Offense shows life in Nats' 7-5 win

The Nationals offense has been struggling badly as of late, especially with runners in scoring position. Danny Espinosa took care of that early tonight. After Wilson Ramos singled to right and Ian Desmond ripped a double to left, Espinosa belted a monster three-run homer to deep left-center that landed in the seats beyond the Cubs bullpen. Espinosa is second on the Nationals behind Bryce Harper with seven home runs.

Tanner Roark has made quick work of the Cubs so far. The right-hander has retired the first six batters in order with two strikeouts.

Update: The Nats botched a prime scoring opportunity in the third. Ryan Zimmerman led off with a single up the middle bringing Harper to the plate. Cubs starter Tsuyoshi Wada's changeup was tattooed by Harper off the top of the wall in right, just missing his 19th homer of the year.

Zimmerman lumbered to third and as he approached the bag, third base coach Bob Henley threw up what appeared to be a late stop sign. Harper, running full steam, was halfway to third when he realized Zimmerman was retreating. Cubs right fielder Junior Lake hurried the throw back into first baseman Anthony Rizzo. Rizzo jogged across the diamond to easily tag out Harper, who had given up on the play.

The Nats came up empty in the inning as Anthony Rendon grounded out and Ramos lined out.

In the fourth, Rizzo blasted a solo homer off Roark to deep right field.

But the Nats answered again in the bottom of the inning. Desmond singled and then Espinosa rifled a double down the left field line. Michael A. Taylor brought Desmond to the plate with a deep sacrifice fly to right. After Roark reached on an infield single, Denard Span drove in Espinosa on a base knock up the middle.

Cubs manager Joe Maddon ended Wada's night after just 3 2/3 innings. Former Nationals right-hander Edwin Jackson took over on the mound.

Update II: Roark ran into the long ball again in the sixth. Rizzo bombed his second homer of the game. This time it was a two-run shot to center. Two batters later, Cubs catcher Miguel Montero blasted a solo dinger to straightaway center to pull the Cubs within one.

Williams ended Roark's evening after Montero's homer. Right-hander Aaron Barrett came on to finish off the sixth.

Right-hander Casey Janssen will start the seventh for the Nationals.

Update III: Janssen yielded one hit with a strikeout in a scoreless seventh inning.

The Nats added some insurance in the bottom of the inning with a quick two-out rally. Rendon started with a line drive single up the middle. Ramos then laced a double that rolled to the wall in right-center field allowing Rendon to score all the way from first to extend the Nats advantage.

Update IV: Right-hander Blake Treinen pitched a perfect eighth aided by a spectacular catch by Span robbing Rizzo of extra bases as he climbed the wall.

The Nats tacked on another run in the eighth when Taylor singled, and then Dan Uggla delivered a pinch-hit RBI double.

Drew Storen gave up a run in the ninth before closing out the Cubs to claim his league-leading 18th save.

The Nats beat the Cubs 7-4.