Nats Nightly

Bryce Harper kept getting on base, and when they walked him, Daniel Murphy kept making the St. Louis Cardinals pay. Murphy doubled to drive in two runs after a walk to Harper early, homered after a walk to Harper and then doubled to drive Harper in after Washington's 24-year-old slugger hit a double of his own in the eighth. Gio Gonzalez was sharp on the mound, retiring the last 11 batters he faced and the Nationals cruised to an 8-3 win and a 5-3 record on the year.