around the horn | Monday’s other MLB games

Nationals 4, Cubs 1

WASHINGTON

Max Scherzer retired the first 16 batters he faced and threw seven innings of two-hit ball, striking out 11 in a pitching masterpiece that carried the Washington Nationals past the Chicago Cubs. Scherzer’s bid for his third career no-hitter ended with one out in the sixth when Addison Russell hit a 3-2 pitch into the left-field seats. The only other batter to reach against Scherzer (8-4) was Anthony Rizzo, who doubled in the seventh. Facing the team with the best record in the majors, Scherzer became the 26th pitcher in baseball history to have 40 games with at least 10 strikeouts. He has won three straight starts, allowing only three runs over 22 innings. The right-hander also earned a measure of revenge against the Cubs after yielding seven runs in five innings at Wrigley Field on May 6 in the midst of Chicago’s four-game sweep. Scherzer struck out 20 in a win over Detroit last month. In this one, he fanned nine of the first 10 batters and victimized Dexter Fowler three times. Shawn Kelley got five outs for his first save. Counting Kelley’s four strikeouts, Washington finished with 16 Ks. Wilson Ramos hit a tiebreaking homer in the sixth inning for the NL East-leading Nationals, who have won four straight and seven of eight. Russell’s fifth home run was the lone highlight for the Cubs, who committed two errors to up their total to nine over the past three games. Kyle Hendricks (4-6) gave up four runs and six hits in 51/3 innings. It was the first time in six starts he allowed more than five hits.

Reds 9, Braves 8

ATLANTA

Tyler Holt’s bases-loaded walk off closer Arodys Vizcaino forced in the tie-breaking run in the ninth inning and the Cincinnati Reds beat the Atlanta Braves in a matchup of teams with the worst records in the National League. Five Braves pitchers combined for eight walks, including three by Vizcaino (1-2) in the ninth. Adam Duvall hit a two-run homer and drove in three runs for the Reds. Joey Votto hit a leadoff bloop double into shallow left field to lead off the ninth. The ball fell off third baseman Adonis Garcia’s glove as he ran with his back to the infield. Vizcaino struck out Brandon Phillips before issuing an intentional walk to Jay Bruce. Duvall popped out before Eugenio Suarez walked to load the bases. Ross Ohlendorf (5-5) allowed one run in the eighth on two hits and two walks. Tony Cingrani pitched the ninth for his seventh save in 12 chances. Freddie Freeman drove in three runs with three hits, including a two-run homer off JC Ramirez in the fifth that gave the Braves a 7-6 lead. Atlanta’s Ryan Weber, recalled from Triple-A Gwinnett before the game, gave up the lead in the sixth. Pinch-hitter Kyle Waldrop’s run-scoring single drove in Suarez, who singled, for the tying run. It was Waldrop’s first career RBI.

Phillies 7, Blue Jays 0

TORONTO

Ryan Howard and Odubel Herrera homered, Jerad Eickhoff pitched six spotless innings to win consecutive starts for the first time this season, and the Philadelphia Phillies snapped a four-game losing streak by beating the Toronto Blue Jays. Herrera went 2 for 5 with three RBIs as the Phillies won for the third time in 13 meetings with Toronto. Peter Bourjos had two hits and two RBIs for Philadelphia, which had lost 17 of 22 overall. Eickhoff (4-8) allowed three hits. He walked four and struck out five. David Hernandez pitched the seventh, Hector Neris handled the eighth and Andrew Bailey finished the six-hitter. Toronto scored 21 runs in winning its previous two games but did not manage an extra-base hit against the Phillies. Herrera opened the scoring with a two-out homer in the third and Howard doubled Philadelphia’s advantage with a leadoff drive in the seventh. Both homers came off right-hander R.A. Dickey, who allowed three runs and five hits in 61/3 innings. Dickey (4-7) has received 14 runs of support over his last six starts, half of them coming in last Wednesday’s 7-2 win at Detroit. The knuckleballer is 0-5 with a 5.14 ERA in seven home starts. Joe Biagini came on after Dickey walked Cody Asche, but gave up an RBI double to Bourjos. Aaron Loup replaced Biagini and allowed an RBI single to Herrera.

Associated Press