Adam Wainwright Dominates Washington Nationals; St. Louis Cardinals Win 2-0 In Second Of Three In D.C.

Washington Nationals' left-hander Ross Detwiler got the first out of the game with his first pitch of the night when St. Louis Cardinals' leadoff man Shane Robinson flew out to Denard Span in center field in Nationals Park. Allen Craig reached safely on a broken-bat, one-out single to left-center in the next at bat, but the Cards' first runner was erased when Matt Holliday hit a one-hop liner to short where Ian Desmond started an inning-ending 6-4-3. It would be the first of four double plays on the night for Detwiler.

After a 12-pitch first by Detwiler, Bryce Harper got a broken-bat single of his own off Adam Wainwright with two down in the home half of the inning, leaving the Nats' 20-year-old outfielder 6 for 11 with a double, triple and home run off the Cards' 31-year-old, eight-year veteran in the season+ Harper's been in the majors, but he was stranded at first after Wainwright got Adam LaRoche swinging with a 75 mph 2-2 curve. 0-0 score after one. 15-pitch inning for Wainwright.

A weak groundout to second by Carlos Beltran started Ross Detwiler's second inning of work. The Nationals' lefty missed with a 3-1 fastball to Cards' catcher Yadier Molina, putting the second runner of the game on for St. Louis, but Detwiler erased that runner too with help of a backhand scoop and glove toss to second by Danny Espinosa, who started another inning-ending DP, this time, 4-6-3. 17-pitch frame for Detwiler. 29 overall after 2.0 scoreless. A 74 mph curve got Espinosa swinging for the final out of the second, however, after Wainwright had retired Desmond and Anthony Rendon in the first two ABs. 26 pitches through two for the Cards' starter after an 11-pitch frame.

Ross Detwiler got Matt Carpenter to chase a low 1-2 fastball for out no.1 in the Cardinals' third. Pete Kozma singled, of course, with one down in the frame, but Ross Detwiler got another double play, of course, when Kurt Suzuki picked up Adam Wainwright's attempted sac bunt and threw to second in time to start a 2-6-4 inning-ender. 3.0 IP, 3 DPs, 37 pitches for Detwiler after an eight-pitch frame. Kurt Suzuki, Detwiler and Denard Span were the fifth, sixth and seventh Nationals set down by Wainwright after he'd completed his third scoreless inning at 41 pitches overall. Still 0-0 in the nation's capital.

Shane Robinson singled to right to start the fourth and he was running when Allen Craig lined to right field in the next AB. Craig's RBI double made it 1-0 Cards. Craig took third on a single to right by Matt Holliday and scored when Carlos Beltran went with a fastball outside and punched a line drive over second and into right. 2-0 Cardinals. Adam LaRoche hustled to catch a foul pop off Yadier Molina's bat for the first out of the frame. A fly to right by David Freese was caught by Werth for out no.2 and a swinging K from Matt Carpenter ended the top of the frame. The 19-pitch inning had Detwiler at 56 overall. Jayson Werth K'd looking. Bryce Harper chased a 1-2 pitch up high and Adam LaRoche made it three quick outs when he took a 1-2 fastball inside for a called strike three and Wainwright's 6th K in 4.0 scoreless. 2-0 Cards.

Pete Kozma singled again when he dropped a weak fly to left in over Ian Desmond's outstretched glove, but the Cards' infielder was doubled up on another sac bunt attempt when he tried to take third after Rendon threw to first to get the pitcher. Ross Detwiler was covering third and caught Espinosa's throw to the bag and made the tag. 5-4-1. Four double plays on the night and a Shane Robinson groundout ended the top of the fifth. 70 pitches overall for Detwiler after a 14-pitch frame. Ian Desmond was the 11th National in a row set down by Adam Wainwright in the Nats' fifth. Rendon was no.12 and Danny Espinosa made it 13-straight going back to Bryce Harper's two-out single in the first. Four pitches by Wainwright in the fifth inning. Four. PItches. 2-0 Cards.

Matt Holliday almost got thrown out at second by Bryce Harper after the Cards' slugger's fly to left hit the wall, died and fell to the track. Harper picked it up and fired it to second, but a second too late. One-out double for Holliday, but two outs later he was stranded at second as Detwiler completed a 23-pitch inning at 93 overall. Kurt Suzuki lined to left to break up Wainwright's streak of retired batters at 13-in-a-row and snap a personal 0 for 14 streak that stretched back to the final game of the Nats' series on the road in Miami. Roger Bernadina hit for Ross Detwiler, but K'd looking to remain 0-for-the-season so far in 2013. Denard Span waited on a curve, however, and sent Kurt Suzuki from first-to-third™ with a one-out single to center. Jayson Werth popped out on the first pitch he saw for out no.2, but Bryce Harper took the first walk of the year from Wainwright to load the bases with two down only to have Adam LaRoche K swinging to end the home-half of the frame. Still 2-0 Cardinals.

Henry Rodriguez needed 10 pitches to retire the Cardinals in order in the top of the seventh. Wainwright came back out for the bottom of the inning and retired the Nats in order on five pitches, leaving him at 87 overall after 7.0 scoreless. Henry Rodriguez came back out for the eighth, and walked the first batter he faced, Shane Robinson. Rodriguez got Allen Craig looking with a 2-2 slider for out and K no.1. A balk moved Robinson up to second and a groundout by Matt Holliday moved him to third, but swinging K by Carlos Beltran ended Rodriguez's second scoreless inning of work. Wainwright started the eighth at 87 pitches. Steve Lombardozzi singled with one down, collecting the Nationals' fourth hit of the game, but he was forced out at second on a Denard Span grounder. Jayson Werth stepped in with two down. A wild pitch in a 1-2 count moved Span into scoring position, but a groundout to short ended the eighth.

Tyler Clippard needed 11 pitches to retire the Cardinals in order in the top of the ninth. Adam Wainwright came back out for the ninth with Bryce Harper, Adam LaRoche and Ian Desmond due up. Harper was hustling out of the box on a grounder through the right side, and he slid in safe at second with a leadoff double, his fourth of the year. Adam LaRoche stepped in 0 for 3 with three Ks tonight and 7 for 32 with 12 Ks in his career vs Wainwright. LaRoche worked the count full, but K'd looking at a backdoor 3-2 curve that appeared outside. LaRoche sure thought so. 9 Ks for Wainwright, who was done after 113 pitches. Ian Desmond vs Edward Mujica. Harper on second. Desmond popped to second for out no.2, leaving it up to Rend-- pinch hitter Chad Tracy, who was first pitch swinging and flew out to right. Ballgame.

Cards win, 2-0 final.

Nationals now 10-10