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Hernandez, Nats dominate Cards

Jun 16, 2011 - 2:27 AM Washington, DC (Sports Network) - Livan Hernandez's shutout performance dazzled St. Louis, as the Washington Nationals took a commanding 10-0 victory over the Cardinals in the second game of a three-game set.

Hernandez (4-8) gave up just three hits and walked none for the Nationals, who have won five straight games.

Michael Morse went 3-for-4 with a pair of homers, a double and three RBI; Danny Espinosa was 2-for-4 with a solo homer; and Ian Desmond added a pair of RBI in the dominating victory.

Jon Jay went 2-for-3 and Ryan Theriot was 1-for-3 to tally the only hits for St. Louis, which has now lost five straight.

Kyle McClellan (6-2) was tagged with the loss for the Cardinals after being activated from the 15-day disabled list before the game.

McClellan surrendered five runs, three of which were earned, on seven hits in five innings of work.

Morse started the scoring with a solo home run in the second and a Ryan Zimmerman RBI single in the third made it a 2-0 game.

The Nationals then broke the game open in the fourth inning with a three-run flurry. Morse and Espinosa started the inning with back-to-back doubles and came around to score after Ivan Rodriguez laced a single to right that knocked in Morse and Desmond reached on an error to plate Espinosa.

Later in the inning, with runners on the corners, Roger Bernadina placed a double just inside the left-field line to score Rodriguez and give the Nationals a 5-0 lead.

Washington added another run in the sixth when Desmond singled in Rodriguez.

In the seventh, Laynce Nix had a base-hit before Morse roped his second homer of the game into the left-field stands. Espinosa followed suit with a solo homer of his own in the next at bat to give Washington a nine-run lead.

Jayson Werth added an exclamation point in the eighth with a solo shot to center field.

Game Notes

Hernandez won his 100th career game at home and threw his 50th career complete game and ninth career shutout...The Nationals streak of games without an error improved to 13 straight...Cardinals activated pitcher Kyle McClellan from the 15-day disabled list and optioned infielder Matt Carpenter to Triple-A Memphis on Wednesday...Albert Pujols made his fourth start at third base for St. Louis this season.