Max Scherzer outdueled Jon Lester, Bryce Harper homered, again, and the Washington Nationals won their ninth straight series with a 3-0 win over the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field Wednesday night.
Scherzer (6-3) was dominant, striking out 13 in seven scoreless innings, giving up five hits and walking one. Harper hit his 18th homer of the season, and 13th in the month of May, in the sixth off Lester (4-3), a solo shot in the sixth.
Danny Espinosa also homered for Washington, a solo shot in the ninth off reliever Travis Wood.
The Cubs threatened in the bottom of the eighth, getting a leadoff double by Jorge Soler off reliever Matt Grace, who then hit Anthony Rizzo with a pitch to put two on with nobody out. Casey Jannsen relieved Grace, and got Kris Bryant to pop out, retired Dexter Fowler on a slap bunt attempt that Jannsen fielded and threw in the dirt to first baseman Ryan Zimmerman that Zimmerman had to dig out of the dirt.
Starlin Castro grounded out to short to end the threat, and Drew Storen closed out the game for his 16th save, giving up a two-out single to pinch-hitter Jonathan Herrera before getting Addison Russell to ground out to end the game.
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Chris Graham
