San Diego Padres vs Washington Nationals Match Player Stats On May 27, 2017

The Sports Xchange
May 27, 2017

WASHINGTON -- Stephen Strasburg struck out a career-high 15 and allowed just three hits in seven innings as the first-place Washington Nationals overcame some early fielding woes and baserunning blunders to beat the last-place San Diego Padres 3-0 on Saturday.

Strasburg (6-1), a San Diego native, fanned 14 batters in his major league debut in 2010 against the Pittsburgh Pirates and again in 2015 at the Philadelphia Phillies.

Matt Albers pitched a perfect eighth for the Nationals and Koda Glover worked the ninth for his fifth save in the team's first shutout of 2017.

Strasburg also scored the first run. He led off the third inning with a single and went to third on a double by Jayson Werth.

Bryce Harper then hit a grounder with one out to first baseman Yangervis Solarte, who instead of trying to get the out at first threw home while sprawled on the ground. Strasburg scored as Harper reached on a fielder's choice.

Washington's Michael A. Taylor added some insurance as he blasted a two-run homer off starter Clayton Richard (3-6) in the sixth to make it 3-0. Taylor has four homers in his last 14 games and Richard allowed three runs and 10 hits in six innings.

The outing by Strasburg came a day after teammate Max Scherzer allowed three hits and struck out 13 in 8 2/3 innings to beat the Padres.

Ryan Zimmerman, Anthony Rendon and Taylor had two hits each for Washington.

The Nationals had not been involved in a shutout going into Saturday. Washington had held opponents to just one run on six occasions, including its previous three victories.

A light rain fell in the second inning as Washington shortstop Trea Turner bobbled a grounder off the bat of Erick Aybar. It was the second miscue in as many innings for the Nationals, as Zimmerman made a poor throw in the first.

The Nationals made two outs on the bases in the fifth. Turner was thrown out stealing and Werth was picked off third out with hot-hitting Rendon at the plate and two on.

Wil Myers was not in the starting lineup for the second day in a row for the Padres, as Solarte made the start at first. Myers is hitting .265 with 11 homers but is 6-for-35 of late.

NOTES: Washington 2B Daniel Murphy was out of the lineup because of illness, according to bench coach Chris Speier. Murphy did not play Friday. ... Speier is filling in this weekend for manager Dusty Baker, who attended the high school graduation of his son, Darren, on Saturday in California. ... The Padres brought up OF Franchy Cordero from Triple-A El Paso and sent OF Manuel Margot to the 10-day disabled list with a strained right calf. Cordero pinch-hit with two outs in the seventh inning and struck out swinging at 95 mph fastball in his MLB debut. ... Washington RF Bryce Harper made news off the field. He was one of several Washington players who headed out to youth baseball games Saturday morning before the Nationals played at 4:05 ET against the Padres. Harper, according to The Washington Post, told young players in the northwest quadrant of the nation's capital: "No participation trophies, OK? First place only." ... Washington RHP Joe Ross (2-0, 5.32 ERA), a former minor leaguer with the Padres, will face San Diego RHP Jhoulys Chacon (4-4, 5.74) on Sunday.