Nationals put on home run show to rout Cubs

Tampa Bay Rays catcher Jose Lobaton (right) looks back for a wild throw from second baseman Elliot Johnson that allowed New York Yankees’ Ichiro Suzuki to score during the seventh inning of their MLB American League baseball game in St. Petersburg, Florida on Wednesday

AFP/New YorkThe Washington Nationals blasted six home runs for the second successive game to punish the Chicago Cubs 9-1 on Wednesday and make it an easy outing for Major League-leading pitcher Gio Gonzalez. The red-hot Nationals put on another home run derby display for their home crowd, as they did in Tuesday’s 11-5 rout of the Cubs, this time led by rookie Bryce Harper who smashed two. Adam LaRoche, who had two home runs on Tuesday, hit his 28th of the season in the third inning where Washington scored four runs to grab a 5-0 lead. That was more than enough support for Gonzalez who struck out nine batters in seven innings and cruised to his 18th victory of the season, tying him with the New York Mets’ R.A. Dickey for the most in the majors.