Brendan Donovan homered in a three-run third inning, Lars Nootbaar hit a solo homer in the sixth, and the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Washington Nationals 4-2 on Tuesday night in a game that started after a 2 hour, 19 minute rain delay.
Sonny Gray (9-3) allowed two runs on six hits and a walk and struck out six in five innings.
Steven Matz, Phil Maton and JoJo Romero each pitched a scoreless inning of relief, and Ryan Helsley pitched a scoreless ninth for his 18th save in 23 chances.
Jake Irvin (7-4) allowed four runs on six hits and surrendered a season high-tying four walks in six innings as Washington lost its fourth straight game in Miguel Cairo’s debut as interim manager.
Nootbaar hit his 12th homer of the season in the seventh inning on a ball that barely sailed over right fielder Daylen Lile’s outstretched glove to put St. Louis ahead 4-2.
Alec Burleson hit a double down the right field line to score Masyn Winn and give the Cardinals a 3-2 third-inning lead.
James Wood hit an RBI single to right field, and Luis García Jr. drove in a run on a fielder’s choice to help Washington pull ahead 2-0 in the third.
Key moment
Donovan hit his eighth home run of the season on the first pitch he saw to tie the game at 2-all after Victor Scott II hit a ground-rule double to right field to lead off the inning.
Key stat
Lile hit a single to right field to extend his hitting streak to 14 games. He’s three games away from tying Ryan Zimmerman’s rookie franchise-best 17-game streak from June 24 through July 18, 2006.
Up next
Nationals All-Star LHP MacKenzie Gore (3-8, 3.11 ERA) will face Cardinals RHP Andre Pallante (5-4, 4.10) on Wednesday night.