Nationals 4, Cardinals 3
ST. LOUIS -- Ryan Zimmerman made sure the Washington Nationals held on to this lead.
After cracking two solo homers, Zimmerman snapped an eighth-inning tie with an RBI double Wednesday night as Washington picked up a rare win in St. Louis, edging the Cardinals 4-3.
Zimmerman's liner down the right field line scored second baseman Anthony Rendon, who worked an eight-pitch walk from reliever Jonathan Broxton (1-4) to start the eighth and reached second on a sacrifice bunt by center fielder Matt den Dekker.
The Nationals' bullpen, which blew 5-3 leads in each of the series' first two games, protected this one. Drew Storen fanned the side in the eighth, and Jonathan Papelbon pitched around two singles in the ninth for his 23rd save.
Washington (67-65) prevailed for just the third time in its past 23 regular-season games in St. Louis, dating back to 2008.
Rookie Rafael Martin (1-0) got the last out of the seventh to earn his first major league win as the Nationals stayed within 6 1/2 games of the first place New York Mets in the National League East.
St. Louis (86-47) maintained a six-game lead in the NL Central on the Pittsburgh Pirates, a 9-4 loser to the Brewers in Milwaukee. The Cardinals got three hits from first baseman Brandon Moss and second baseman Kolten Wong, who had a game-tying single in the seventh. St. Louis outhit Washington 16-8 but left 13 men on base.
Neither starter was around for the decision despite working six solid innings apiece. Washington's Max Scherzer scattered 11 hits, yielding two runs with no walks and 10 strikeouts.
Cardinals left-hander Tyler Lyons, who replaced the scratched Michael Wacha (rest), gave up six hits and three runs, walking one and fanning six. However, three of the hits he allowed left the park, including Zimmerman's second homer to lead off the sixth, which was his fourth homer in three games and seventh in nine games.
After hitting a walk-off, three-run homer Tuesday night, Moss initiated scoring in the bottom of the second inning with a 454-foot homer to right-center. It was the longest homer by a left-handed batter in the 10-year history of Busch Stadium III.
The Nationals tied it in the third on a two-out solo homer by right fielder Jayson Werth, then untied it in the fourth when Zimmerman went deep.
The Cardinals equalized in the fifth with a two-out, two-strike RBI single to right-center by rookie center fielder Tommy Pham.
Washington center fielder Bryce Harper left the game before the bottom of the fourth with left glute tightness.
NOTES: St. Louis recalled three more pitchers from Triple-A Memphis, including LHP Tyler Lyons, who started Wednesday night. RHP Miguel Socolovich and LHP Nick Greenwood also got the call. LHP Marco Gonzales, who was called up for a spot start Tuesday, was optioned back to Memphis. He allowed four runs in 2 2/3 innings against the Nationals in his lone major league appearance of the year. ... Washington recalled RHP Rafael Martin and LHP Matt Grace from Triple-A Syracuse to fortify its struggling bullpen. ... The Cardinals announced that RHP Lance Lynn (ankle) will skip his scheduled start Friday night against Pittsburgh, with RHP Carlos Martinez taking his place. Martinez missed his start Tuesday due to a sore back.