Nationals 12, Cardinals 1

(Saturday, August 4th) Final Score: Washington 12, St. Louis 1 Washington, DC (Sports Network) - Ryan Zimmerman went 2-for-5 with a pair of home runs and three RBI as Washington crushed St. Louis, 12-1, in the second installment of a three-game set at RFK Stadium. "It felt good," said Zimmerman about his night. "Any time you can kinda play a game and be a little relaxed, it helps out." Joel Hanrahan (1-0) yielded just one run and six hits in five-plus innings, for his first major league win in his second big league start. He also helped his cause with a two-run double. "It was a good one," said Nats manager Manny Acta of Hanrahans outing. "It was very humid out there and he threw a lot of pitches and got to be running the bases because he can swing the bat. Obviously now, we notice that. He was able to throw the first pitch strike and mix in his slider and changeup. I was very happy for the young man." Brian Schneider finished 2-for-3 with two RBI and three runs scored for the Nationals, who have won five straight and scored the most runs at RFK since moving from Montreal three seasons ago. Nook Logan had three hits, scored twice and drove in a pair while Ronnie Belliard and Tony Batista also knocked in a run each. Joel Piniero (0-1) making his first National League appearance since being released by Boston, was rocked for seven hits and five runs -- four earned -- with two walks and two strikeouts in five full innings. Adam Kennedy homered for the Cardinals, who have dropped four in a row. Jim Edmonds and Ryan Ludwick had a pair of hits each. With Mike Maroth on the hill and Washington ahead by four, Schneider doubled with one out in the sixth and scored on Logans double. On the play, Cardinals center fielder Jim Edmonds slipped on the turf and seemed to injure his right ankle and left knee when attempting to set himself for a throw to the plate. Edmonds reined in the game, and Washington scored again on pinch-hitter Batistas single. Kennedy then kicked a grounder by Felipe Lopez which put runners on first and third, and Belliards sacrifice fly made it 8-1. Zimmerman followed with a blast into the club seats in left-center for a 10-1 score. Schneider closed out the scoring with a two-run shot in the seventh. "I just told one of my friends that I finally had a day off from managing," quipped Acta. "Other than to bring out Saul [Rivera] just to shut down that inning, it was the first time where I could just look like I could just lay back for 27 outs for the first time during the season. So, that was nice for my brain cells." In a curious move, Cardinals manager Tony La Russa shook up his batting order and placed starter Piniero in the eighth spot, followed by second baseman Kennedy. The move paid off as Kennedys solo shot in the second gave the Cardinals a 1-0 lead. Zimmerman led off the fourth with an upper-deck drive to left which tied the game. Logan put the Nats ahead by a run on a two-out single, and Hanrahan knocked in two more when he followed with a double down the line in left. Piniero uncorked a wild throw on a botched pickoff move to first which brought in the fifth run of the inning. Washington worked out of a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the sixth when reliever Rivera induced a double-play ball off the bat of Yadier Molina, and the Nats continued to pour it on from there. Game Notes Pinieros last start came on September 16, 2006 with Kansas City against Seattle...Washington has won four of five over St. Louis this season, and six of the last eight meetings...The Nats turned four double plays in the contest...St. Louis infielder Aaron Miles pitched the ninth inning, the second Cardinals position player to take the mound this season (Scott Spiezio, June 15)...Maroth, who is 0-4 with the Cardinals since being traded from Detroit, was charged with five hits and five runs -- two earned -- in two-thirds of an inning...Albert Pujols missed the game with a sore right elbow, the first game he has missed in 2007...Attendance was 29,252.