Zobrist Homers Twice, Cubs Defeat Nationals 8-6
CHICAGO (AP) -- Ben Zobrist homered twice and Anthony Rizzo added a towering solo shot as the streaking Chicago Cubs defeated the Washington Nationals, 8-6, on Friday for their fifth straight win.
Zobrist has homered three games in a row. He drove in four runs for the second consecutive day against the Nationals.
Tommy La Stella also homered as the Cubs won for the ninth time in 10 games and improved to 22-6, the best record in the majors. The Nats began the day at 19-9, the second-best mark in baseball.
John Lackey (4-1) struck out 11, one shy of his career high, in seven innings.
Hector Rondon pitched a scoreless ninth for his fifth save in as many chances.
Max Scherzer (3-2) was tagged for seven runs and seven hits in five innings.
Anthony Rendon and Wilson Ramos homered for Washington.
Lackey became the fifth active pitcher with 2,000 strikeouts when he fanned Jayson Werth in the fourth, joining CC Sabathia, Bartolo Colon, Felix Hernandez and Jake Peavy and earning a standing ovation from the Wrigley Field crowd of 39,206.
Scherzer hadn't given up seven runs in a game since joining the Nationals last year. He surrendered 10 in 2014 when he pitched for Detroit against Kansas City.
Scherzer hit an RBI single in the second to give Washington a 2-0 lead.
La Stella tied it with a two-run shot in the second.
Rizzo and Zobrist hit back-to-back homers in the fourth for a 4-2 lead. Rizzo's 10th homer up toward a flag atop the foul pole in right field was reviewed and upheld.
Zobrist connected again for his fifth homer, a three-run shot with two outs in the fifth that made it 7-2.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Cubs: C Miguel Montero (lower back tightness), would rather not go on a rehab assignment when he returns from the 15-day disabled list.
"I've only lost eight games, so it's not really that much, but it's not up to me," said Montero, sidelined since April 24. "If they ask me, I don't think I really need a rehab, but like I say, it's not my decision."
UP NEXT
Cubs RHP Jason Hammel (4-0, 1.24 ERA) will face Nationals LHP Gio Gonzales (2-1, 1.15) in a matchup of two of the NL's top four pitchers in ERA entering the weekend.
In 11 career starts against the Nationals, Hammel is 9-0 with a 3.01 ERA. No other active pitcher has as many wins without a loss against one opponent.
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