WASHINGTON _ Nationals lefty Patrick Corbin, one of the big winners of the past winter's free-agent market, had brought home one run and held the Cardinals to one hit until everything went sideways in the fifth.
By the time Corbin retired Jedd Gyorko for the second time in the inning, the Cardinals had scored five runs with two outs, flipped the game entirely on the lefty, and even given the bullpen a cushion for the four innings it had to cover Monday night at Nationals Park.
The game flipped fast on Corbin, and the Cardinals cruised from there to a 6-3 victory. It was their ninth win in their past 11 games.
Due in large part to a nine-pitch walk that Corbin drew in the second inning, Washington opened up a 3-0 lead on Cardinals starter Michael Wacha and had him nearing the end of his pitch count. Corbin held the Cardinals without a hit through three innings and scoreless through four. He pitched around an error and a single by getting a double-play grounder to end the fourth inning.
Harrison Bader snapped Corbin's shutout with a solo homer in the fifth inning. Two batters later, Matt Carpenter drew a two-out walk that keyed a rally Corbin couldn't extinguish.
Marcell Ozuna's two-run single gave the Cardinals the lead and gave him 28 RBIs in the Cardinals' first 28 games. The 28 RBIs in the season's first month are the most by Ozuna in his career.
Yadier Molina extended his hitting streak to a career-best 16 games with an RBI single that punctuated the scoring in the fifth inning.
In his first start since returning from the injured list, Wacha completed five innings to remain unbeaten at Nationals Park, at 3-0. He allowed three runs on four hits and he struck out five. All three of the runs came in the second inning after Corbin worked him for the nine-pitch, bases-loaded walk. Corbin allowed six runs on six hits and also completed five innings.
Jordan Hicks pitched a scoreless ninth for his ninth save.
