A pair of first-inning homers keyed a six-run Washington first, and Max Scherzer breezed the rest of the way as the Nats blasted the Arizona Diamondbacks, 11-1, on Monday night.
Scherzer (3-3) gave up a run on five hits in seven innings of work, striking out five and walking one, lowering his season ERA to 1.99.
Denard Span led off the game with a home run, and Ryan Zimmerman added a two-run shot later in the first off Arizona starter Josh Collmenter (3-4), who was roughed up for nine runs, all earned, on eight hits and a walk in one and a third innings.
Yunel Escobar went 5-for-5 at the plate to raise his batting average to .342.
Scherzer had two hits in four at-bats in the nine spot in the order for Washington, which has now won 11 of its last 13 games, and sits two and a half games behind the first-place New York Mets in the National League East.