WASHINGTON — Bryce Harper hit a solo homer and drove in another run with a sacrifice fly, Jordan Zimmermann won his NL-leading sixth game and the Washington Nationals beat the Detroit Tigers 3-1 Wednesday night.
Denard Span added a triple and a single for Washington, which has won five of six.
Zimmermann (6-1), whose scoreless streak was snapped at 20 innings in the third, allowing a run on seven hits over seven innings. He fanned seven and lowered his ERA to 1.59 in winning his third straight start.
Rafael Soriano pitched a scoreless ninth for his 11th save.
Jhonny Peralta had two hits for the Tigers, who had won four straight and nine of 10.
Detroit’s Anibal Sanchez (3-3) allowed three runs, two earned, on eight hits and struck out eight.
It was Washington’s first win against Sanchez, who was 8-0 with a 1.97 ERA in 19 starts against the Nationals while with the Marlins.
Zimmermann’s consecutive wins have come against the Reds, Braves and now the Tigers. Detroit began play tied with Colorado for first in the majors in hitting (.285) and third in runs scored.
Tyler Clippard walked two with two outs in the eighth inning, but pitched out of it for Washington.
The Nationals took a 2-1 lead on an unearned run in the fourth. Adam LaRoche led off with a single and Danny Espinosa singled him to second with one out. Kurt Suzuki flied to right and LaRoche tagged and went for third. Torii Hunter’s throw hit LaRoche, eluded third baseman Miguel Cabrera and went out of play. LaRoche was awarded home and Espinosa third.
Harper made it 3-1 when he hit Sanchez’ first pitch over the wall in right center with two outs in the fifth for his 10th home run.
Zimmermann’s scoreless inning streak, which matched a career high, ended in the third. With two outs, Hunter doubled down the third base line and Cabrera followed with a sharp single between third and short to make it 1-0.
Washington tied it in the bottom half when Span tripled and scored on Harper’s sacrifice fly.
NOTES: Detroit’s RHP Doug Fister (4-0, 2.48) and RHP Dan Haren (3-3, 5.01) will start Thursday’s finale. . Washington RF Jayson Werth (strained right hamstring) missed his fourth straight game. “He came in early and we looked at it and he’s still got some tightness and.it looked like a little pull or something still in there. So definitely, with the rain and stuff, he’s not going to (play),” Washington manager Davey Johnson said. Werth had been cleared to play by his doctor and was to be examined Wednesday by the team doctor. . Managers Johnson and Jim Leyland were meeting for the first time since Sept. 19, 1999, when Johnson’s Dodgers defeated Leyland’s Rockies, 5-2. . Carol Anderson, wife of the late Hall of Fame manager of the Tigers and Reds, Sparky Anderson, passed away Tuesday night in her Thousand Oaks, Calif., home.
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