Yohandry Morales homers, Nationals bullpen hangs on for a 4-2 win over the Tigers

DETROIT -- — Yohandy Morales homered for the second time in three games and the Washington Nationals beat the Detroit Tigers 4-2 on Wednesday. Washington has won eight of its last 11 games. Detroit has lost six of eight. Will Dion (2-2) picked up the win despite giving up three hits and one run in two innings of relief. Yovanny Cruz got the final four outs for his first save. Framber Valdez (10-12) took the loss, allowing two runs in 5 1/3 innings. The Nationals ended the scoreless tie with three straight singles to start the sixth. Base hits by Andres Chaparro and Brady House put runners on first and second, and CJ Abrams made it 1-0 with a line drive to right. Tyler Kinley relieved Valdez, who gave up a two-run home run to Morales to put the Nationals ahead 3-0. Morales also had a two-run homer on Monday night. Detroit's Ben Malgeri led off the bottom of the inning with his fifth home run, a solo shot off Dion, to make it a two-run game. Nasim Nunez made it 4-1 in the seventh. He blooped a single to second, stole second and third and scored on a James Wood groundout. The two steals gave him 49 for the season, breaking Abrams' Nationals record of 47, set in 2023. Ron LeFlore has the overall franchise record with 97 in 1980. Malgeri made it 4-2 with an RBI single with two out in the ninth, but Cruz retired Riley Greene to end the game. Up next Nationals: Off Thursday before starting a season-ending three-game series with the New York Mets. LHP Andrew Alvarez (2-6, 3.17) is scheduled to start the opener, while the Mets have not announced their rotation. Tigers: Off Thursday before the Pittsburgh Pirates come to Comerica Park to finish the season. RHP Jackson Jobe (2-3, 3,98) will start the opener for Detroit. ------ See AP’s full MLB coverage here