Those lowly feisty Washington Nationals. They've gone and done it again.
The Nationals have claimed yet another interleague series against an AL team that has had shocking success in interleague games, the Chicago White Sox. Chicago pitcher Philip Humber started Sunday's game with multiple hitless innings and was well in line to win the game, but one of the Nationals' most promising changed that with one swing of his bat and tagged Humber with a 2-1 loss in Chicago. It was the first interleague series loss for the White Sox since 2008.
In the top of the seventh-inning with the score 1-0 White Sox, first baseman Michael Morse drew a walk which created the go-ahead run in the form of second baseman Danny Espinosa. Espinosa took a 1-1 slider deep over the right field wall at U.S. Cellular Field to give the Nationals a one run lead and it was all they would need. Reliever Sean Burnett came in to the game and held off the White Sox, including issuing former Nationals outfielder Adam Dunn his 100th strike out of the season, until closer Drew Storen entered the game in the ninth to shut the door and earn his 19th save of the season.
Starter Livan Hernandez pitched a fantastic game giving up only one run on eight hits. He walked two and stuck out nine. his nine strikeouts was the highest single-game strikeout total he has had since Sept. 26, 2004 when he had nine strike outs against the Philadelphia Phillies.
The Nats continue to hold on to third place in the NL East with a 40-38 and are only four games back from the second place Atlanta Braves.