Jose Tena hit a pinch-hit solo home run in the 10th inning after CJ Abrams provided a go-ahead sacrifice fly as the visiting Washington Nationals defeated the Chicago White Sox 2-1 on Sunday.
Both pitching staffs allowed just four hits. Paxton Schultz worked around Tristan Peters’ RBI single in the bottom of the 10th for his first save.
Nationals left-hander Foster Griffin delivered his second consecutive quality start, scattering two hits in seven shutout innings. Griffin walked two and struck out a career-high eight.
Chicago righty Sean Burke shined, as well, limiting the Nationals to three hits in 7 1/3 innings with zero walks and four strikeouts.
After both clubs scored at least three runs in the first two games of the series, offense was a dicey proposition as Griffin and Burke matched zeroes for much of the afternoon.
The White Sox nearly gave Burke an early lead after opener Bryan Hudson pitched a scoreless bottom of the first. Chase Meidroth opened the game with a single, advanced to second on a balk and took third on a wild pitch. But Griffin struck out the side to keep Meidroth from scoring.
Tanner Murray contributed a one-out single in the second and Drew Romo walked two batters later before the rally faded. Griffin hit Colson Montgomery with a pitch in the fourth inning before recovering to retire 11 of the next 12.
Burke yielded a two-out double to Jacob Young in the second and a two-out single to James Wood in the third but kept the Nationals off the scoreboard. Romo, Chicago’s catcher, caught Wood stealing to end the threat in the second.
Burke mowed through the next 15 Washington batters after that, with a four-pitch seventh inning highlighting his dominance. Nasim Nunez broke the streak with a leadoff single in the ninth, stole second and advanced to third on a sacrifice fly. Reliever Sean Newcomb got two popouts to end the inning.
Chicago was unable to score in the bottom of the ninth. Everson Pereira singled with one out for the team’s first hit since the second and went to second on an errant pickoff attempt but was stranded.
Murray left the game with an apparent left-shoulder injury while making a diving catch on Abrams’ sacrifice fly to left field.
Richard Lovelady (1-1) pitched a scoreless ninth for the victory.
Seranthony Dominguez (1-3) took the loss.
