SAN DIEGO _ The San Diego Padres did their best to wear down Max Scherzer on Saturday night.
But the Washington Nationals' 34-year-old right-hander, who has won three Cy Young awards because teams don't succeed in doing that very often, wouldn't yield in his seven shutout innings.
Padres starter Eric Lauer let down just a couple times, and that was enough for the Nationals to beat the Padres, who managed their only run off Wander Suero in the ninth inning of a 4-1 loss at Petco Park.
Lauer entered the game having won his past three starts, and the left-hander was not significantly worse in going seven innings on Saturday.
Three marginally struck singles in the first inning gave the Nationals a 1-0 lead.
Lauer (5-5) began the fourth inning with two strikes to Howie Kendrick but five pitches later had issued his second walk of the game. One pitch after that, the Nationals led 3-0 when Brian Dozier sent a fastball 399 feet and just over the wall in left field.
They added an unearned run in the fifth when Trea Turner led off with a single that rolled three feet up the third base line, went to second on a passed ball off catcher Austin Allen's glove, advanced to third on a fly ball and scored on Anthony Rendon's single.
The Padres were remarkably patient against Scherzer, who six days earlier had struck out 15 Reds in eight innings. Padres batters chased just nine of the 39 pitches Scherzer (4-5) threw outside the strike zone.
They had six hits but threatened just once _ after singles by Eric Hosmer and Franmil Reyes started the second inning.
Josh Naylor's 105.6 mph liner off Scherzer's leg resulted in the first out. Ian Kinsler then grounded into a fielder's choice on a contact play that resulted in Scherzer making the tag on Hosmer in front of home plate. The Nationals intentionally walked Allen to get to Lauer, who struck out.
