WASHINGTON — The Arizona Diamondbacks overcame an early deficit to defeat the Washington Nationals 6-4 on Friday, April 4, 2025, in the first game of a three-game series at Nationals Park. Corbin Carroll’s two home runs powered Arizona to victory, while Brandon Pfaadt earned the win and Justin Martinez secured the save.
The Nationals struck first in the opening inning, jumping to a 3-0 lead against Pfaadt. CJ Abrams led off with a solo home run, and Luis García Jr. followed with a two-run shot, scoring Nathaniel Lowe. Arizona answered in the top of the first when Josh Naylor singled to drive in Garrett Hampson, who had pinch-run for Ketel Marte after Marte’s double, cutting the deficit to 3-1.
Carroll tied the game at 3-3 in the third with his first homer of the night, a solo shot off Nationals starter Jake Irvin. He struck again in the fifth, launching a two-run homer with Hampson on base, giving the Diamondbacks a 4-3 lead. Washington knotted the score at 4-4 in the sixth when Lowe homered off Pfaadt.
Arizona pulled ahead for good in the seventh. Randal Grichuk, pinch-hitting for Pavin Smith, doubled off reliever Joan Ferrer to drive in Geraldo Perdomo and Hampson, securing a 6-4 advantage. Ferrer (0-2, 7.71 ERA) took the loss after allowing two runs on three hits in one inning.
Pfaadt (1-1, 5.25 ERA) pitched six innings, giving up four runs on six hits, including three home runs, while striking out four. Relievers Shelby Miller, A.J. Puk, and Martinez combined for three scoreless innings, with Martinez earning his first save of the season by retiring the Nationals in the ninth.
Irvin lasted five innings for Washington, surrendering four runs on seven hits, including Carroll’s two homers. The Nationals’ bullpen struggled, with Ferrer’s seventh-inning collapse proving decisive. Abrams, Lowe, and García provided the offensive highlights, but the team left three runners on base and went 0-for-2 with runners in scoring position.
Carroll finished 2-for-4 with three RBIs, raising his batting average to .258. Perdomo went 3-for-4, scoring twice and stealing a base, while Grichuk’s clutch double marked his second multi-RBI game of the young season. For Washington, Lowe led with two hits and two runs scored.
The victory moved the Diamondbacks to 5-3, placing them fourth in the NL West, while the Nationals fell to 1-6, fourth in the NL East. Played under partly cloudy skies with 18,974 in attendance, the game underscored Arizona’s resilience and Washington’s early-season struggles. The series continues Saturday at 4:05 p.m. EDT.
