Foster Griffin pitched seven strong innings, Luis Garcia Jr. had three hits including a three-run homer and the Nationals beat the Houston Astros 8-2 Wednesday night in Washington.
CJ Abrams also homered for Washington, which took two of three from Houston, and Daylen Lile had two hits. James Wood drew three walks and scored twice.
Griffin, who bolstered his case as a potential injury replacement on the National League All-Star team, gave up a run on five hits and struck out nine without a walk while improving to 10-2. He allowed one earned run or fewer in his seventh consecutive start and lowered his ERA to 2.77.
“I feel like I had really good command of my cutter and my sweeper especially,” Griffin told Nationals TV. “I was able to keep…the hitters off balance. I feel like they couldn’t make a decision on which one was coming out of the same tunnel.”
Isaac Paredes and Zach Dezenzo each had two hits each for the Astros.
Houston starter Spencer Arrighetti (7-5) gave up eight runs on seven hits in four innings. Astros pitchers allowed nine hits and 10 walks.
Washington took a 2-0 lead in the third. Wood walked and stole second. Garcia walked and Wood went to third on a fly out and scored on Abrams’ sacrifice fly. Lile doubled Garcia home.
The Nationals staged a two-out rally in the fourth. Keibert Ruiz singled, Wood walked and Garcia followed with his 20th homer of the season, a shot to right center, and the lead was 5-0.
In the Houston fifth, Yainer Diaz doubled, went to third on a wild pitch and scored on Brice Matthews’ single.
Abrams hit his 20th homer of the season leading off the bottom half. Lile and Dylan Crews singled before Jorbit Vivas walked to load the bases. Lile scored when Jose Tena grounded out and Crews came home on a Ruiz sacrifice fly to make it 8-1.
In the Houston eighth, Dezenzo singled, advanced on a wild pitch and scored on Nick Allen’s single.
