Goldy falls HR shy of cycle as part of big day

PHOENIX -- Paul Goldschmidt's cycle watch began in earnest after the fifth inning on Wednesday at Chase Field.

He'll have to wait another day to make history.

The All-Star first baseman finished 3-for-4 with two runs scored and one RBI in the D-backs' 9-6 loss to the Nationals in the series finale. What Goldschmidt didn't record was the home run he needed to make him the sixth player in franchise history to complete the cycle.

"We were all thinking he was going to get his home run and get the cycle," manager Chip Hale said. "It just didn't work out."

Trailing, 3-1, D-backs left fielder Ender Inciarte led off the bottom of the third with a single, Mark Trumbo followed with a walk and Goldschmidt smashed a double off the wall in center field for the first of three runs in the inning to push the D-backs back ahead, 4-3.

Goldschmidt, who hit a single in the first inning, also led off the fifth with a triple, leaving him only the big fly short of the feat. He was intentionally walked to load the bases with two outs in the sixth and struck out looking in his final at-bat in the eighth.