The Washington Nationals, who trailed by as many as five runs, got a three-run homer from Anthony Rendon to pull within one but lost 6-5 on Sunday night to the Chicago Cubs.
The Nationals (19-27) lost two of three games in the series at home and are now 7-11 this month.
Cubs starting pitcher Kyle Hendricks did not allow a hit until the fifth inning, but he yielded the homer to Rendon that trimmed a five-run deficit to 6-4 in the sixth.
Washington cut the lead to 6-5 on a homer by Howie Kendrick in the seventh off Cubs reliever Brandon Kintzler, who played for the Nationals last season before he was traded to the Cubs in July.