Nationals, Arizona in thrilling seesaw affair (Nats win 5-4 in 11)

Right-hander Jordan Zimmermann has tossed four scoreless innings to begin the four-game set with the Arizona Diamondbacks. The only hit from Didi Gregorius, a single, came in the third inning. The hit was wiped out by a rare 5-6-4-3 double play. Left-hander Vidal Nuno counters for the Diamondbacks. He surrendered an Asdrubal Cabrera single also in the third inning. In the fourth with one out, Jayson Werth, making his first start since August 7, laced a single to left. But Adam LaRoche was called out on strikes and Ian Desmond popped out to first base. No score after four innings from Nationals Park. The Nationals are seeking their seventh win in a row and are 14-6 in one-run games versus Arizona since 2005. Update: Arizona plated a run in the fifth thanks to a walk to Mark Trumbo. Zimmermann started the game off with a walk to Ender Inciarte but was able to pitch around it. This time, however, Miguel Montero singled and Jordan Pacheco sacrifice bunted the runners to second and third. Jake Lamb delivered a sac fly to center field to score Trumbo and the D-Backs led 1-0. Update II: Already down 1-0, Bryce Harper led off the bottom of the fifth with a single to right. Right fielder David Peralta fielded the single and watched as Harper went too far towards second base as he rounded the first base bag. Peralta quickly gunned the ball to Gregorius who tagged out Harper. Wilson Ramos singled in the next at-bat but the Nationals were unable to sustain the rally. D-Backs lead 1-0 after 5 1/2 innings. Update III: In the seventh against Nuno, Desmond walked with one out. With two outs, Ramos crushed a 1-2 pitch deep over the center field wall for his sixth homer of the season and the Nationals led 2-1. Update IV: Well, that lead didn't last long. Zimmermann walked the lead off hitter of the inning for the third time to begin the eighth. And it came back to sting him. Following a walk to Lamb, Gregorius launched a two-run shot on a 3-2 pitch over the right field wall, and the D-Backs led 3-2. It was his fifth homer of the season. Zimmermann was lifted for Matt Thornton. Zimmermann finished seven innings, allowed only four hits, three runs, all earned, three walks and struck out two. He threw 95 pitches, 61 for strikes. All three walks led off innings and the D-Backs scored all three of their runs in two of those frames. Update V: Ridiculous, unbelievable. Facing Brad Ziegler in the bottom of the eighth with one out, Denard Span doubled and Anthony Rendon tripled to tied the game, 3-3. Werth followed with a scorching liner to left field sac fly that scored Rendon and the Nationals came back to lead 4-3. Update VI: More of that unbelievable stuff. In the top of the ninth against Tyler Clippard, Peralta slammed a solo shot the ricocheted off of the club level facade and back onto the field for his sixth homer of the season, a solo shot, and the game was tied 4-4. Update VII: The Nationals go quietly in the bottom of the ninth. All tied 4-4 into extra innings. It's the second extra innings game in a row for the Nationals, who are 6-7 in such contests. Update VIII: Adam LaRoche wins it with walk off solo shot in 11th. Nationals 5, D-Backs 4. It was LaRoche's first-ever walk-off homer in 5,048 career at-bats. The Nationals have now won 70 games on the season, plus a season-high seven straight games.