Nationals 5 - 4 Cubs
Final/13
  for this game

Tracy boosts Nats over Cubs in 13 innings

Aug 23, 2013 - 3:26 AM Chicago, IL (Sports Network) - Pinch-hitter Chad Tracy knocked in the go-ahead run with a groundout in the 13th inning to boost the Washington Nationals to a 5-4 win over the Chicago Cubs.

Ryan Zimmerman and Steve Lombardozzi homered for the Nationals, who took the final three contests of the four-game set.

Brian Bogusevic went 3-for-4 with a solo homer and Donnie Murphy added a two- run shot to cap a three-run ninth inning against Stephen Strasburg that tied the game, but the Cubs fell to 5-15 this month.

Denard Span doubled to left off Michael Bowden (1-3) to start the 13th. Lombardozzi's sacrifice bunt advanced the runner, and Span scored when Tracy hit a slow roller toward first base. Bowden's only play was to first.

Craig Stammen (7-5) threw two hitless innings to get the win and Drew Storen worked around an error from Lombardozzi at second base to nail down his third save. Storen deflected Dioner Navarro's liner that turned into the game-ending double play.

Strasburg gave up seven hits and had eight strikeouts in 8 2/3 innings, while Cubs starter Travis Wood allowed seven hits over the first 6 2/3 frames.

Strasburg, who hasn't won a road start in three months, looked primed to break the skid, but the Cubs rallied and plated three in the ninth to tie it.

Navarro hit a one-out single before Nate Schierholtz grounded into a force out. Schierholtz moved to second on a defensive indifference during Junior Lake's at-bat before the rookie slapped a base hit to deep shortstop to bring home Schierholtz.

Murphy stepped up next and cracked a towering shot that reached the front row of bleachers in left to knot the tilt at 4-4. It was Murphy's fourth homer in his last four contests.

"What a great effort. I know he was upset, but he pitched a heck of a ball game," Nationals manager Davey Johnson said of Strasburg.

The start of the game was delayed two hours by rain. The Nationals jumped out to a 4-0 lead after plating a run in the first, two in the second and another in the seventh.

Zimmerman belted a two-out solo shot into the seats in right-center in the opening frame. Strasburg had a one-out RBI single and Anthony Rendon lifted a sacrifice fly to center in the second and Lombardozzi smacked a leadoff homer to left in the seventh.

Bogusevic began the eighth with a blast over the wall in right-center to get the Cubs on the board.

"The bottom line is we've got to win games," Cubs manager Dale Sveum said. "We just come up short in games like this. When you're at home, it's tough when you don't have one walk-off win at home all season."

Game Notes

The Nationals went 1-for-10 with men in scoring position and left 12 on base ... Zimmerman had three hits ... The Nats matched their longest road winning streak of the season ... Murphy has eight home runs since Aug. 6.






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