Brendan Donovan’s 2-run homer lifts Cardinals over Nationals

Brendan Donovan’s two-run homer in the third inning sparked the St. Louis Cardinals to a 4–2 win over the Washington Nationals on Tuesday night, snapping a rough stretch with just their second victory in seven games.

Lars Nootbaar added a solo shot in the sixth to cushion the lead in a rain-delayed contest that started after a 2-hour, 19-minute wait.

St. Louis fell behind 0-2 early after the Nationals scored on RBI plays by James Wood and Luis García Jr., but the Cardinals answered quickly. Donovan’s blast followed Victor Scott II’s leadoff double, and Alec Burleson drove in Masyn Winn to complete the three-run third inning.



Sonny Gray (9–3) earned the win, pitching five innings of two-run ball with six strikeouts. The Cardinals’ bullpen shut the door, with Steven Matz, Phil Maton, JoJo Romero, and Ryan Helsley each tossing a scoreless frame. Helsley picked up his 18th save.

Jake Irvin (7–4) took the loss for Washington, surrendering four runs on six hits and four walks over six innings.


The Nationals had their chances - Josh Bell doubled and reached third in the fourth, and Garcia Jr. singled in the sixth - but the Cardinals turned timely double plays to escape both jams.

Nootbaar’s solo homer in the sixth gave St. Louis breathing room, while James Wood made a highlight-reel catch in the seventh to rob Winn of a home run.

With this defeat, the Nationals lost their fourth straight game.