.

Ultimately, the Nats were able to improve to 2-6, with Parker being the winning pitcher in both games. As the team looks to get performances like this one consistently, they will look to score more runs throughout the game, especially if the bullpen continues to struggle. In the meantime, they will celebrate this win and look to use it for momentum.

Up next…

The Nats will have their first rubber match of the season today against the D-Backs, with Trevor Williams facing off against new Arizona ace Corbin Burnes. The Nats will then host the Dodgers, so they would really like to get this win today.