WASHINGTON • What the Cardinals haven't taken for themselves, Max Scherzer and Washington have given just enough for them to a take a lead.
When Matt Carpenter came to the plate in the fifth inning with the bases loaded, the Cardinals had "taken" four bases by hits and been "given" eight bases by error, walk, or wild pitch. A lot of the trouble that Scherzer invited he brought on himself. In the third inning, No. 2 hitter Greg Garcia singled and then took second on a wild pitch and then took third on the wild pitch.