Associated Press

WASHINGTON — Barely three weeks ago, Jayson Werth vowed that changes had to be made for the Washington Nationals to win regularly. Werth never specified what those changes were, but since then the Nationals have certainly played well.

On Thursday night, they won their sixth straight — their longest winning streak since the end of the 2009 season — and did it dramatically. Danny Espinosa’s three-run homer in the bottom of the 10th gave the Washington a 7-4 win over the St. Louis Cardinals.

“This has been close to happening for quite some time,” Werth said. “We’ve taken that step to win those games. We’ve finally got on a roll, and hopefully it keeps going.”

Ryan Zimmerman led off the 10th with a single off Fernando Salas (3-1). With one out, Salas hit Michael Morse with a pitch and Espinosa followed by hitting a 2-1 changeup into the bullpen in right. It was his 12th home run of the season, and the first allowed by Salas.

Ian Desmond and Roger Bernadina greeted Espinosa, who had three hits and four RBIs, with a Gatorade bath.

“A couple of weeks ago, I thought we were swinging the bats well. It just wasn’t falling for us,” Espinosa said. “Our hitting was there. We were just unlucky.”

During this streak, the Nationals have had practiced hitting home runs and celebrating. In the three-game sweep of the Cardinals, who have lost six straight, Washington scored 25 runs including eight home runs in the past two games.

“It’s that time of year,” Nationals manager Jim Riggleman said. “The ball is flying.”

Sean Burnett (2-3), Washington’s fourth pitcher, threw a scoreless 10th for the win.

The Nationals tagged starter Kyle Lohse for three home runs. In his first 91 innings this season, Lohse allowed five.

Matt Holliday, Albert Pujols and Yadier Molina hit home runs for St. Louis.

“We had a lot of heroics. We missed a couple chances to have a run here or there, but the effort was outstanding,” Cardinals manager Tony La Russa said.

St. Louis remains one game behind Milwaukee for the lead in the NL Central. Their six-game skid is their longest since Sept. 10-17, 2008 — when they dropped seven straight.

Holliday led off the second with his seventh homer in his first at-bat since missing 13 games with a left quadriceps injury. Pujols hit his 16th of the season off Tyler Clippard with two outs in the eighth. Molina led off the ninth with his fourth home run of the year off Drew Storen, who blew his second save in 18 chances.

Washington began the first inning with back-to-back home runs from Werth and Bernadina. It’s was Werth’s 10th of the season — and his third in 12 at-bats against Lohse. Bernadina followed with his second of the season, the second time in as many nights Washington hit consecutive home runs.

After Holliday’s homer made it 2-1, St. Louis tied it at 2 in the fourth when Molina’s infield out scored Pujols.

Washington took a 3-2 lead in the fourth when Morse doubled with one out and scored on Espinosa’s single.

Nix led off the bottom of the sixth with his 10th home run. It landed in the first row of the bleachers in right.

Lohse allowed four runs and seven hits in six innings. He walked one and struck out three.

Associated Press

WASHINGTON — Rarely has a shutout tasted so good for Livan Hernandez.

After tossing a three-hitter that led the Washington Nationals over the St. Louis Cardinals 10-0 on Wednesday night, Hernandez got a pie in the face from his happy teammates for the first time in his 16 major league seasons.

“He’s so old, they probably weren’t doing pies in the face when he started,” Nationals outfielder Michael Morse joked.

Morse homered twice and doubled, Jayson Werth and Danny Espinosa also homered and Ryan Zimmerman had his second RBI in as many nights since returning from the disabled list as the Nationals earned their fifth straight win.

The beneficiary of Washington’s offensive outburst was Hernandez (4-8), who struck out six and walked none for his ninth career shutout. It was his 50th career complete game.

“We scored 10 runs and hit four home runs today — that was great,” Hernandez said. “Everybody is working hard every day to win some games and now we’ve got five in a row. Let’s see what happens.”

Albert Pujols made two errors at third base for the Cardinals, leading to a pair of unearned runs, as they lost their season-worst fifth in a row. Jon Jay was the only St. Louis hitter to reach second base, doubling in the fifth off Hernandez.

“He moved the ball around — ball in, ball out, ball down, ball up,” Cardinals manager Tony La Russa said. “It was a masterful job of pitching.”

Hernandez only needed 105 pitches to baffle St. Louis, working quickly through the Cardinals’ dangerous lineup.

“It was just a great performance,” Nationals manager Jim Riggleman said. “It was just vintage Livo there. He was hitting his spots, changing his speeds — he just really had it all going. He was completely in control tonight.”

Hernandez got plenty of offensive support, especially from Morse, who drove in three runs and now has 11 homers in his last 36 games.

“I’m just going up there and putting some good at-bats together,” Morse said. “We had a lot of patience today, and guys got their pitches and didn’t miss them. Livan deserves (the runs). He’s been pitching real well.”

In his return from the disabled list, Cardinals starter Kyle McClellan (6-3) gave up five runs and seven hits in five innings.

Morse hit a solo homer in the second for a 1-0 lead. In the third, Werth hit a routine grounder to Pujols, who’s normally a first baseman, and his soft throw across the diamond handcuffed Lance Berkman. After Roger Bernadina singled, Zimmerman singled home a run.

Morse and Espinosa doubled to begin a three-run fourth. Ivan Rodriguez added an RBI single, Hernandez sacrificed and Ian Desmond hit a hard grounder to Pujols, who couldn’t make the backhanded stop, allowing another unearned run to score. Bernadina made it 5-0 with a bloop double down the left-field line.

Desmond had an RBI single in the sixth. Morse and Espinosa hit towering, consecutive homers in the seventh — the first time Washington has hit back-to-back home runs this season. Morse has 12 homers this year and is hitting .373 during the 36-game run.

“I’m real happy for Mike,” Riggleman said. “He’s seizing an opportunity here and helping the team win games. This is much more than a hot streak.”

Werth hit his ninth homer of the season in the eighth.

Associated Press

WASHINGTON — Ryan Zimmerman’s return may have been the spark the Washington Nationals’ offense was waiting for.

Zimmerman certainly made a difference Tuesday night.

The Nationals’ All-Star third baseman hit a run-scoring double in his return from the disabled list to spark a six-run seventh-inning as Washington beat the St. Louis Cardinals 8-6.

“It was just fun to be part of a game again,” Zimmerman said. “That’s the biggest part. It was a great game, a good win, and hopefully we can continue on with that.”

Zimmerman had missed 58 games because of an injured abdominal muscle which required surgery in early May. He was given ovations from the crowd in pregame introductions and for each of his at-bats, with the loudest cheers coming after his double down the right-field line drove in the Nationals’ first run of the seventh.

“This is his team,” said Jayson Werth, who had an RBI single in the seventh to cap the rally. “He’s an icon of the franchise. He’s the guy, so any time you’re missing a presence like that, it’s definitely good to get him back.”

The six-run inning matched the Nationals’ best this season, and none was wilder than this. Washington’s last four runs in the inning scored with two outs. The tying run scored on a wild pitch and the Nationals took the lead on a bases-loaded walk.

They extended their winning streak to four games, also tying their season best.

“That’s a crazy game right there,” said Nationals closer Drew Storen, who pitched the ninth for his 16th save in 17 chances.

Albert Pujols and Lance Berkman hit home runs for St. Louis, which has lost a season-high four straight games.

Miguel Batista (3-2) relieved Cardinals starter Jaime Garcia to start the seventh with St. Louis holding a 6-2 lead. After Zimmerman’s double, Michael Morse had an RBI groundout for the second out. Danny Espinosa then scored Zimmerman on a single.

“I can’t even remember all the at-bats, there were so many good at-bats,” Nationals manager Jim Riggleman said. “We got a couple breaks, a couple hits that weren’t really squared up that well — it was a lot of great at-bats”

Reliever Trever Miller came on and hit Roger Bernadina, loading the bases, and then threw a wild pitch to pinch-hitter Ivan Rodriguez, allowing the tying run to score. After an intentional walk to Rodriguez, reliever Jason Motte came on and walked pinch-hitter Laynce Nix on the 11th pitch of the at-bat to give the Nationals their first lead of the game, 7-6.

“It was just a nightmare of a seventh inning,” Cardinals manager Tony La Russa said.

Henry Rodriguez (2-1) pitched the seventh inning to earn the win.

The Cardinals took advantage of a defensive miscue to score three runs in the fifth and take a 6-1 lead.

An intentional walk to Pujols with one out loaded the bases for Berkman, who hit what appeared to be a double-play grounder to shortstop Ian Desmond. However, Desmond’s flip to Espinosa caught the second baseman in an awkward position, and the throw to first was too late to get Berkman. The reprieve led to two more St. Louis runs as Yadier Molina and Andrew Brown hit run-scoring singles before the Nationals got out of the inning.

Pujols hit a two-run homer in the first — his 15th of the year — and Berkman hit his 17th in the fourth.

Associated Press

Prince Fielder cautioned against making too much out of the Milwaukee Brewers’ sweep of the St. Louis Cardinals.

Fielder’s go-ahead homer in the sixth rallied the Milwaukee Brewers to a 4-3 victory over St. Louis on Sunday as the Brewers knocked the Cardinals out of first place in the NL Central.

“I don’t know about a statement,” Fielder said of taking three from the Cardinals and gaining the top spot in the division. “It’s just good right now. We’re playing good baseball. Like I said we haven’t been in first place for about a year or two now.”

Fielder’s 19th home run chased Jake Westbrook (6-4) who carried a shutout into the sixth.

“I’m just happy I’m coming through,” Fielder said. “It’s always fun.”

His blast prompted a curtain call which he reluctantly did.

“I’m shy, man. It’s cool though,” he said. “I appreciate it from the fans. It’s kind of cool, especially in the moment.”

Cardinals manager Tony LaRussa didn’t want to assign a whole lot of anguish toward the three losses.

“I don’t want to be melodramatic,” he said. “This is June and we have to be ready for Washington on Tuesday. We came in here to win a series and they outmanaged us and outplayed us.”

Rickie Weeks started the rally with a single and then scored on Mark Kotsay’s double. Ryan Braun drove in Kotsay with a single before Fielder smashed the first pitch 440 feet into the second deck in right field for a two-run homer.

Fielder, who went 2 for 3 with a walk and two RBIs, now has 58 RBIs to extend his lead in the NL.

With the victory, the Brewers (38-28) took sole possession of first place for the first time since July 9, 2009. It moved them 10 games over .500 for the first time since they were 33-23 on June 6, 2009.

Brewers manager Ron Roenicke was happy with the team’s progress, especially after starting the season poorly.

“It’s way too early, but I like how we’re playing,” he said.

The Cardinals (38-29) had been in first since May 19, but have now lost four of the last five and were swept at Miller Park for the first time since April 30-May 2, 2007.

Fielder’s eighth home run over the last 10 games helped Milwaukee improve its major-league best home record to 25-9. It also set a franchise record for the best start at home.

Shaun Marcum (7-2) won for the first time since May 21, a span of three starts that included a loss and then consecutive no decisions. He had never faced the Cardinals. He allowed three runs on five hits with eight strikeouts and a walk over seven innings.

Kameron Loe pitched a scoreless eighth.

John Axford converted his 15th straight save opportunity and 18th out of 20 overall in the ninth. He got a huge lift when Carlos Gomez, a ninth-inning defensive replacement for Kotsay in center, made a spectacular catch in the ninth. Gomez raced back at full speed and turned to catch Rasmus’ fly ball just before crashing into the wall.

“When I see it, then my instincts going to tell me what I have to do,” Gomez said.

The Cardinals looked as if they might avoid being swept when Skip Schumaker hit a two-out, two-run single with the bases loaded for the first runs. Yadier Molina running from first had to duck as Schumaker’s liner sailed over him and into right field.

St. Louis tacked on another run on Rasmus’ double in the sixth.

Westbrook went five innings, allowing four runs and eight hits.

Associated Press

MILWAUKEE — Chris Narveson needed to beat a top team to restore his confidence after a string of poor outings. The fact that it was the franchise that gave up on him was simply a bonus.

Narveson scattered six hits over eight innings and the Milwaukee Brewers kept rolling at home even after a small fire in the ballpark, beating the St. Louis Cardinals 8-0 on Friday night.

“I think you always need an outing like this,” Narveson said. “It’s definitely a good feeling to be able to go out there and just go out and get back to base one and get yourself set.”

Narveson (3-4) began his career as a Cardinals draft pick, but he’s being counted on to play an important role in Milwaukee’s rotation as the fifth starter after having no competition in spring training.

“It was huge for me to see it,” Brewers manager Ron Roenicke said. “When I see things, I see things as I want him to get it going, not so much what the outcome of the game is. I know we’re going to need him.”

Tony La Russa managed his 5,000th game for the Cardinals, but even he saw something new — a fire in a ballpark after smoke billowed in right field from a concession stand’s malfunctioning popcorn machine in the sixth.

“No kidding? I hadn’t seen that one,” La Russa said. “I wasn’t sure what it was.”

Ryan Braun and Corey Hart homered as Milwaukee improved to 23-9 at home, the best mark in the majors. The Brewers could take first place in the NL Central from the Cardinals with a three-game sweep of this weekend series.

“I think that’s the last thing on anybody’s minds right now, we just want to go out there, play hard, play to win and whatever happens happens,” Brewers catcher Jonathan Lucroy said. “If we play up to our potential we can beat anybody out there.”

The Brewers got off to a solid start by roughing up Kyle Lohse (7-3) and chasing him after five innings. Lohse has lost five straight to Milwaukee and hasn’t won in Miller Park for six years.

Not many other teams have, either.

Milwaukee dropped two of three against the Mets in its previous series, but has not lost consecutive games at home this season even without a big hit by Prince Fielder, who went 0 for 1 with two walks and a hit by pitch.

“I think the big thing is it’s not going to be Prince and Braun every night,” Craig Counsell said. “Those guys have really carried us offensively this year.”

Narveson was sharp throughout after going 0-1 with a 10.66 ERA in his previous three starts. He only had more than one baserunner in the eighth and he sprinted off the mound after striking out Jon Jay to end the threat.

“I think it’s a good start to the series and a good thing for him personally just being able to go out and get that confidence knowing that he can put away teams like that, of that caliber,” Lucroy said.

Counsell tripled in the third, then slid headfirst around the tag of catcher Yadier Molina on Narveson’s safety squeeze. Nyjer Morgan followed with a sacrifice fly two batters later to give the Brewers a 2-0 lead.

Lohse got out of a bases-loaded jam in the fourth, but wouldn’t be so lucky against Braun, who drove a pitch the opposite way for his 14th homer this season in the fifth.

Hart followed with his homer and Rickie Weeks singled in a run off reliever Ryan Franklin as thick, sweet smelling smoke wafted down from the second deck to the first level and field of play. No one was hurt in the fire and a small section of the Miller Park roof on a chilly, 52-degree night was opened to help clear the air.

“You know when you’re around camp fires and there’s almost a burning in your eyes, that’s what it was like,” said Hart, the right fielder. “It helped us more, though, because we had the lead.”

by Associated Press

Win or lose, Lance Berkman always seems to get his hits at Minute Maid Park.

Berkman broke a tie with an RBI single and pinch-hitter Daniel Descalso had a two-run double in St. Louis’ five-run sixth in the Cardinals’ 9-2 victory over the Houston Astros on Thursday night.

Berkman, the former Astro who hit a solo homer to break up Bud Norris’ no-hit bid in the seventh inning in the Cardinals’ 4-1 loss Wednesday night, snapped a 1-1 tie with a single off the scoreboard in left after Jon Jay singled and Albert Pujols drew a walk off J.A. Happ (3-8).

Mark Hamilton’s fielder’s choice grounder to second baseman Jeff Keppinger scored Pujols, and Wilton Lopez’s bases-loaded walk brought home Hamilton. Then, Descalso delivered the two-run double to cap the inning.

Berkman added his 15th homer in the ninth.

“I’ve got a different uniform on, but it’s still a great place to hit,” Berkman said. “I’m just trying not to make an out. I’ll enjoy it and try to get ready for the game tomorrow.”

In six games at Minute Maid this season, Berkman is hitting .480 with five home runs and 12 RBIs.

Ryan Theriot ended a 20-game hitting streak Wednesday night and started another with a double and his first homer. He’s been watching Berkman.

“Lance has had a great year and I don’t think he’s just picking on the Astros, he’s picking on everybody,” Theriot said. “He’s swung the bat well and been consistent particularly well here but he’s played a lot of games here and he’s comfortable here.”

Lance Lynn (1-1) benefited from the big inning. He pitched five innings, allowed six hits and one run. He walked three and struck out three.

The Astros left the bases loaded with one out in the third. Brett Wallace struck out and Chris Johnson hit into a forceout. Houston loaded the bases with no outs in the seventh and managed one run on Keppinger’s groundout.

“The first three innings felt like the longest innings of my life,” Lynn said. “After that I started getting into a rhythm and throwing more strikes and throwing good pitches. I stopped giving them pitches to hit.”

Happ pitched 5 1/3 innings. He gave up six hits, six earned runs, struck out five and walked two.

“The first five innings Happ threw the ball extremely well and worked out of some things,” Astros manager Brad Mills said. “Offensively, we had some opportunities early in the game. We had our opportunities.”

Theriot doubled down the left-field line to open the game. He was sacrificed to third by Jay and scored on Pujols’ groundout.

Theriot also hit a solo homer in the eighth, and Skip Schumaker had an RBI single in the seventh.

Houston tied it at 1 in the first on single by Wallace, who hit safely for the 12th time in 14 games.

“It’s frustrating,” Happ said. “Six or seven games in a row I start the game and I feel like I’m going to go seven or eight innings.

“Whatever my terrible record, whatever my terrible ERA is, it doesn’t make sense. It’s not the pitcher I am. I’m going to find a way to figure it out. I felt good and just left a few balls up in the sixth inning and the rest is history,” he said.

Hunter Pence singled with two out in the first inning, extending his hitting streak to 20 games. He took second on a wild pitch before scoring on Wallace’s hit.

Pence’s 20-game streak is the longest of his career and the Astros’ longest since Miguel Tejada hit in 21 straight games in 2009. It was little consolation.

“It’s part of the game,” Pence said. “Sometimes you get them, sometimes they get you out.

“He (Lynn) had really good stuff. His fastball jumped out of his hand, kind of effectively wild a little bit. It almost felt like he could locate his curve ball better than his fastball,” he said.

by Associated Press

Bud Norris took a no-hitter into the seventh inning and teamed with Mark Melancon hold the St. Louis Cardinals to two hits in the Houston Astros’ 4-1 win Wednesday night.

Norris (4-4) pitched eight scoreless innings, allowing only former Astro Lance Berkman’s solo homer with two outs. The blast on the fifth pitch of the at bat sailed just over the glove of Hunter Pence and into the stands in right field. Norris watched the play before pounding his hand in his glove and wiping sweat from his cheek.

The 26-year-old in his second full season in the majors relied on fastballs thrown between 90-95 mph mixed with sliders and changeups to keep the Cardinals off balance.

Melancon yielded a two-out double to Albert Pujols in the ninth before retiring Berkman for his sixth save.

Norris, who entered the game averaging more than a strikeout an inning in his 50 previous major league appearances, struck out two and walked five in a game that tied the longest outing of his career.

Pence had an RBI triple to extend his career-best hitting streak to 19 games and help snap a four-game skid for the Astros.

Cardinals starter Jaime Garcia (6-2) allowed seven hits and three runs in five innings.

Norris walked the leadoff batter in the first, fourth and fifth innings, but faced the minimum through five thanks to three double plays by Houston’s defense.

He walked Matt Carpenter with one out in the sixth, but got his first strikeout of the game to retire pinch hitter Daniel Descalso before sitting down Ryan Theriot.

Clint Barmes made a diving catch on a ball hit by Jon Jay for the first out of the seventh inning. Norris pumped his fist excitedly after Barmes made the belly-flopping grab. Pujols followed with a long fly out to center field before the homer by Berkman, who played 12 seasons for the Astros before a trade last year.

Berkman, who also homered on Tuesday night, was booed as he rounded the bases on his 14th home run that made it 3-1.

Norris walked Carpenter with two outs in the eighth inning before he struck out pinch hitter Mark Hamilton.

The speedy Jason Bourgeois, who was making his first start since coming off the disabled list on this weekend, singled in the fifth inning before stealing second base and reaching third on a lineout by Jeff Keppinger. He made it 3-0 by scoring on a single by Jason Michaels.

Keppinger singled with one out in the third inning before scoring on Pence’s triple that landed near the back of Tal’s Hill in center field. Pence came home on a groundout by Carlos Lee to put Houston up 2-0.

The Astros got no-out doubles in the first and second innings, but were unable to string together enough hits to score in those innings.

J.R. Towles doubled before scoring on a single by Michael Bourn to push the lead to 4-1 in the eighth inning.