WASHINGTON • It took a two-out single in the seventh inning by Daniel Murphy to end a perfect thing Mike Leake had going.
The Cardinals' starter, attempting to stave off a series sweep in the nation's capital, had retired 19 consecutive batters when he had two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning. The perfection was obscured only by the first two batters of the game reaching base -- and then nothing, nada, no one until till the seventh.
Two singles got the tying run to the plate in outfielder Jayson Werth.
The Nationals' left field was one swing from tying the game.