Murphy powers Nationals past Cardinals
WASHINGTON -- Daniel Murphy had four hits and drove in five runs to lift his average to .472 as the hot-hitting Washington Nationals beat the St. Louis Cardinals 8-3 on Tuesday.
Matt Wieters (.435) had two hits for the Nationals, who entered the game with a league-best .308 average. Bryce Harper walked in his first three at-bats to extend his on-base streak to nine games, which ties a personal best. He was later retired on a fielder's choice but doubled in the eighth.
Washington starter Gio Gonzalez (1-0) allowed two runs (one earned) on six strikeouts and no walks in seven innings. St. Louis' Lance Lynn (0-1) gave up six runs (four earned) and five hits, including three homers, in five innings.
Jose Martinez and Aledmys Diaz had two hits for the Cardinals, who allowed 22 runs and 30 hits in the first two games of the series.
The Cardinals took a 1-0 lead on an unearned run in the first as Yadier Molina had a sacrifice fly to drive in Dexter Fowler, who led off with a double and took third on an error.
Murphy had a two-run single with the bases loaded in the third as Washington took a 2-1 lead.
St. Louis responded with a solo homer by Randal Grichuk in the fourth to tie the game at 2 off Gonzalez.
Jayson Werth led off the last of the fourth with a solo homer -- his third in eight games -- to give the Nationals a 3-2 edge. Two batters later, Wieters lined a solo homer to right to make it 4-2 with his first longball with Washington.
Murphy came through again in the fifth as he cranked a two-run homer to right off Lynn to make it 6-2.
Murphy doubled and scored on an error in the seventh to give the Nationals a 7-2 lead. Diaz of the Cardinals hit a solo homer off Joe Blanton in the eighth to make it 7-3, but Murphy had a RBI double to plate Harper in the eighth for an 8-3 lead.
NOTES: Cardinals INF Matt Carpenter did not start because of back stiffness but pinch-hit in the ninth and walked. ... Washington RHP Max Scherzer (1-0, 2.70 ERA) faces St. Louis RHP Mike Leake (0-1, 1.13) in the series finale Wednesday. ... Washington SS Wilmer Difo made his first start of the year after Nationals SS Trea Turner went on the disabled list Monday with a right hamstring strain.