WASHINGTON -- The Washington Nationals comfortably lead the NL East, but after losing four straight games, they needed a win. Good thing it was Max Scherzers turn in the rotation.Scherzer allowed two hits over eight innings and Bryce Harpers two-run double helped the Nationals avoid a four-game home-and-home sweep with a 4-0 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Thursday night.Scherzer (14-7) struck out 10 and did not walk a batter. He retired 12 straight after Adam Joness fourth-inning double and 21 of 22 before Mark Trumbos leadoff single in the eighth.He stopped the skid, Harper said of Scherzer. Unbelievable start by him tonight. You kind of imagine him going out there and doing that. When he does it, its that much better.Jayson Werths solo home run off Ubaldo Jimenez (5-11) in the fourth inning staked Washington to a 1-0 lead. Daniel Murphys RBI double in the eighth came before Harpers second hit helped the Nationals pull away.The Nationals had dropped three straight to the Orioles, who won twice in Baltimore before the teams shifted to Washington.Trumbo stole second base with two outs in the eighth, but J.J. Hardy flied out to deep center field on Scherzers 95th and final pitch. Mark Melancon allowed one hit in the ninth.We needed that so badly, Nationals manager Dusty Baker said. Masterful. Masterful job by Max.Scherzer won his second straight start, but was far more dominant than in each of his two previous outings when he allowed eight runs and struck out nine.The right-hander retired the first nine batters and struck out two in each of the first three innings. Scherzer recorded his 47th game -- 11th this season -- with at least 10 strikeouts.Jimenez allowed one run and five hits over six innings. He made his first start since July 28, but has lost three straight. The right-hander made three relief appearances before re-entering Baltimores rotation because of Chris Tillmans injury.It felt really good to be able to be there for the team, especially right now (since) Tilly went down, Jimenez said. Felt good that I was able to compete and give us a chance to be close.Scherzer helped his own cause defensively in the fifth without seeing the ball. With his back facing home plate, he fielded a comebacker hit by Jonathan Schoop between his legs and threw him out at first base.I think were going to be hearing a lot about that in the next couple of days so I dont want to give him too much credit, Harper joked.Manny Machados home run helped fuel Baltimores offense in Wednesdays 10-8 triumph. On Thursday, he went hitless in four at-bats and 0 for 3 against Scherzer, falling to 1 of 18 all-time in the head-to-head matchup. Machado struck out with Jones on third and one out in the fourth.You cant just float anything in there. Everything has to be full throttle, Scherzer said of facing Baltimore. With that lineup, if you make one mistake their going to hit it 450 feet.After Jones was left stranded, Werth hammered the first pitch in the fourth over the wall in center field.Harper singled in the fourth and stole his 18th base, matching his career-high.HELP ARRIVESWashington acquired LHP Marc Rzepczynski (1-0, 3.00 ERA) and cash from Oakland on Thursday for minor league INF Max Schrock.STRONG GRIP2016 Olympic gold medalist wrestler Helen Maroulis, who hails from the Maryland suburbs, threw out the first pitch.TRAINERS ROOMOrioles: Jones left in the ninth with hamstring cramps, but said he expects to play Friday. ... Manager Buck Showalter said Tillman (right shoulder bursitis) would throw on flat ground Monday or Tuesday.Nationals: Stephen Strasburg, on the 15-day DL with right elbow soreness, played catch the last two days, Baker said, adding that the soreness is not in the same spot where Strasburg had Tommy John surgery in 2010. ... RHP Joe Ross, out since July3 with right shoulder inflammation, threw Thursday and may not be too far of from going on a rehab assignment, Baker said.UP NEXTOrioles: Yovani Gallardo (4-5, 5.08) and Yankees RHP Luis Cessa (3-0, 4.01 ERA) open the three-game series in New York.Nationals: LHP Gio Gonzalez (8-9, 4.30) faces Rockies RHP Jeff Hoffman (0-1, 13.50) in the first of three games against Colorado. Discount Nike NFL Jerseys . Pirlo limped out of Sundays 1-0 win over Udinese after just 13 minutes. Juventus says Pirlo underwent tests on Monday which revealed he has "a second-degree lesion to the collateral medial ligament in his right knee. Cheap NFL Jerseys Online . In what the team had called a retirement, Ryan said Thursday that he is resigning as chief executive of the Rangers in a move effective at the end of this month. http://www.cheapjerseysnflcustom.com/ . -- The proud fathers huddled near the Dallas Stars dressing room, smiling, laughing and telling stories while wearing replica green sweaters of their sons team. Wholesale NFL Jerseys . Lack made 20 saves for his third shutout of the season as the Canucks blanked the St. Louis Blues 1-0 in the first post-Olympic game for both teams night. Cheap NFL Jerseys Online . Numbers Game examines the deal that sees Michael Del Zotto and Kevin Klein switch places. The Predators Get: D Michael Del Zotto. NEW HAVEN, Conn. -- Caroline Wozniacki found another way to win at the New Haven Open, where she has lost just one match in six years. The fourth seed advanced to the second round Monday when Peng Shuai was forced to retire while up a set on the four-time tournament champion. Peng was leading 6-2, 1-3 when the chair umpire announced the Chinese player could not continue due to illness. Tournament officials later said she was suffering from dizziness. Peng, who has a history of heart problems, spent an extended time with a trainer after Wozniacki asked for a coach while leading 3-0 in the second set. WTA officials said Peng was examined by medical personnel after the match, but had no further details. The 27-year-old pursued a pro tennis career despite having heart surgery when she was 12 years old. Her ordeal was the subject of an Adidas advertising campaign, "Impossible is Nothing." "She felt a bit dizzy and obviously from the flight and everything, she played the doubles finals in Cincinnati last night," Wozniacki said. "Flying in here and having to play the same day is obviously tough." Peng broke Wozniacki twice in the first set. But Wozniacki seemed to turn things around in the second game of the second set, which included seven deuces and Peng holding an advantage five times. "I just kept playing," she said. "I tried not to think about the score too much, because with her, you never know. I just really thought, One point at a time." Wozniacki, seeded fourth in the tournament, improved to 21-1 in her six years in New Haven. Her only loss here came in last years semifinals when she retired due to a knee injury. "Its a great tournament for me, what else can I say," she said. "Its my sixth time here. Its ridiculous." Earlier, American Sloane Stephens beat Anna Schmiedlova of Slovakia 6-4, 6-4. The sixth-seeded Stephens, the top-ranked American in the draw, broke Schmiedlova in the third game of the match, while reeling off 13 straight points. The two traded breaks in the second set until Stephens held serve to go up 4-2. She will play German Julia Goerges in the second round. Goerges advanced with a 6-2, 4-6, 7-5 win over Bojana Jovanovski of Serbia. Stephens, who beat Serena Williams to reach the semifinnals of the Australian Open in January and made the quarterfinals of Wimbledon in July, came into the match ranked 17th in the world.dddddddddddd Two years ago, she came into New Haven ranked 110th and lost in qualifying. Stephens said shes been able to stay grounded with the help of some friends, including tennis legend Billie Jean King, who sends her texts before every big match. "She says, Pressure is a privilege," Stephens said. "I think its one of the strongest statements Ive heard." Fifth-seeded Roberta Vinci of Italy was the tournaments first upset victim, losing 7-5, 6-3 to Carla Suarez Navarro. The Spaniard will next play Romanian Simona Halep, who beat Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia, 6-2, 6-1. The 21-year-old Halep has already won three tournaments this year and is coming off an appearance in the quarterfinals in Cincinnati, where she lost to the top-ranked Williams. Halep feels shes peaking at the right time. "My game its very good now; I have more confidence in me," she said. "I have to enjoy (next weeks) U.S. Open, because at the Grand Slams, I didnt play so well this year." Eighth-seeded Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia, ranked 19th in the world, also lost. She was beaten by Klara Zakopalova of the Czech Republic 3-6, 6-3, 6-3. Ekaterina Makarova downed Montreals Aleksandra Wozniak 6-2, 2-6, 7-6 (5). Other winners Monday included Russians Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and Elena Vesnina, Mayo Hibi of Japan, qualifier Monica Puig of Puerto Rico and Karin Knapp of Italy. Defending champion Petra Kvitova was to play Polands Urzula Radwanska in the final match of the day. But Radwanska was forced to withdraw with what was described as a viral illness and was replaced by Annika Beck of Germany. The match was then postponed a day because of rain, which also delayed the start of the Peng-Wozniacki match by two hours. Kvitova, who has made the quarterfinals of the last three events she played, is using this tournament to help prepare for the humidity in New York next week, which she says wreaks havoc with her asthma. "I never like playing in America, because of my asthma," she said. "But last year I played quite well, I won two titles, so it was a pretty good year, so I know that I can play good here." ' ' '
