Rangers get early lead thanks to Strasburg's bobble (Nationals win 9-2)

Friday marked the first visit to Nationals Park for the Texas Rangers since June 2008, when they won two out of three games against the Nationals. The last time the Nationals played in Arlington, Texas, was 2005. The three games in D.C. this season will be their only regular season meeting.

Texas has won three of four in consecutive series against the Tigers and the Twins. The Nationals have lost six of their last seven games. The Rangers are 0-2 in interleague play on the road.

The Rangers got to Stephen Strasburg in the second inning due to one of his own misplays. Veteran Adrian Beltre led off the frame with a double off the wall in right-center field. After a pair of strikeouts, Strasburg mishandled a dribbler off the bat of Leonys Martin.

Martin was safe at first on the Strasburg error and Beltre went to third. Consecutive singles by Rougned Odor and pitcher Colby Lewis made it 2-0 Texas.

In the second, the Nationals got a one-out double to the base of the right field wall by Wilson Ramos, but Lewis retired the next two batters on flyouts.

Update: The Nationals countered in the fourth. With one out, back-to-back singles by Jayson Werth and Adam LaRoche put men on first and third.

After Wilson Ramos struck out, Ian Desmond rocketed a three-run shot over the right-center field fence and the Nationals led 3-2. It marked the first lead for the Nationals since Sunday at Pittsburgh. Desmond now has 10 homers. After four innings: Nationals 3, Rangers 2.

Update II: Lewis returned the favor to Strasburg with throwing error in fifth that scored another run for the Nationals.

Denard Span led off inning with his second single of the game. Anthony Rendon grounded out to third but Span went for third base on the throw. The throw from Lewis got past third baseman Adrian Beltre and Span scored to make it 4-2 Nationals.

Strasburg has once again not let an early mistake bother him. He has seven strikeouts through five innings.

Update III: Give manager Matt Williams credit for a pretty nice move in the sixth. With two men on and two outs, pinch-hitter Tyler Moore delivered a clutch two-run double to give the Nationals a 6-2 lead.

Strasburg went six innings, allowing six hits, two runs (none earned), with one walk and nine strikeouts. It marks the fifth time this season he has thrown nine or more strikeouts in a start.

Update IV: With two men on, Ramos hit a shot under the glove of right fielder Alex Rios that rolled all the way to the wall. Rendon and Werth scored and Rios was charged with an error. Ramos gets credit for a single with one RBI and the Nationals led 8-2.

Update V: Werth added run-scoring single in eighth, and the Nationals led 9-2.

Blake Treinen pitched two scoreless innings in relief.

The Nationals downed the Rangers 9-2. Strasburg improves to 4-4. Lewis falls to 4-4.

The Nationals improve to 26-27.