The Nationals signed Parra on Thursday, right before the start of this series in Los Angeles when their lineup had been so decimated by injuries and the roster so depleted that they seemed almost desperate for healthy bodies. Parra was coming off a miserable start offensively before being designated for assignment by the Giants. He cleared waivers and was a free agent at this time one week ago. But the Nats believed he still had something left to contribute as an outfielder and backup first baseman, where he started Saturday night for the first time in since 2017.<doc-sep>Gerardo Parra hit a grand slam with two outs in the eighth inning Saturday to rally the visiting Washington Nationals to a 5-2 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers. It was the first hit in a Nationals uniform for Parra, who signed with Washington on Thursday after he was cut loose by the San Francisco Giants earlier in the week. It was just the second home run of the season for Parra and eighth in his last two years. Dodgers starter Walker Buehler held the Nationals scoreless over seven innings before turning things over to the bullpen. Washington loaded the bases in the eighth against right-hander Pedro Baez with one out, helped by a throwing error from Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner. Juan Soto delivered a single to left field against left-hander Scott Alexander, but only one run scored on the hit as the Nationals cut the deficit to 2-1. With the bases still loaded, right-hander Dylan Floro struck out Anthony Rendon and was one strike away from escaping trouble. Parra then turned on a 95 mph fastball and hit it over the wall in right-center to put the Nationals in front 5-2. Baez (2-2) was charged with three runs while taking the loss. Floro did not give up a run in his first 15 outings of the season but has been charged with three runs in two outings this series against the Nationals. Buehler gave up just four hits in his seven innings with a walk and seven strikeouts. Nationals starter Max Scherzer (2-4) gave up two runs on five hits over seven innings, earning a victory for the first time since April 7 at New York against the Mets. Sean Doolittle pitched a scoreless ninth inning for his sixth save. The run support was a welcome sight for Scherzer. The Nationals scored three runs or fewer in seven of Scherzer's first eight starts of the season. Turner hit a two-run home run for the Dodgers in the third inning, his sixth of the season and fifth in his last four games. He was given a day of rest Friday. The Nationals won for the second time in the series after entering the four-game set on a four-game losing streak. The Nationals ended the Dodgers' 10-game home winning streak Thursday. After a fourth-inning double from Alex Verdugo, the Dodgers closed out the game 1-for-19 at the plate. --Field Level Media<doc-sep>Once it landed, and the scoreboard ticked in Washington’s favor on Saturday night, a mosh of players waited for Parra at the bottom of the dugout steps. Then they smacked his helmet and his back and his side and finally let him go once his jersey was ruffled and a smile was stretched across his face. He had been their teammate for all of three days, signed to a one-year deal Thursday, and had just delivered the biggest hit of the season with two outs in the eighth.<doc-sep>Washington’s Nationals went 16 innings without a run between the ninth inning of the series opener on Thursday and the eighth inning of Saturday night’s game in LA, but they hit their way out of that slump with a five-run inning that decided the third game of the four with the Dodgers. Juan Soto returned. Gerardo Parra hit a grand slam. Go read your links... NATS BEAT: Parra's 1st hit with Nats a game-winning slam - (MLB.com) “'That was amazing,' left fielder Juan Soto said. 'I was on first, I just wanted to turn around and watch where the ball was gonna land.'" Wilmer Difo 1B Howie Kendrick ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Victor Robles BB Juan Soto RBI 1B GERARDO. PARRA. GRAND. SLAM.#ComebackSZN // #OnePursuit pic.twitter.com/Ff4tSCIAyN — Washington Nationals (@Nationals) May 12, 2019 New arrival Gerardo Parra’s grand slam lifts Nationals over Dodgers - (WaPost) "He had been their teammate for all of three days, signed to a one-year deal Thursday, and had just delivered the biggest hit of the season with two outs in the eighth." Parra pulls off dramatic grand slam for 5-2 comeback win in L.A. - (MASN) "Down in the late innings and a capacity crowd of 53,647 roaring, the Nationals pulled off one of their most dramatic comeback victories of the season thanks to their all everything super-utility signee from two days ago." Trevor Rosenthal makes rehab appearance with Harrisburg (Nats win 5-2) - (MASN) "At the Nationals extended spring training facility in West Palm Beach, Fla., the former closer concentrated on getting his mechanics back on track after continued wildness in his appearances with the Nats to begin the season." Juan Soto returns to lineup, feels "really good right now" - (MASN) "Martinez said he did caution Soto to not overexert himself these first few days, and the club does not believe the back spasms will be an ongoing issue." #Nationals prospects with new scouting reports/content included: Israel Pineda, Tim Cate, Gilbert Lara, Joan Adon, Justin Connell, Chandler Day, Jake Irvin, KJ Harrison, Francys Peguero, others. #OnePursuit https://t.co/EqJR6o2juE — Adam McInturff (@2080adam) May 11, 2019 Juan Soto comes off injured list, pushing Nationals closer to full strength - (WaPost) "The Nationals again will have their preferred starters with Soto in left, Robles in center and Eaton in right, which is how they mostly aligned for the 28 games before Soto got hurt." Sean Doolittle adjusts to unique challenges of expanded role for Nationals - (WaPost) "Since joining the Nationals in 2017 in a midseason trade that also brought reliever Ryan Madson from the Oakland Athletics, Doolittle has been one of baseball’s more effective relievers, as long as he’s healthy." NATIONAL(S) BEAT: Gerardo Parra’s grand slam lifts Nationals to win over Dodgers – (Orange County Register) "The inning from hell found the Dodgers on Saturday night. It began innocently enough, with a tailor-made double play ground ball." Remember Clemson slugger Spencer Kieboom? His brother homered in his MLB debut - (postandcourier.com) "Remember Spencer Kieboom? He’s a Mount Pleasant native who played two years at Clemson before the Washington Nationals made him a fifth round pick in the 2012 draft." Rosecrans: Making it to Shed Long’s big-league debut totally worth it https://t.co/MoLJyYf1ml — C. Trent Rosecrans (@ctrent) May 12, 2019 Daily fantasy notes -- Pitcher projections and hitter ratings for Sunday - (ESPN) "[Lucas] Giolito is showing signs of the promise anticipated when he was one of the top pitching prospects in the Nationals' system." Cleveland Indians promote A.J. Cole, option Cody Anderson to Triple-A - (cleveland.com) "The Indians purchased the contract of right-hander A.J. Cole from Columbus and added him to the 25-man roster."<doc-sep>
Gerardo Parra went hitless in his debut with the Washington Nationals, after signing a one-year deal in advance of the four-game series with the Los Angeles Dodgers, with an 0 for 3 night at the plate leaving him with a .191/.277/.258 line overall on the year in 2019. He was 0 for 3 with a K in Saturday’s game as well before he stepped to the plate with the bases loaded in the top of the eighth inning in Dodger Stadium (where he had 14 doubles and six home runs in 262 career plate appearances before tonight) and hit a meaty 2-2 fastball from Dylan Floro out to center field for a grand slam that put the Nationals up 5-2. Not a bad way to collect your first hit with a new team. “I tried to hit the ball hard to the middle, and I got a good swing, I got a homer and so I’m happy for that,” Parra told MASN’s Alex Chappell after the win over the Dodgers. “You know what, he had a great at bat. They all did that inning. But to hit a home run right there was awesome,” Nats’ skipper Davey Martinez said after the come-from-behind win. What was the manager thinking as he watched Parra’s at bat play out? “Just hit the ball,” he said. “Just get a base hit. But slow-motion, in your mind, what a really beautiful swing and it was a great at bat.” Martinez put Parra at first base (his first start there since 2017) for the third of four with the Dodgers, and the decision to keep his bat in the lineup paid off. “That was awesome,” the manager said. “Like I said, he’s a veteran guy that we love to have, and what he can do, he plays all four outfield positions and obviously today he played first base and played it really well. He made two nice plays, one to end the game, a diving catch, but coming through in a big moment was huge.”