Washington Nationals Win 16 Inning Marathon Over Twins

In the longest regular season game in team history, the Washington Nationals defeated the Twins 6-5 on a walk-off home run by Chris Heisey in the 16th inning.

The Washington Nationals took down the Minnesota Twins 6-5 in 16 innings Sunday afternoon on a walk-off home run off the bat of Chris Heisey. Stephen Strasburg pitched into the eighth inning and Bryce Harper hit a game-tying, pinch-hit home run in the bottom of the ninth.

Washington started off the game with a bang, scoring their first run of the game on a leadoff home run by Matt den Dekker in the bottom of the first inning. The 28-year old outfielder was making his first start in right field of the season in order to give Bryce Harper the day off, but Harper would eventually find his way into the game.

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The Twins evened up the score at one run apiece two innings later. Third baseman Eduardo Nunez drove in Byron Buxton with an RBI-single to left field, marking the first time in the series Minnesota wasn’t trailing beyond the first inning.

Strasburg was in complete control through seven innings, striking out nine hitters without walking anyone before coming out for the eighth. He would strike out Buxton to kick off the frame, but the Twins’ bats finally came alive behind him.

Joe Mauer notched a pinch-hit single and Nunez followed with a one-bagger of his own to put runners on first and second with one out. Brian Dozier then made it a 4-1 game with a home run to left center, knocking Strasburg out of the game. He finished his outing allowing four runs on seven hits, no walks, and ten strikeouts over 7.1 innings on 114 pitches (81 strikes).

Matt Belisle came in and retired the next two batters to end the frame, bu the Washington Nationals had their work cut out for them with only two more chances left to score. Anthony Rendon led off the bottom half of the inning with a single and Jayson Werth came up swinging right behind him with a double off the wall to put two runners in scoring position with Wilson Ramos at the plate. Leading up to the at-bat, the Nats were 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position, but Ramos snapped that streak in a hurry with a two-run double to make it a one run game.

Dusty Baker went to Felipe Rivero to hold the deficit at one for the ninth inning. He was lights out, setting Minnesota down 1-2-3, which included a pair of strikeouts. This all set the stage for Harper, who pinch hit for Michael Taylor to lead off the bottom of the ninth. On a full count, the reigning MVP smacked a home run to dead center to tie the game and send it into extra innings. It was his ninth home run of the season.

Neither team was able to push any runs across through the fourteenth inning as both bullpens locked in. Rivero and Jonathan Papelbon combined for a scoreless tenth, and Yusmeiro Petit took care of the Twins’ lineup in heading into the 15th.