Alex Call, CJ Abrams have big hits in 7th as Nationals beat Cubs 4-1

WASHINGTON – Alex Call hit a two-run double during a three-run seventh inning, and the Washington Nationals beat the Chicago Cubs 4-1.

CJ Abrams had the tiebreaking RBI single in the seventh off Keegan Thompson (1-2) as part of a 3-for-3 night. Victor Robles followed with an infield hit and Call doubled to the gap in left-center to make it 4-1.

“Straight joy, happiness and a lot of fun, because the guys are going crazy,” Call said. “Obviously, any time you win or have a big hit, that’s why you play.”

Chicago’s Patrick Wisdom tied for the major league lead with his 11th homer, a 426-foot shot off Mason Thompson in the seventh that tied the game at 1-1.

Trevor Williams, a former Cub, pitched into the sixth inning for Washington and departed with a 1-0 lead. Hunter Harvey (1-1) got the final out of the seventh, then allowed two baserunners in the eighth but got out of the inning when he caught Wisdom looking with a 98 mph fastball.

Kyle Finnegan finished for his sixth save. Williams appreciated the effort by his relievers but aspires to make it easier on them.

“Thankfully we have been going five-plus (innings) every time,” Williams said. “I’d like to see that go to six-plus every time and seven-plus. We just turn the calendar to May and I’m looking forward to getting to the field tomorrow and getting ready for my next start.”

Cubs right-hander Hayden Wesneski allowed one run on five hits over six innings. Luis García smacked a run-scoring single to center in the third to put the Nats ahead 1-0.

Williams, who made 12 starts for the Cubs in 2021, gave up four hits and struck out four in 5 1/3 innings, his first scoreless outing this year.

“If you are teaching our young pitchers what he is doing so well, he attacks the strike zone with all his pitches,” manager Dave Martinez said. “He’s got a great plan. He knows what he wants to do. But it’s all about being in the zone with him. He’s not afraid to throw the ball in the zone. He does it really well.”

Another former Cub, Carl Edwards Jr., got out of a bases-loaded jam in the sixth by striking out pinch-hitter Trey Mancini and inducing a weak infield popup from Eric Hosmer.

Nico Hoerner’s on-base streak ended at 26 games. The Cubs second baseman went 0-for-5 with a strikeout.

“I thought Trevor Williams threw really good, kept us off balance,” Cubs manager David Ross said. “We had that one inning that we had a shot but weren’t able to come through.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cubs: With C Yan Gomes still under evaluation, the Cubs called up C Miguel Amaya from Double-A Tennessee. LHP Ryan Borucki was designated for assignment. … RHP Jameson Taillon threw 45 pitches in a simulated game on Tuesday. … RHP Kyle Hendricks will pitch Wednesday for Triple-A Iowa. Nationals: OF Corey Dickerson (left calf strain) took batting practice Tuesday.

UP NEXT

Cubs RHP Marcus Stroman (2-2, 2.29 ERA) goes to the mound Wednesday night for his eighth career start against the Nats. Washington RHP Jake Irvin, a 2018 fourth-round selection out of Oklahoma, will make his major league debut. RHP Cory Abbott was sent to Triple-A Rochester.

SEATTLE (AP) Aaron Judge homered for the third time in two games, Anthony Volpe and Greg Allen also went deep and the New York Yankees stretched their winning streak to four with a 10-2 victory over the Seattle Mariners on Tuesday night.

Judge hit a towering fly ball on the first pitch of the seventh inning from reliever Darren McCaughan that carried just enough to clear the fence in left-center field, even if it would not have been a homer at Yankee Stadium.

It was the 18th of the season for Judge, who hit a pair of homers in the series opener on Monday night.

While Judge hitting another homer will get the headlines, it was Volpe’s long ball that broke open the game. With two outs in the third inning, Seattle starter Logan Gilbert caught too much of the plate with a 1-2 slider and Volpe drove the pitch 413 feet for a three-run shot and a 6-0 lead. It was Volpe’s eighth homer of the season and snapped a 2-for-22 slide for the rookie.

Allen, filling in for injured center fielder Harrison Bader, hit his first of the season leading off the fourth inning. Isiah Kiner-Falefa also had a key two-run single in the first inning as the Yankees took advantage of an error to give starter Nestor Cortes a 3-0 advantage before he took the mound.

Kiner-Falefa had another two-run single in the ninth. New York has scored at least 10 runs in three straight games for the first time since Sept. 15-17, 2020.

Cortes (5-2) mostly cruised through five innings, allowing two runs and five hits with six strikeouts. Ty France and Teoscar Hernández had RBI doubles in the fifth inning. Judge nearly stole another hit from Hernández after robbing him of a homer on Monday, but his diving attempt at Hernández’s liner fell for a double.

Gilbert (3-3) lasted just four innings for the second time this season. The five earned runs allowed were a season-high and the four strikeouts matched a season-low.

SEE YA LATER

Seattle catcher Tom Murphy and manager Scott Servais were both ejected by plate umpire Brian Walsh in the sixth inning. Murphy was ejected after yelling toward first base umpire C.B. Bucknor following a check-swing that was called a strike. Servais argued the decision to eject Murphy and was quickly tossed by Walsh. It was the second ejection this season for Servais.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Yankees: Bader (hamstring) was placed on the 10-day IL after leaving Monday’s game in the third inning injuring his right hamstring running out an infield single. OF Franchy Cordero was recalled.

Mariners: McCaughan was recalled from Triple-A Tacoma to add a long reliever to the bullpen. RHP Juan Then was optioned to Tacoma. It was Seattle’s first roster move in 24 days.

UP NEXT

Yankees: RHP Clarke Schmidt (2-5, 5.58) took the loss despite allowing only one earned run over five innings in his last start against Baltimore. Schmidt has gone at least five inning in five of his last seven starts.

Mariners: RHP George Kirby (5-4, 3.43) was knocked around for seven earned runs and four home runs allowed in his last start against Pittsburgh. Both matched career highs.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb and https://twitter.com/AP-Sports

Call, Abrams have big hits in 7th as Nationals beat Cubs 4-1

Aaron Judge hits 18th homer of season, Yankees beat Mariners 10-2