Desmond, Strasburg spark 9-2 rout of Giants

It didn't take long for the Nationals to break on top at AT&T Park.

Denard Span led off the first with a double to right off Ryan Vogelsong, took third on Kevin Frandsen's groundout to second and scored when Jayson Werth doubled to left.

The Nationals now turn to right-hander Stephen Strasburg to see if he can keep the Giants at bay. Strasburg entered the game as the strikeout leader in the National League with 101 punchouts.

Update: It's 2-0 in the second, after Ian Desmond tripled home Wilson Ramos.

Ramos barely missed a home run on a drive off the brick wall in right field, and Desmond followed with a triple that eluded a leaping Gregor Blanco in center field and bounced off the wall.

Update II: The Giants chopped the deficit in half, and promptly ran themselves out of a possible big inning, and it's 2-1 after two. Tyler Colvin bounced a ground rule double into the stands in right and scored on Brandon Crawford's single to right. But Crawford got hung up between first and second when first baseman Adam LaRoche cut off Werth's throw from right and was tagged out in a rundown for the inning's second out.

Update III: Desmond did some more damage in the third, helping the Nats increase their lead to 4-1. With two outs, LaRoche doubled and Ryan Zimmerman and Ramos walked. Desmond delivered a two-run single, and now has three RBIs on the night.

Update IV: Strasburg is through five innings. He has allowed a run on four hits, walked none and struck out five.

Update V: Strasburg isn't the only one rolling. So are the Nats on offense.

We're headed to the seventh-inning stretch - though I suppose a bunch of those stretchers are standing and leaving the ballpark with the home team behind 9-1 and Vogelsong already in the showers.

Werth had an RBI single, Zimmerman grounded into what looked like a 1-2-3 double play before an error by Michael Morse at first scored another run, Ramos plated another with a ground rule double and Desmond drove home two more with a double.

Desmond has a career-high five RBIs and the Nats have rapped out eight extra-base hits, their most ever at AT&T Park.

Strasburg is done for the night after Greg Dobbs' pinch-hit appearance. The right-hander allowed a run on four hits, walked none and struck out seven. Aaron Barrett is on for teh Nats.

The nine runs scored by Washington are the most allowed at home by the Giants this year. The previous high was seven.

Update VI: Ross Detwiler allowed four hits in the eighth and the Giants scored again, cuttling the Washington lead to 9-2.

Update VII: It's a 9-2 final.