Turner, Adams power Nats over Giants 15-2, end 4-game skid

SAN FRANCISCO -- Washington manager Dave Martinez insisted Trea Turner and the Nationals would snap from their scoring slump soon, even as the losses piled up and the runs didn't.

Behind three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer, Washington didn't need much, but got plenty.

Turner got five hits, Matt Adams homered and drove in six runs, and the Nationals broke out of their offensive funk in a big way, routing the San Francisco Giants 15-2 Wednesday to end a four-game losing streak.

"That was fun," Martinez said after his team dodged a three-game sweep. "The boys came out to play. They've been swinging the bats well. Today we just got hits, the timely hits. It was good day for all of them."

The Nationals had totaled just eight runs during their skid. Andrew Stevenson had two doubles, two singles and four RBI as Washington set season highs for runs and hits (18).

Turner came into the game batting .232, and the leadoff man's slow start had contributed to the Nationals' struggles. He raised his batting average 35 points, tying a career high for hits in a game. He also scored twice, drove in two runs and stole his 10th base this season.

"We know that this is what the offense is capable of doing," Adams said. "If we go out there and have quality ABs like we have been, things are going to start falling and they did today."

Adams matched his career best for RBI. He singled as part of a three-run first, put the Nationals up 6-1 with a three-run homer off Jeff Samardzija (1-1) in the fourth and added a two-run single in the eighth.

The Nationals scored 14 of their 15 runs with two outs.

"This could actually jumpstart our offense," Martinez said.

Martinez's ballclub has been stunted by a rash of injuries this season but salvaged the final game of the three-game series at AT&T Park to end a rough 4-5 road trip. Scherzer (5-1) did his part, striking out 10 in six innings.

Scherzer earned his fourth consecutive win, all of them coming after a Washington loss. He allowed two runs and five hits, and reached double figures in strikeouts for the fourth time in six starts this season.

"Our bats just came out and we got contributions up and down the line today," Scherzer said. "When you get that as a starting pitcher you just want to go out there and put up those zeroes, get the offense back in and have everybody run to that bat rack."

Brandon Belt and Pablo Sandoval had two hits apiece for the Giants.

"This was one of those games that started out rough and gradually got worse," San Francisco manager Bruce Bochy said. "You get down like that and you're looking for someone to put up a zero and we had a hard time doing that."

NOT AS GOOD AS HIS FIRST

Samardzija labored through a 30-pitch first inning and was done after retiring 11 batters, a quick ending to his second start of the season. He gave up six runs, eight hits and three walks, a stark contrast to his first start when he pitched five scoreless innings against the Angels.

BRIEF DELAY

The game was paused briefly in the sixth when home plate umpire Todd Tichenor was hit below the belt by a pitch from Scherzer. Brandon Crawford swung under the pitch and catcher Pedro Severino missed the ball before it hit Tichenor.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Nationals: 1B Ryan Zimmerman and 2B Howie Kendrick were held out of the starting lineup. Kendrick singled and scored as a pinch hitter in the eighth.

Giants: Mac Williamson was a late scratch because of neck stiffness, one day after stumbling over the bullpen pitching mound and crashing into a low fence while chasing a foul ball. ... RHP Chris Stratton was placed on the paternity list. ... RHP Roberto Gomez was called up from Triple-A Sacramento.

UP NEXT

Nationals: RHP Stephen Strasburg (2-2, 2.97 ERA) pitches against the Diamondbacks on Friday in Washington. He has yielded six earned runs and three homers over his last 13 innings.

Giants: LHP Derek Holland (0-3, 4.98) faces the Los Angeles Dodgers in the opener of a four-game series at AT&T Park on Friday night. Holland is winless in two career starts against the Dodgers.

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