Gio Gonzalez knocked out in third, Nats lose 12-6

The Nationals jumped on the scoreboard in the opening frame. After Michael A. Taylor and Anthony Rendon lined out sharply, Giants starter Jake Peavy walked Byrce Harper.

Yunel Escobar then dove a ball to the gap in right-center field. Hunter Pence appeared to take a bad route to the ball and it flew over his head. Harper raced all the way around to the plate on the two-out double to give the Nats a quick 1-0 lead.

Nationals left-hander Gio Gonzalez retired the Giants in order in the bottom of the inning.

Update: Ian Desmond led off the second with a towering homer deep to the top of the left field bleachers at AT&T Park. Statcast measured the rocket at 477 feet. It was Desmond's 15th of the year and eighth since the All-Star break.

Gonzalez breezed through the second, whiffing Brandon Crawford to end the inning.

Update II: Not much went right for Gonzalez in the third. After Kelby Tomlinson ripped a triple to start the inning, Gonzalez issued back-to-back walks to Hector Sanchez and Peavy to load the bases.

That drew the attention of Nationals pitching coach Steve McCatty, who came out for a chat with Gonzalez. As McCatty was retreating back to the first base dugout, he exchanged words with home plate umpire Cory Blaser. Blaser didn't like what he heard and quickly ejected McCatty.

Gregor Blanco then smoked a single to center, scoring Tomlinson. Matt Duffy followed with a bases-clearing double to give the Giants a two-run lead.

Brandon Belt and Brandon Crawford added RBI singles in the frame, with the latter ending Gonzalez's evening after just 2 2/3 innings. Gonzalez threw 65 pitches, surrendering six runs on five hits with two walks and a strikeout.

Right-hander Tanner Roark finished off the Giants in the third and remained in the game to start the fourth.

Update III: In the fifth, Roark issued a one-out walk to Belt, who then scored easily on Buster Posey's double to right-center.

After Hunter Pence struck out, Nationals manager Matt Williams called for Roark to intentionally walk the left-handed swinging Crawford to get to the right-handed swinging Tomlinson.

The move backfired as Tomlinson scorched a two-run double down the left field line.

Update IV: Desmond's one-out single in the sixth started a Nats rally. Werth followed with a walk and the Jose Lobaton rocked Peavy's 90 mph fastball over Blanco's head for a two-run double.

Lobaton crossed the plate moments later when Taylor blistered a two-out triple to left-center field.

Left-hander Felipe Rivero took over for the Nats in the sixth.

Update V: The Giants tacked on a 10th run on Belt's RBI double off Rivero in the sixth.

In the seventh, Harper fouled a ball off the back of his left leg, knocking the young slugger off his feet. After Harper flied out to center, he left the game, heading to the Nats clubhouse.

Werth shifted to right field in the bottom of the frame, with Tyler Moore entering the game in left.

Update VI: The recent struggles of Drew Storen continued in the eighth. The right-hander surrendered a run-scoring double to Duffy and an RBI single to Posey. Storen has now allowed 10 runs over his last four appearances.

Update VII: Danny Espinosa drilled his first career pinch-hit homer to start the ninth. The solo shot was Espinosa's 12 tater of the season.

The Giants beat the Nationals 12-6. The Nats have dropped five straight games and remain 4 1/2 games behind the first-place Mets in the National League East.