The Washington Nationals fought back Wednesday night, scoring five runs in a surging third inning to tie a game that appeared to slipping beyond reach. But the St. Louis Cardinals proved they, too, are capable of retaliating, scoring a run apiece in the eighth and ninth to beat Washington, 7-5.
After climbing to .500 in walk-off fashion Tuesday, the Nationals fell back below the evening point Wednesday. They are 7-8, with a rubber game against the Cardinals looming Thursday.
THE RUNDOWN: Matt Carpenter hit a leadoff homer on Doug Fister’s seventh pitch of the game, and for a while, this one looked like it was going to be all Cardinals.