SAN FRANCISCO — Gio Gonzalez pitched into the seventh inning to win for the first time in more than a month, and the Washington Nationals beat the San Francisco Giants 6-3 on Tuesday night.
Daniel Murphy and Trea Turner had three hits apiece as the NL East leaders won their fourth in five games. Jayson Werth added two hits and a bases-loaded walk, and Michael A. Taylor had two hits and two RBIs.
One night after a wild, bench-clearing brawl that resulted in suspensions for Washington outfielder Bryce Harper and San Francisco reliever Hunter Strickland, the teams played without incident.
Each player appealed his penalty, keeping both eligible to participate until resolutions are reached.
The only reminder of the fight came when Harper was booed by the AT&T Park crowd every at-bat. The Nationals slugger, who received a four-game ban Tuesday from Major League Baseball, went 0 for 5 with three strikeouts and twice left the bases loaded.
He was the only Washington starter without a hit.
Gonzalez (4-1) allowed three runs over 6 1/3 innings with six strikeouts and three walks to win for the first time since April 27. The left-hander also singled home a run in the second and reached on an error in the fifth, two batters before Werth’s walk against reliever Bryan Morris forced in Taylor to extend Washington’s lead to 6-2.
The Nationals won handily despite stranding 11 runners.
Buster Posey had three hits and an RBI for the Giants. Orlando Calixte, called up from the minors before the game, had two hits and two RBIs.
San Francisco starter Jeff Samardzija (1-7) permitted three runs and nine hits over four innings.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Giants: Michael Morse, who collided hard with Samardzija during Monday’s brawl, was placed on the seven-day concussion disabled list. … Madison Bumgarner played catch before the game for the first time since injuring his shoulder and ribs in a dirt bike accident in Colorado on April 20. The left-hander, originally scheduled to throw Friday, made tosses from 45 and 60 feet. … OF Hunter Pence (left hamstring strain) ran the bases and could begin a rehab assignment as soon as Wednesday. … INF Conor Gillaspie (back spasms) will resume his rehab assignment later this week.
UP NEXT
Washington RHP Max Scherzer (5-3, 2.77 ERA) starts the series finale Wednesday against RHP Matt Cain (3-3, 4.45) in a rematch of Game 4 of the 2012 World Series when Scherzer was with Detroit.
