Giants still can't beat Sanchez, fall to Nationals

Right-hander Anibal Sanchez remained unbeaten in his career in the regular season at Oracle Park in San Francisco, pitching the Washington Nationals to a 5-3 victory over the Giants on Tuesday night. Trea Turner homered, walked twice and scored two runs, helping the Nationals run out to a 5-1 lead en route to their second straight win in the three-game series between National League playoff contenders.

Sanchez (7-6) improved to 7-0 in his past 13 starts, allowing four hits in six innings. He gave up two runs (one earned) while walking one and striking out three. The 35-year-old ran his record at San Francisco to 4-0 in five career regular-season starts. He's allowed just three earned runs in 37 innings in those games.

Kurt Suzuki drove in three of Washington's first four runs, one with a two-out single in the first inning and two more with a two-out homer in the Nationals' three-run third. The homer was his 12th of the season. After the Giants closed within 4-1 with an unearned run in the last of the third, Turner made it a four-run game again with his 10th homer, a solo shot, in the fifth.

Giants left-hander Conner Menez (0-1) allowed all five of Washington's runs in his six innings. He gave up six hits and three walks while striking out four. Menez was making just his second major league start.

The Giants used a pair of Pablo Sandoval doubles to scratch back within 5-3 with single runs in the sixth and seventh innings. Sandoval had a pinch-hit double in the sixth and scored on a Brandon Belt single. Then, after staying in the game, he doubled home Kevin Pillar with two outs in the seventh to help the Giants close within two.

But the Nationals held on for their fourth win in five games against the Giants this season. Fernando Rodney struck out two in a scoreless eighth inning before closer Sean Doolittle worked around a one-out double by Pillar in the ninth to notch his 25th save. Suzuki finished with three hits and Gerardo Parra collected two for the Nationals, who won the series opener 4-0 on Monday night.

Pillar had three hits and scored twice for the Giants, who lost for the fifth time in the past six games. 

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