| SEASON | CAREER |
| W9 | 21 |
| L6 | 24 |
| G23 | 72 |
| IP145.1 | 429.0 |
| BB25 | 95 |
| SO110 | 353 |
| SEASON | CAREER |
| W12 | 32 |
| L7 | 26 |
| G23 | 78 |
| IP154.2 | 480.0 |
| BB31 | 106 |
| SO144 | 431 |
Although the San Francisco Giants have one of the majors' top rotations, the Washington Nationals are teeing off on them like they're throwing batting practice.
The NL East-leading Nationals look to build on their highest-scoring game of the season and knock around Madison Bumgarner for the second time in six weeks Tuesday night at AT&T Park.
In Monday's opener, Washington (72-44) made quick work of Ryan Vogelsong , who came in with an NL-best 2.27 ERA, battering him for eight runs in 2 2-3 innings. The Nationals cruised to a 14-2 victory, winning for the ninth time in 10 contests to open a 5 1/2-game division lead for the first time since July 3, 2005.
"It was fun to watch the offense," Davey Johnson said. "We beat up on a pretty good pitcher."
Washington, which hasn't been 6 1/2 games ahead since 1994, erupted for 21 hits Monday, as Nos. 6-8 batters Danny Espinosa , Roger Bernadina and Kurt Suzuki combined to go 11 for 18 with 10 RBIs.
The Nationals have outscored the Giants 38-14 in winning the season's first four meetings, with Espinosa batting .588 with five RBIs, and Bryce Harper , who had a pair of singles Monday, hitting .400 with six runs.
"We've had a tough time against this club," Bruce Bochy said. "It's a tough lineup to get through, but you can't think like that. You've got to execute and make your pitches."
Monday's loss dropped the Giants into a first-place tie with the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West.
San Francisco's starters have a 12.74 ERA in the season series with Washington, and Bumgarner (12-7, 3.08 ERA) took a beating in one of those game. In the nation's capital on July 4, the left-hander surrendered a season-worst seven runs and nine hits - including homers to Ryan Zimmerman , Michael Morse and Jhonatan Solano - in five innings of a 9-4 loss.
Bumgarner could fare a bit better in a rematch at AT&T Park, where he is 4-0 with a 1.61 ERA in his last six starts.
The Giants (63-53), though, will be up against Jordan Zimmermann , who is 4-0 with a 0.87 ERA in his past five road starts.
With Vogelsong getting shelled Monday, Zimmermann (9-6, 2.35) became the league's ERA leader, and since June 22, his 1.60 ERA is the best in baseball. Against the Giants on July 3, he gave up two runs and seven hits while striking out seven in six innings of a 9-3 win. He has a 1.89 ERA in winning his last three starts in the series.
Zimmermann was sharp again Thursday in Houston, yielding three hits while matching a career high with 11 strikeouts in six innings of a 5-0 win. The right-hander bounced back after allowing a season-high five runs in five innings against Miami on Aug. 4.
That was the only time in his six starts since the All-Star break he gave up more than one run. The Nationals have won all those games.
"I feel like I have a pretty good season going right now," Zimmermann told the Nationals' official website. "I just want to finish strong and not fall off toward the end."
Bumgarner has a 2.54 ERA in his six starts since the break, with 45 strikeouts in 39 innings.
In St. Louis on Thursday, he allowed three runs and three hits with seven strikeouts in six innings of a 3-1 loss.
Pablo Sandoval (hamstring strain) was activated from the disabled list Monday and fouled out as a pinch hitter in the ninth inning. He is 2 for 5 with a double against Zimmermann.
@
@
AVG
HRRUNSSBSOBBOBPSLGOPSERAQSSOBBSVBSBAAWHIPE
VS.
| HITTERS | AB | AVG | H | HR | RBI | BB | SO | OBP | OPS | SLG |
| Rick Ankiel | 3 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
| Brett Carroll | 3 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
| Ian Desmond | 5 | .400 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | .400 | .800 | .400 |
| Danny Espinosa | 3 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
| Tom Gorzelanny | 3 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
| Adam LaRoche | 9 | .111 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | .111 | .333 | .222 |
| Xavier Nady | 12 | .167 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | .167 | .334 | .167 |
| Wilson Ramos | 3 | .333 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .333 | 1.000 | .667 |
| Jayson Werth | 3 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
| Ryan Zimmerman | 3 | .333 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .333 | .666 | .333 |
VS.
| HITTERS | AB | AVG | H | HR | RBI | BB | SO | OBP | OPS | SLG |
| Emmanuel Burriss | 4 | .250 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | .400 | .650 | .250 |
| Matt Cain | 5 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
| Brandon Crawford | 2 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .333 | .333 | .000 |
| Conor Gillaspie | 3 | .333 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .333 | .666 | .333 |
| Aubrey Huff | 8 | .125 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | .222 | .597 | .375 |
| Angel Pagan | 15 | .200 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | .200 | .400 | .200 |
| Buster Posey | 3 | .667 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .667 | 1.334 | .667 |
| Pablo Sandoval | 3 | .333 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .333 | .666 | .333 |
| Nate Schierholtz | 9 | .222 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | .222 | .666 | .444 |
| Ryan Theriot | 7 | .143 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | .143 | .572 | .429 |
 Washington Nationals |
|||
| Date | Player | Status | Injury |
| August 13, 2012 | Jayson Werth | Day-to-Day | Sore right ankle |
| August 05, 2012 | Mark DeRosa | 15-Day DL | Left abdominal strain |
| August 01, 2012 | Henry Rodriguez | 15-Day DL | Strained lower back |
| July 29, 2012 | Adam LaRoche | Day-to-Day | Left game - Back tightness |
| July 22, 2012 | Ian Desmond | 15-Day DL | Torn left oblique |
| July 18, 2012 | Jhonatan Solano | 15-Day DL | Strained right oblique |
 San Francisco Giants |
|||
| Date | Player | Status | Injury |
| August 07, 2012 | Shane Loux | 15-Day DL | Recurring neck strain |
| July 31, 2012 | Aubrey Huff | 15-Day DL | Strained right knee |
| July 25, 2012 | Pablo Sandoval | 15-Day DL | Strained left hamstring |
| July 25, 2012 | Pablo Sandoval | 15-Day DL | Strained left hamstring |
| July 18, 2012 | Hector Sanchez | 15-Day DL | Left knee sprain |
| July 18, 2012 | Hector Sanchez | 15-Day DL | Left knee sprain |
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- Brandon Belt took a couple of steps out of the batter's box and admired his towering flyball a little bit too long. When the ball hit off the top of the wall and Belt started running, it was too late. He was thrown out at second base.
His teammates, though, could laugh it off considering what Belt has accomplished this month.
Madison Bumgarner pitched a five-hitter and Belt had three hits and three RBIs, leading the San Francisco Giants to a 6-1 win over the Washington Nationals on Tuesday night in a matchup between NL division leaders.
Belt has more hits in August (17) than he did in any previous month and is hitting .472 so far.
"It's quite a game he had," Giants' manager Bruce Bochy said. "I guess he went with the theory of keep running until they throw you out."
Belt was also thrown out trying to stretch his second inning, RBI double.
"That's good hitting and some tough luck," Giants outfielder Hunter Pence said. "He's had some huge hits for us and he got us on the board early."
Bumgarner (13-7) struck out six and walked one in his second complete game this season.
Pence and Marco Scutaro , both acquired before the July trade deadline, each added three hits for the Giants, who have won three of four at home after losing eight of nine.
Pablo Sandoval , in his first start since coming off the disabled list Monday, Angel Pagan and Brandon Crawford also drove in runs.
"It's a great lineup and we have a lot of potential," Pence said. "The big thing is the way Belt and Crawford have been swinging the bat. They have been a huge part."
Adam LaRoche drove in a run for the Nationals, who have won 11 of their last 14.
NL ERA leader Jordan Zimmermann (9-7) had his six-game winning streak come to an end after allowing two runs on eight hits. He walked two and struck out four.
"I didn't have my best stuff that's for sure," Zimmermann said. "I was missing here and there a little bit. I just wasn't getting the misses."
Zimmermann has allowed four or fewer earned runs in all 24 starts this season, including 18 of two or less.
"I thought Jordan threw the ball good," Nationals' manager Davey Johnson said. "I've seen him throw better, but Bumgarner was just too tough."
Bumgarner lowered his NL-leading home ERA to 1.85 with his second complete game of the season.
"You always want to finish and my teammates took the pressure off and made it easier," Bumgarner said. "There's no time to be thinking about anything but pitching."
Pence singled leading off the second and scored when Belt followed with a double. Belt was thrown out trying to stretch it into a triple.
Belt also singled home a run in the sixth. The ball bounced right to Jayson Werth , who made a strong throw that nailed Belt at second.
The Giants added four runs in the eight on RBIs from Sandoval, Belt, Crawford and Pagan.
Werth tripled and scored on LaRoche's single in the seventh for the Nationals.
NOTES: Giants RHP Brad Penny was placed on the DL with a right shoulder impingement. RHP Dan Otero was recalled from Triple-A Fresno. ... RHP Tim Lincecum (6-12, 5.35) pitches for the Giants on Wednesday. He is 1-3 with a 5.36 ERA in seven games against the Nationals. ... Scutaro recorded his sixth game of at least three hits this season. ... Giants RHP Shane Loux (neck strain) pitched an inning, with one strikeout, in his first rehab appearance with Fresno. ... Giants OF Melky Cabrera is five hits shy of 1,000. ... Bumgarner is 16-0 when given five runs or more of support. ... RHP Stephen Strasburg (13-5, 2.90) pitches for the Nationals on Wednesday. He leads the NL with 11.2 strikeouts per nine innings. ... Nationals INF Ian Desmond (left oblique strain) could be activated as early as Friday. ... Washington OF Michael Morse was out of the lineup with a jammed right thumb.
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Washington Nationals