Anibal Sanchez, Hunter Harvey and Mason Thompson combined for a three-hitter as the visiting Washington Nationals blanked the St. Louis Cardinals 6-0 Monday.

Sanchez (2-5) held the Cardinals to two hits and two walks in five innings. Harvey retired the Cardinals in order in the sixth inning and Thompson allowed one hit in three innings to earn his first save.

CJ Abrams went 4-for-5 with two runs and Lane Thomas drove in two runs for the Nationals, who won for the fifth time in six games.

Cardinals starting pitcher Jack Flaherty (0-1) returned from shoulder soreness and allowed one run on six hits in his first major league outing since June 26. He struck out six batters and walked one.

The Cardinals’ best chance to score came in the first inning. They loaded the bases with one out on an infield single by Tyler O’Neill and walks to Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado.

Sanchez escaped by striking out Albert Pujols and retiring Corey Dickerson on a flyout.

Abrams put the Nationals up 1-0 in the third inning by hitting a leadoff triple and scoring on Thomas’ ground-rule double. Flaherty avoided further trouble by striking out the next three batters.

The Nationals threatened again in the fourth inning when Keibert Ruiz and Cesar Hernandez hit singles and advanced on sacrifice bunt. But Flaherty struck out Josh Palacios and got Abrams to line out to close the frame.

In the fifth inning, Flaherty hit Thomas with a pitch. Thomas reached third on a hit-and-run single by Joey Meneses, but Flaherty escaped again when Luke Voit and Ruiz flew out.

The Nationals pushed their lead to 5-0 in the sixth inning against reliever Andre Pallante. He allowed singles to Hernandez, Palacios and Abrams before walking Thomas with the bases loaded and allowing Luis Garcia’s RBI infield single.

Chris Stratton came on to allow Meneses’ RBI single and Voit’s sacrifice fly.

Ruiz made it 6-0 with a homer off James Naile in the eighth inning.

–Field Level Media