Expand / Collapse search
Watch TV
Menu

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. ©2024 FOX News Network, LLC. All rights reserved. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Market data provided by Factset. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Legal Statement. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper.

Sports

Jackson stellar as Nationals down Blue Jays

By Sports Network
Published | Updated

Toronto, ON – Edwin Jackson allowed just two runs over eight- plus innings to guide the Washington Nationals past the Toronto Blue Jays, 6-3, in the first of a three-game interleague set at Rogers Centre.

Jackson (3-3) gave up three hits and struck out three to pick up his second win in as many starts.

"He pitched one heck of a ballgame," Nationals manager Davey Johnson said of his starter. "He was dominant. ... What a great effort."

Adam LaRoche and Rick Ankiel each homered and Bryce Harper went 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored for the Nationals, who have won four straight and six of their last seven.

Brandon Morrow (7-4) was pegged with the loss after giving up a leadoff double to Steve Lombardozzi, who later scored. Morrow left the game with a left oblique strain after just nine pitches.

"I felt like a stabbing thing on my side," recalled Morrow. "I wasn't able to deliver the ball very well."

Chad Beck replaced Morrow and gave up three runs -- two earned -- on three hits in 3 2/3 innings.

Colby Rasmus hit a solo homer and Yan Gomes had a pinch-hit two-run homer for Toronto, which has dropped four of its last five.

Washington wasted no time and jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the first. Lombardozzi doubled to right then scored when Harper followed with a single. Harper moved to third when David Cooper was unable to field a Ryan Zimmerman grounder then scored on Michael Morse's sacrifice fly.

Rasmus launched a solo shot in the home half to make it 2-1.

The Nationals made it 4-1 in the third when LaRoche crushed a two-run homer into the second deck. Harper walked before LaRoche launched his 11th four- bagger of the year.

Washington added a run in both the seventh and eighth to make it 6-1.

In the seventh, Lombardozzi reached on a bunt single, moved to second on Harper's base hit, then scored when Ian Desmond followed with a single.

Ankiel belted a solo homer in the eighth. It was his fourth of the year.

Edwin Encarnacion doubled before Gomes ripped a two-run pinch-hit homer with two outs in the ninth.

Game Notes

The Nationals returned to Canada for the 4th time since leaving Montreal at the end of the 2004 campaign...Washington is 5-2 against the American League East this season...Toronto fell to 16-13 at home this season...Blue Jays are 4.5 games back of the Tampa Bay Rays in the AL East who did not play Monday.