Cardinals 8, Nationals 5
ST. LOUIS -- The St. Louis Cardinals' suddenly potent offense made the trip back from the west coast in style Monday night.
Scoring five two-out runs in the bottom of the seventh inning, St. Louis administered a potentially crushing loss to the Washington Nationals with an 8-5 verdict at Busch Stadium.
It was the eighth win in nine games for the Cardinals (85-46), who have averaged 6.3 runs in this latest stretch of success. They entered the game scoring just over four runs per contest.
Center fielder Jason Heyward delivered the game's key hit, a two-run double off reliever Felipe Rivero that went over the head of left fielder Jayson Werth and snapped a 5-5 tie. It was preceded by two-strike RBI singles from right fielder Stephen Piscotty and shortstop Jhonny Peralta off reliever Casey Janssen (1-3).
Second baseman Kolten Wong capped the outburst with a run-scoring single as St. Louis expanded its National League Central lead over idle Pittsburgh to five games.
Washington (66-64) wiped out a 3-1 deficit with a run in the sixth and three in the seventh, first baseman Ryan Zimmerman crashing a three-run homer to center with two outs in the seventh, his 13th of the year.
Despite giving up the lead, reliever Kevin Siegrist (6-1) picked up the win, thanks to the Cardinals' rally. Closer Trevor Rosenthal bagged his 42nd save despite permitting two hits and a walk in a scoreless ninth.
The Nationals, who fell to 2-19 in their last 21 games at Busch Stadium, dropped 6 1/2 games behind the first-place New York Mets in the NL East. New York defeated Philadelphia 3-1.
Neither starter was around for the decision. Washington's Gio Gonzalez worked six innings, giving up five hits and three runs with two walks and four strikeouts. St. Louis' John Lackey also pitched six innings, allowing four hits and two runs, one earned, while walking four and whiffing eight.
Washington hit the scoreboard first in the top of the first inning, plating an unearned run on a two-out RBI double by Zimmerman. It scored right fielder Bryce Harper, who reached on an error by Wong.
St. Louis answered back in the fourth with three runs. After a one-out walk to Peralta and an infield hit by Heyward, catcher Yadier Molina, Wong and first baseman Mark Reynolds collected run-scoring singles.
Lackey fanned four straight hitters at one point and finished five innings with eight punchouts, allowing only two hits.
NOTES: St. Louis RHP Trevor Rosenthal was activated from the paternity list after missing the team's weekend series in San Francisco to watch his wife give birth to the couple's second child. The Cardinals optioned RHP Sam Tuivailala to Triple-A Memphis. ... Washington 3B Yunel Escobar returned to the lineup after missing the previous three games due to a hand injury he sustained when he was hit by a pitch Thursday against San Diego. ... St. Louis RHP Carlos Martinez (back) will skip his scheduled start Tuesday night, with LHP Marco Gonzales likely to be recalled from Memphis to take his place.