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Marcum records career-high 11 strikeouts as Blue Jays top Nationals

Jun 16, 2007 - 9:16 PM TORONTO (Ticker) -- Shaun Marcum continues to point the Toronto Blue Jays in the right direction.

The righthander had a career-high 11 strikeouts and allowed just three hits in seven innings as the Blue Jays defeated the Nationals, 7-3, on Saturday.

Toronto has been victorious in each of Marcum's last six starts.

"I was pretty comfortable out there today," said Marcum, who remained undefeated as a starter this season. "As soon as I took the mound everything felt good."

The only blemishes for Marcum (4-2) were solo home runs by Dmitri Young in the second inning and Ryan Zimmerman in the fourth.

"He (Marcum) was outstanding, but he's been that way since day one when he stepped into the rotation," Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said.

After reliever Brian Tallet struggled to start the eighth, Casey Janssen closed the door, recording the final five outs of the game.

Vernon Wells' two-run home run and Frank Thomas' two-run single highlighted a four-run third inning for the Blue Jays, who have defeated the Nationals six straight times.

Wells started the scoring in the first with an RBI single that plated Alex Rios. The Blue Jays' center fielder now has five hits over his last two games batting out of the No. 2 spot.

"It was good today," Wells said. "Winning as a team is all that matters, it doesn't really matter where I hit, just a matter of trying to go up and have good at bats and hopefully things will continue to work out."

In the fourth, Wells' bases-loaded walk chased Nationals starter Levale Speigner (2-3), who allowed seven runs and 10 hits in 3 1/3 innings.

"I was fighting my slider all day," Speigner said. "Every time I threw it, they basically hit it. "I didn't work ahead, either. It seemed like I was behind in the count all day long and you can be successful doing that."

After Saul Rivera relieved Speigner, the righthander hit Troy Glaus with a pitch to give the Blue Jays a 7-2 lead.

The Nationals scratched for a run in the eighth, courtesy of Zimmerman's RBI single off Tallet.

"I've been doing a little bit better at the plate," said Zimmerman, who has seen five of his last eight hits go for extra bases. "Some of of the balls are starting to find holes, so that's good. The goal though as a team now is to come out tomorrow and hopefully win one before we go home."