Washington Nationals win ugly, 14-6 over St. Louis Cardinals in error and hit-filled affair...

In an error, hit, and run-filled affair in the nation’s capital, the Washington Nationals outlasted the St. Louis Cardinals and fought their way to a 14-6 win.

The two teams combined for 20 runs, 29 hits, and five errors in the series opener of the three-game set in D.C.

Bryce Harper turned a 9-3 DP on a liner to right with a runner at first... and connected for four hits (4 for 4, 2 R, 2 BB).

Adam Eaton was 3 for 4 with three driven in and two runs scored.

Ryan Zimmerman, Jayson Werth, Stephen Drew, and Matt Wieters all had big mult-hit nights.

Tanner Roark, Matt Albers (2.0 scoreless), and Koda Glover (scoreless 8th) got the Nats to the ninth and Shawn Kelley locked down the 14-6 win... after giving up a run.

Nationals now 4-3

A lot happened in D.C. tonight...

Here’s how it happened:

• Adam Eaton took a 1-1 changeup from Adam Wainwright to left-center and off the wall on a bounce for a leadoff double, and a groundout to short by Anthony Rendon moved the Nationals’ leadoff man to third in the bottom of the first.

Bryce Harper, who started the day 9 for 23 career vs Carpenter, made it 10 for 24 with an RBI single through the left side of the infield, 1-0.

• With the pitcher on deck and runners on second and third with two out, Tanner Roark and Matt Wieters went at Kolten Wong in the top of the second, but the Cards’ second baseman got the best of the Nationals’ starter, lining a 2-2 slider to right for a two-run double that put the Cardinals on top, 2-1.

• Stephen Drew (filling in at short for Trea Turner) lined a single to right field to start the Nationals’ half of the second, and two outs later, Adam Eaton sent a low liner through short on a 2-2 curve from Adam Wainwright for an RBI single that tied things up at 2-2.

• Dexter Fowler reached on an error by Ryan Zimmerman in the first at bat of the Cards’ third, stole second two outs later and scored on an RBI single by Stephen Piscotty, who made it 3-2 Cardinals with a soft fly to center that fell in for a hit.

• Harper singled (2 for 2 to that point; 11 for 25 career vs Wainwright) and went first-to-third™ on a single to center by Ryan Zimmerman in the third, but both runners were stranded when Jayson Werth and Stephen Drew K’d swinging in consecutive at bats to end a 19-pitch frame by Wainwright.

• Matt Wieters singled to start the Nationals’ half of the fourth. Tanner Roark squared to bunt in the next AB, but pulled back and swung away, sending a grounder to second that looked like it might start a DP, but an errant throw to second by Kolten Wong allowed Wieters to take third and the catcher scored on an Adam Eaton single (3 for 3) that made it a 3-3 game.

Bryce Harper walked to load the bases with one down, but Daniel Murphy hit into an inning-ending 6-4-3.

• Daniel Murphy booted a routine Dexter Fowler grounder for the Nats’ third straight leadoff error in three innings, and one out later Fowler took third on a soft line drive to center by Matt Carpenter when Anthony Rendon couldn’t get a handle on the throw in to third from Adam Eaton.

Stephen Piscotty stepped in with runners on second and third with one out and sent a single up the middle to make it a 4-3 game in the Cardinals’ favor. Yadier Molina made it 5-3 with an RBI single to center in the next at bat.

Stephen Drew ended the inning with a diving stab on a sharp grounder to short and a quick throw to second to start a slick, inning-ending 6-4-3.

• Tanner Roark’s Line: 5.0 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 3 Ks, 104 P, 70 S, 9/5 GO/FO.

• Stephen Drew came up with two on and no out in the bottom of the fifth and lined an RBI double to right to drive Ryan Zimmerman in after back-to-back singles by Zim and Jayson Werth. That was it for Wainwright. 5-4 Cardinals.

• Adam Wainwright’s Line: 4.0 IP, 11 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 2 Ks, 96 P, 59 S, 10/2 GO/FO.

• Matt Wieters tied things up at 5-5 with an RBI single to center off Brett Cecil, and a sac fly by Adam Eaton put the Nationals back on top, 6-5 after five.

• Matt Albers worked around the Nationals’ fourth error of the game in a 15-pitch frame in his debut for the Nats.

• Bryce Harper bunted his way on (please don’t slide headfirst into first, Bryce) and Daniel Murphy singled to start the Nationals’ half of the sixth inning, knocking Cecil out of the game.

One out later, Jayson Werth hit a base-loading single to left, and Stephen Drew hit a sac fly to left to make it 7-5 Nats.

• With Matt Carpenter on first in the top of the seventh, Stephen Piscotty hit a sharp one-out liner to right field that Bryce Harper caught coming in and Harper threw a strike to first to complete a shocking 9-3 DP.

• Koda Glover took over in the top of the eighth, after two scoreless by Matt Albers, and tossed a quick, 11-pitch, 8-strike scoreless frame.

• With the score 14-5 after eight innings, following an RBI single by Stephen Drew, two-run double to right by Adam Lind, and an RBI groundout by Anthony Rendon, Shawn Kelley came on to finish off the game... and did after he gave up a home run by Jedd Gyorko. 14-6 final.

Nationals now 4-3

NATIONALS PREGAME NOTES:

• St. Louis leads the all-time series with Washington 45-32.
• Ryan Zimmerman’s pinch hit home run on Sunday was just the second pinch hit home run of his career.
• Zimmerman is now 4 for 4 with two homers as a pinch hitter in his career vs PHI.
• Daniel Murphy has multi-hit games in 5 of 6 games this season and hits in each game after he went 1 for 4 in Sunday’s loss in Philadelphia.
• Tanner Roark takes the mound with a (22-13) record in Nationals Park in his career, where he has a 2.79 ERA.
• Roark threw seven or more shutout innings nine times last season, the most in the majors.
• Dusty Baker started the night one win away from passing Jim Leyland on the all-time wins list for manager and moving into 15th overall on that list... though he has a long way to go before he catches Connie Mack, the all-time wins leader as a manager with a total of 3,731.

Nationals now 4-3