Washington Nationals vs San Francisco Giants Box Score on May 31, 2017

The Sports Xchange
Jun 1, 2017

SAN FRANCISCO -- Ryan Zimmerman hit a three-run home run in the first inning and right-hander Max Scherzer made it stand up with his seventh career complete game, helping the Washington Nationals complete a three-game sweep of the San Francisco Giants with a 3-1 triumph Wednesday night.

The win was the 1,799th of Nationals manager Dusty Baker's career. He's second among active managers in wins behind the Giants' Bruce Bochy (1,811).

Almost half of Baker's wins (840 of 1,799) came in 10 seasons with the Giants. He has 128 wins with the Nationals.

The road sweep was the third of the season for the Nationals, who at 17-10 have the second-best road record in the National League behind the Colorado Rockies (18-9).

The Nationals played without star right fielder Bryce Harper, who earlier in the day accepted his suspension after it was lowered from four games to three on appeal. Harper, who was penalized for charging the mound in Monday's win over the Giants, is eligible to return Sunday in Oakland against the Athletics.

Zimmerman's 15th homer of the season came four batters into the game, after an error by Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford and a one-out single by Daniel Murphy had put two runners aboard against San Francisco starter Matt Cain.

The homer was the 230th of Zimmerman's career, leaving him four shy of Vladimir Guerrero's team record of 234.

The home run was the first allowed by Cain in a home game this season.

Scherzer (6-3) beat the Giants for just the third time in seven career starts, limiting them to one run and five hits. He didn't walk anybody and struck out 11, his fifth double-figure strikeout game this season and the 54th of his career.

The complete game was his first of the season.

Cain (3-4) took the loss despite allowing two or fewer earned runs for the sixth consecutive time at home this season.

Trea Turner and Anthony Rendon had two hits apiece for the Nationals, who won for the eighth time in their last 10 games.

Brandon Belt, Buster Posey and Joe Panik had doubles for the Giants, who lost four of six games on their just completed homestand.

Cain was lifted for a pinch hitter in the bottom of the fifth inning, having allowed Zimmerman's three-run homer but no other runs in five innings. He gave up eight hits, three runs (one unearned) and one walk and struck out three.

Scherzer retired the first 10 batters he faced before Eduardo Nunez grounded a single past shortstop Turner with one out in the fourth inning.

Nunez got the Giants on the scoreboard two batters later when Nationals left fielder Jayson Werth and center fielder Michael Taylor allowed a routine fly ball off the bat of Buster Posey to fall between them. Posey was credited with an RBI double that trimmed Washington's lead to 3-1.

NOTES: Nationals manager Dusty Baker seemed ready to move on from the RF Bryce Harper suspension. "Not happy that it was three (games)," he said of the reduced length of the suspension on appeal, "but three is better than four." ... Giants RHP Hunter Strickland, whose six-game suspension remains under appeal, pitched a scoreless eighth inning. ... Giants RF Hunter Pence (strained left hamstring) was scheduled to begin an injury-rehab stint at Class A San Jose on Wednesday night. The Giants expect Pence to join them at some point during a trip that begins Friday in Philadelphia. ... Giants LHP Madison Bumgarner (separated right shoulder) threw in the outfield before the game for the second consecutive day. He remains on schedule to return sometime in July. ... The Nationals released 42-year-old RHP Joe Nathan, who was attempting a comeback from two Tommy John surgeries at Triple-A Syracuse.