Overview

• Washington erased a 3-1 deficit in the ninth, capped by Josh Bell’s pinch-hit three-run homer on his first pitch off Daniel Palencia.
• Robert Hassell III opened the inning with a homer, Daylen Lile tripled, and Brady House added a sacrifice fly as Palencia failed to record an out.
• The win secured the series for Washington and marked its fifth victory in six games, while Chicago fell to 81-62.
• Carson Kelly hit two solo homers for the Cubs after opener Drew Pomeranz and bulk reliever Colin Rea limited the Nationals to one run through 5 1/3 innings.
• Postgame, Counsell cited posterior right-shoulder tightness for Palencia, and subsequent reporting described a posterior capsule strain that could lead to an IL stint and force Chicago to rework late-inning roles with options such as Brad Keller, Caleb Thielbar and Andrew Kittredge.