Diamondbacks and Nationals match up left handers Wednesday night in D.C.

WASHINGTON – Ryan Zimmerman had two hits and doubled in the go-ahead run, Jacob Turner worked four innings of scoreless relief and the Washington Nationals beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 2-1 on Wednesday night.

Hours after he was named the NL player of the month for April, Zimmerman recorded multiple hits for a career-high sixth straight game and stretched his hitting streak to 10 games.

Left-hander Gio Gonzalez drove in Washington’s other run with a third-inning groundout.

Turner (1-0) replaced Gonzalez in the sixth and finished out the game, striking out four and allowing two hits.

Robbie Ray (2-2) struck out 10 against the team that drafted and signed him in 2010 but allowed two runs and four hits over six innings. His effort helped the Diamondbacks set a new major league record by recording 10 or more strikeouts in nine consecutive games.

– Associated Press

D-Backs coming up empty in key spots

The Diamondbacks’ offense has had plenty of chances to score runs against the Nationals on Wednesday night. But run-scoring hits – particularly with two outs – have been hard to come by at Nationals Park, where they trail 2-1 after seven and a half innings.

After Chris Owings’ solo homer, the Diamondbacks put two on in the first and failed to score again. They had two more on base in the second and came up empty.

The fifth inning was probably their most painful. Owings singled, moved to second with Paul Goldschmidt’s walk, then was thrown out trying to steal third. Jake Lamb and Yasmany Tomas followed with walks of their own – three in a row from Nationals lefty Gio Gonzalez, who walked seven on the night – but Brandon Drury struck out to end the inning.

Ray’s dominance helps D-Backs establish mark

Lefty Robbie Ray froze Jayson Werth on a fastball for Strike 3 in the sixth inning, giving Ray 10 strikeouts and giving the Diamondbacks a major-league record.

The Diamondbacks became the first team in baseball history to record 10 or more strikeouts in nine consecutive games.

The streak began with a 16-strikeout game on April 24 vs. the Padres. They had been averaging 13 strikeouts a game the previous eight games entering Wednesday.

Unfortunately for Ray and the Diamondbacks, the Nationals almost immediately claimed the lead after the record strikeout. Bryce Harper singled with two out and Ryan Zimmerman lined a double to center field to drive him home, giving the Nationals a 2-1 lead.

Owings connects for another home

Chris Owings launched a solo home run to give the Diamondbacks an early lead, but the Washington Nationals tied the game a couple of innings later, and the score remained 1-1 as played entered the fifth inning on Wednesday night at Nationals Park.

Owings’ home run was already his fifth of the season, which leaves him just one shy of his career high. It came on a 2-1 pitch from Nationals lefty Gio Gonzalez.

The Nationals tied it in the third, an inning Michael Taylor led off by hitting a sharp line drive into left field. Yasmany Tomas tried to make a sliding catch on the ball but whiffed, then sat there watching as center fielder A.J. Pollock ran to collect it. Taylor wound up at third with what was ruled a triple and scored when Gonzalez hit an RBI ground out to shortstop.

Aside from the Taylor ball, Diamondbacks lefty Robbie Ray was throwing well. He struck out the first five batters he faced and had seven strikeouts through four innings.

D-Backs’ Ray set to face former team

Diamondbacks left-hander Robbie Ray never reached the big leagues with the Nationals, the team that selected him in the 12th round of the 2012 draft. But his start on Wednesday night will be the first time he’s pitched at Nationals Park in his career, and Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo believes the matchup probably carries some added significance for Ray.

“I know it’s a homecoming for him and he’s excited that he’s going to be stepping in there against his former team, the team that drafted him,” Lovullo said. “There’s probably going to be a little extra adrenaline. But (I don’t want him) to change anything.”

Ray was dealt in December 2013 to the Detroit Tigers in the Doug Fister trade. He was traded a year later to the Diamondbacks in the three-team deal that sent Didi Gregorius to the New York Yankees.

Interestingly, the first time he was dealt involved a behind-the-scenes power struggle in the Nationals organization. According to Washington Post reporter Barry Svrluga’s book “The Grind,” Nationals GM Mike Rizzo threatened to quit when his team’s ownership group initially blocked the Fister trade.

When: 4:05 p.m.

Where: Nationals Park, Washington D.C.

Pitchers: Diamondbacks LHP Robbie Ray (2-1, 3.56) vs. Nationals LHP Gio Gonzalez (3-0, 1.62).

TV/Radio: FSAZ/KTAR-AM (620), KHOV-FM (105.1).

Game notes

Ray went 6 2/3 innings against the Rockies in his most recent start, taking the loss in a game the Diamondbacks dropped 3-1. … Ray is still issuing too many walks (17 in 30 1/3 innings), but he’s averaging a little more than six innings per start, up from his average of 5.4 innings in 2016. … Ray was originally drafted by the Nationals in the 12th round of the 2010 draft. … Gonzalez is off to a very good start, having thrown at least six innings in each of his five starts. He has yet to allow more than two earned runs in any outing. … The Diamondbacks have hit him hard the past few seasons. In three starts since the start of 2015, Gonzalez has allowed 10 earned runs in 13 2/3 innings.

Starting lineup

Jeff Mathis gets the start at catcher Wednesday night with Robbie Ray on the mound.

Coming up

Thursday: At Washington, 10:05 a.m., Diamondbacks RHP Braden Shipley (3-1, 4.18)* vs. Nationals RHP Max Scherzer (3-2, 2.94).

Friday: At Colorado, 5:40 p.m., Diamondbacks RHP Zack Greinke (2-2, 3.19) vs. Rockies LHP Tyler Anderson (1-3, 7.71).

Saturday: At Colorado, 5:10 p.m., Diamondbacks LHP Patrick Corbin (2-3, 2.29) vs. Rockies RHP German Marquez (0-1, 7.20).

* — Stats from Triple-A Reno.