Kyle Lohse was outstanding in a complete-game shutout and Matt Holliday and Albert Pujols hit home runs as the St. Louis Cardinals cruised passed the Washington Nationals Thursday, winning a series-capping victory by a score of 5-0. Lohse walked two, struck out six, and allowed just two singles in the course of earning his third victory of the season.
Tom Gorzelanny struggled with his control for the Nationals but managed to scatter six baserunners over five innings while allowing only Holliday’s first-inning homer. Pujols opened the eighth inning with a bang, driving in two with his sixth home run of the season to bring his season OPS over .800 for the first time.
Jayson Werth and Michael Morse were the only Nationals players to leave the game with a hit; Rick Ankiel and Adam LaRoche reached base via a walk. In all the Nationals managed just 30 plate appearances against Lohse, who struggled to a 4-8 record in 2010 with a 6.55 ERA after a rare surgery sidetracked his season.