WASHINGTON (AP) — Patrick Corbin won consecutive starts for the first time since last summer and Lane Thomas had a go-ahead, two-run single in the fifth inning that led the Washington Nationals over the Detroit Tigers 5-2 Saturday and stopped a four-game losing streak.
Corbin (3-5) allowed two runs and six hits in six innings against the Tigers, the only big league team he had never faced. He struck out three, reaching 1,500 in his career when he fanned Jonathan Scoop in the sixth.
“Always cool to hit those milestones," Corbin said. "I guess it means you've been around awhile. I think it's even sweeter to come away with a win today."
Following up on a win over the New York Mets, Corbin won consecutive starts for the first time since beating Cincinnati on Aug. 28 and the Mets on Sept. 3. He settled in after allowing a first inning two-run homer.
“I thought everything was solid,” Corbin said. “I thought I located well. A lot of quick at-bats. A few less pitches there, which is good. ... You give up the homer, but it's still early so you just forget about it, move forward and try to put up as many zeros as you can.”
Carl Edwards Jr., Hunter Harvey and Kyle Finnegan finished with hitless relief. Finnegan converted his ninth save in 11 chances, ending a game that took 2 hours, 3 minutes.
Jeimer Candelario homered and hit a run-scoring double for Washington, which fell behind when Spencer Torkelson homered in the first. The Tigers managed four more singles against Corbin, but couldn't string together hits.
“He just started keeping the ball on the ground,” Detroit manager A.J. Hinch said. “I think almost half his outs were on the ground."
Alex Faedo (0-2) gave up three runs and five hits in five innings. Detroit had won three of four.
After Candelario's fourth-inning homer, Thomas' single past diving shortstop Javier Báez gave the Nationals a 3-2 lead in the fifth.
“It jammed me a little bit but luckily it found a hole,” Thomas said.
Thomas had three hits and has reached base in 17 straight games. He is hitting .348 during that stretch.
Keibert Ruiz added an RBI single in the sixth and Candelario doubled in Thomas in the eighth.
CANDY MAN CAN
Candelario is 12 for 23 (.521) with four doubles, a triple, two homers, five RBIs and five runs scored in his past six games.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Tigers: LHP Tarik Skubal (left elbow strain) threw a bullpen session and will throw another next week in Kansas City.
Nationals: RHP Chad Kuhl (pain the ball of right foot) was reinstated from the injured list. Prior to being placed on the injured list, Kuhl was 0-2 with a 9.41 ERA in five appearances.
UP NEXT
Tigers LHP Joey Wentz (1-3, 6.38 ERA) opposes Nationals RHP Josiah Gray (3-5, 2.73) in the series finale on Sunday. Gray has pitched seven innings in each of his past two starts.
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