Strasburg keeps Nats in game, laments Pollock at-bat in 5-4 loss

The Diamondbacks took advantage of opportunities they were afforded and connected on a couple of big hits off Nationals right-hander Stephen Strasburg to win the series opener 5-4.

A.J. Pollock had the big night against Strasburg, going 3-for-3 with a single, a triple and a homer, with two RBIs. His solo shot in the second got the D-backs on the board with a 1-0 lead.

Pollock's RBI triple in the sixth tied the game at 4-4. The D-backs center fielder finished 3-for-4.

Daniel Descalso also smacked an RBI double off of Strasburg in the fourth that tied the game at 3-3. A Descalso sacrifice fly to left field in the sixth scored Pollock to make it 5-4.

Strasburg (2-3) lasted 6 1/3 innings, but was unable to hold onto 3-2 and 4-3 leads, allowing five runs on six hits with two walks and seven strikeouts.

He fired 103 pitches, 66 for strikes. Strasburg contributed a single in the fourth for the Nats. They loaded the bases with no one out in that frame, but were unable to score a run as D-backs starter Zack Godley pitched out of the jam.

This is the earliest in the season Strasburg has been dealt a third loss since a 7-1 setback to the Mets on April 19, 2013, when his record fell to 1-3.

Howie Kendrick, who went 3-for-5 with a double and a two-run homer, said those at-bats by Pollock and Descalso paid off for Arizona against Strasburg.

"He did a great job, I felt like," Kendrick said of Strasburg's night. "He kept us in the game. He also did it with the bat a little bit, too. Just a couple pitches. I felt like the pitch Pollock hit out, the one was up and then the other one was down and away.

"When you're facing good hitters along with good pitching, sometimes guys put the bat on the ball. And I think that's what happened tonight. Pollock was the one guy in their lineup that did some damage. Descalso had a key hit for them, too.

"But I think as a pitcher, I don't pitch, but I felt like he was making his pitches. But those guys hit a couple of good pitches, and that doesn't always happen."

Nationals manager Davey Martinez said those two at-bats by Pollock and Descalso turned into game-changers, but Strasburg did his job by keeping Arizona close.

"(H)is stuff was good," Martinez said of Strasburg's work. "Tip my hat to some of the hitters, Pollock was pretty good tonight. I mean Stras, he was good, just couldn't have that shutdown inning. Plus, he kept us in the game. We left 10 runners on base.

"That's tough. We had 11 hits, but leadoff hitter was on base almost every inning. We just have to capitalize and cash in."

Strasburg went back to the Pollock at-bat in the second inning.

"Yeah, I mean I made my pitch," Strasburg said. "It's just kind of how it's going right now. I'm not going to nitpick it too much. It's just something where you tip your cap and learn from that as well."

The right-hander said that although the D-backs did get some big hits against him, they were never able to pull away. In each frame the D-backs scored, Strasburg was able to get the two or three outs needed to quell the possibility of a big inning.

"I tried to minimize the damage as best I could," Strasburg said. "I thought I made some pitches. It probably wasn't the right pitches. So they're doing a few things differently I guess to start the year.

"But it's a long season, and I'm just trying to pick up as much as I can. I think the good thing they did is they capitalized when they got guys on base, and that's something that you have to do."