
Roger Bernadina’s two-out double drove in the go-ahead run and the Washington Nationals held on for a 4-3 win over the Boston Red Sox on Sunday, completing a three-game sweep.

“We were overdue,” Nationals manager Davey Johnson. “This is a whole new ball club. There’s great makeup, great talent on this ballclub. It’s only going to get better.”
The Montreal Expos went 0-6 at Fenway before the team moved to Washington and became the Nationals, who were swept 3-0 in a 2006 series at Fenway.
The “new” Nationals are unbeaten at Boston’s iconic ballpark.
“It shows you we’re a good ballclub and that we’re not scared of AL East teams. And we’re going to come in here and play our best ball,” said Jordan Zimmermann, who struck out seven in seven innings before Washington’s bullpen and bench rallied for the win.
Rookie Bryce Harper, who was out of the starting lineup because of a sore back, ended up scoring the winning run after drawing a walk while pinch hitting in the ninth with the game tied at 3-all.
Harper’s back didn’t slow him down as he came all the way around from first on Bernadina’s double to right with two outs.
“Something in the gap or down the line you better score. I knew it was going to be maybe a close play at the plate, and thankfully it wasn’t,” Harper said. “I’m just going. Two outs, you don’t really need anything.”
Boston manager Bobby Valentine felt Bernadina should have been called out on Alfredo Aceves’ 2-2 fastball, which home plate umpire Al Porter called a ball.
Valentine’s anger and frustration continued to build and he finally stormed out of the dugout with two outs in the bottom of the ninth for an animated argument with Porter.
Valentine, who was ejected, got in Porter’s face and came close to making contact a couple of times before leaving the field. He was out of the game, but not done talking.
“Good umpires had a real bad series this series — a real bad series — and it went one way,” Valentine said after the game. “There should be a review.”
He can just about count on that after his on-field actions and postgame comments.
Valentine had just left the field when Tyler Clippard ended the game by striking out Dustin Pedroia, picking up his third save of the series and eighth on the season.
Reliever Tom Gorzelanny (2-1) pitched a scoreless eighth and ended up with the win. Aceves (0-4) took the loss, Boston’s fifth in a six-game homestand.
David Ortiz hit his 14th homer of the season for the Red Sox, who couldn’t hang on to a 2-1 lead. Danny Espinosa hit a two-out double with two runners on in the seventh, putting Washington up 3-2.
Boston tied it in the bottom half after Ryan Sweeney and Nick Punto hit backto back singles to start the inning, but Sweeney was the only one to score, coming home on a fielder’s choice by Scott Podsednik.
Notes — Daniel Nava was a late scratch from the Red Sox lineup with a sore left hand. Darnell McDonald replaced Nava in left field and Podsednik moved up to the leadoff spot in his place. … The Red Sox head to Miami for a three-game series with the Marlins, starting Monday. The Nationals will continue on their journey through the AL East with a trip to Toronto for three games against the Blue Jays.
Comments are not available on this story. Read more about why we allow commenting on some stories and not on others.
We believe it's important to offer commenting on certain stories as a benefit to our readers. At its best, our comments sections can be a productive platform for readers to engage with our journalism, offer thoughts on coverage and issues, and drive conversation in a respectful, solutions-based way. It's a form of open discourse that can be useful to our community, public officials, journalists and others.
We do not enable comments on everything — exceptions include most crime stories, and coverage involving personal tragedy or sensitive issues that invite personal attacks instead of thoughtful discussion.
You can read more here about our commenting policy and terms of use. More information is also found on our FAQs.
Show less