Kearns Earns Nats a Win

Austin Kearns drove in the winning run with a two-out, 10th-inning single, and the Washington Nationals beat the San Diego Padres 3-2 on Sunday.

Nyjer Morgan, held out of the starting lineup with a tight left hamstring before entering the game as a pinch hitter in the eighth, led off the decisive rally with a bunt single down the third base line off Greg Burke.

Willie Harris sacrificed Morgan, Nick Johnson was intentionally walked and Ryan Zimmerman flew out. Kearns then shot a single into the gap in right-center.

Joe Beimel got the final two outs of the 10th for the victory. Josh Willingham also homered for Washington, which finished its first homestand under interim manager Jim Riggleman with a 4-7 record.

Kyle Blanks homered for the Padres, who are 1-3 to start an eight-game road trip.

Kevin Kouzmanoff's two-out RBI double broke a scoreless tie in the sixth. With one out, Will Venable doubled to the wall in left-center and scored when Kouzmanoff lined a ball past the diving Willingham in right-center.

Willingham tied the game in the seventh, hitting his 14th homer off a 1-2 pitch from Chad Gaudin.

Willie Harris ignited the go-ahead rally with a one-out single in the eighth off Luke Gregerson. Nick Johnson then hit a potential double-play grounder to shortstop Everth Cabrera, but second baseman Luis Rodriguez dropped Cabrera's shovel toss for a fielder's choice error.

Gregerson got Zimmerman looking at a third strike before Dunn singled to center, scoring Harris for a 2-1 lead.

With two down in the ninth, Blanks ripped Mike MacDougal's first pitch into the left-field stands for his third homer. It was MacDougal's first blown save in seven chances.

San Diego's Adrian Gonzalez entered the game as a defensive substitute at first base in the seventh, extending the majors' longest active consecutive games streak to 306. Gonzalez also broke the Padres consecutive games record he previously shared with Steve Garvey.

Gaudin allowed a run on five hits over seven innings. He walked two and struck out four, failing to win for the fifth straight start.

Nationals starter John Lannan yielded a run on five hits over eight innings. He walked one and struck out two.

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