Nationals 8, Padres 5
Wilson Ramos continued to provide a spark in his return with three RBIs as Washington took the opener of a three-game series from visiting San Diego.
Wilson, who was activated off the disabled list on Thursday after a 44-game absence, has eight RBIs in the last two games. Denard Span drove in a pair of runs and Gio Gonzalez (6-3) allowed three runs on eight hits in 6 2/3 innings to earn his third straight win for the Nationals.
Carlos Quentin hit a three-run homer and Chase Headley went deep among two hits for the Padres, who suffered their seventh straight loss. Andrew Cashner (5-4) was knocked around for six runs on five hits in two-plus innings to end a string of five straight quality starts.
San Diego took the lead on Headley’s RBI double in the first inning but Cashner could not find his way out of a jam in the second. Ramos came up with the bases loaded and singled to plate the tying and go-ahead runs before Span doubled in a pair and Bryce Harper capped the five-run rally with a sacrifice fly.
Ramos added an RBI single in the third and Washington pushed it to 8-2 with two more runs in the fourth before Quentin’s blast in the seventh chopped the deficit to three runs. Rafael Soriano worked a perfect ninth for his 23rd save.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Harper, who went 0-for-4, is 1-for-19 in five games since coming off the disabled list. … San Diego’s five runs were one more than its total while being swept in a three-game series at Boston. … The Padres activated SS Everth Cabrera (hamstring) from the 15-day DL and optioned RHP Burch Smith to the minors.