Eduardo Escobar had two home runs and seven RBIs, and the Arizona Diamondbacks’ pitching, including Seth Frankoff in his first major league start, subdued the visiting Washington Nationals 11-4 on Saturday night.
Frankoff, a 32-year-old right-hander who toiled in the minors and professionally in South Korea, lasted 4 2/3 innings – matching his three relief appearances combined in his big-league career.
He was recently called up from Triple-A Reno to be a spot starter after Zac Gallen (right elbow sprain) went on the 10-day injured list. Frankoff, who pitched professionally in South Korea in 2018 and 2019, pitched for the Chicago Cubs in 2017 and the Seattle Mariners last year.
He allowed three hits and two runs with four strikeouts and four walks before he was pulled by manager Torey Lovullo after Washington loaded the bases with two outs in the fifth. Alex Young (1-3) came on to strike out Kyle Schwarber and preserve the 6-2 lead.
Arizona, which is 4-10 in its last 14 games, had 12 hits on Saturday. Escobar went 3-for-5 with his eighth and ninth home runs, and David Peralta was 2-for-5 with his fourth homer. Daulton Varsho, playing at catcher after Carson Kelly (fractured left big toe) was placed on the 10-day injured list Saturday, went 2-for-3 with an RBI.
The Diamondbacks answered Washington’s run in the first inning with three runs in the bottom of the inning. Escobar had a two-run single, and Varsho later singled him in.
After Washington cut the lead to 3-2 on Victor Robles’ RBI single in the second, Escobar’s three-run home run with two outs in the fourth inning off Washington starter Joe Ross (2-3) increased the lead to 6-2.
Arizona scored twice in the bottom of the fifth against Ross, including Andrew Young’s RBI single, to take an 8-2 lead. Escobar belted another two-out home run, a two-run shot, in the eighth inning to increase the lead to 11-3.


Big innings propel Rays in rout of Mets
Pinch hitter Austin Meadows drove in the go-ahead run in a five-run fourth inning and Shane McClanahan won for the first time in the majors as the Tampa Bay Rays posted a 12-5 win over the New York Mets on Saturday in St Petersburg, Fla.
As they did in Friday’s 3-2 series-opening win, the Rays had to battle back against the Mets. Tampa Bay received five hits in the fourth inning and secured a 5-4 lead off Joey Lucchesi (1-3) on a double by Meadows. Joey Wendle (three doubles, two RBIs, two runs scored) went 4-for-5 and Yandy Diaz and Randy Arozarena each produced three-hit performances for the Rays, who won their third straight game.
In a career-long 5 1/3 innings, the left-handed McClanahan (1-0) surrendered four runs and two homers but struck out seven – all career-high marks. He allowed six hits and walked just one in the 75-pitch outing. New York’s Jose Peraza belted a three-run homer and Pete Alonso went deep for the first time in 16 games. Francisco Lindor also homered for the Mets. Drew Smith served as the opener, logging two innings and yielding one unearned run on two hits before being relieved by Lucchesi. With the bases empty in the bottom of the first, Diaz sliced a ground-rule double and Wendle reached on an infield dribbler.