Lights out perfomance from Max Scherzer (Nats win 4-1)

For the second straight night, the Nationals lit up the scoreboard in the first inning. Ian Desmond ripped a line drive past Padres third baseman Will Middlebrooks for a double and Yunel Escobar wasted no time plating Desmond with a single to right.

Bryce Harper followed by battling Padres starter Andrew Cashner in a 10-pitch at-bat before knocking a base hit to right. That left runners at the corners for Ryan Zimmerman, who scored Escobar on a slow-rolling groundout. Zimmerman stands fifth in the National League with 28 RBIs.

One batter later, Wilson Ramos extended his major league-leading hitting streak to 18 games with an RBI single up the middle.

Nationals starter Max Scherzer is spotless through two innings with four strikeouts.

Update: Cashner hurt himself in the fourth as the Nats added a run without a base hit. Espinosa drew a walk to start the inning and then advanced all the way to third on a throwing error by Cashner after he fielded a grounder from Scherzer.

Span followed with a sacrifice fly easily scoring Espinosa for the Nats' fourth run.

Scherzer finally allowed his first baserunner of the night when he walked Padres center fielder Will Venable with one out in the fourth. Then, right fielder Matt Kemp delivered the first base hit leaving runners at the corners. Scherzer followed by striking out left fielder Justin Upton, but a walk to first baseman Yangervis Solarte loaded the bases. No problem for Scherzer, though, as he was able to get Middlebrooks to pop out to end the threat.

Scherzer has allowed just one hit with two walks and six strikeouts through four innings.

Update II: Scherzer aggressively pitched through the seventh inning for the sixth straight start, emphatically striking out the final two batters he faced. He didn't allow a run for the first time this year, while surrendering four hits and two walks with 11 strikeouts. It's the third time this year that Scherzer has struck out 10 or more batters.

Lefty Matt Thornton pitched a scoreless eighth inning in relief.

Update III: Right-hander Aaron Barrett allowed the Padres' first run with two outs in the ninth. Closer Drew Storen came on to finish off the Padres.

The Nats beat the Padres 4-1. They will try for their sixth straight series win tomorrow with Stephen Strasburg on the mound in his hometown.