Hernandez baffles Nationals in sweep

Livan Hernandez gave tips to other Arizona Diamondbacks pitchers during the week about facing the Washington Nationals, his former team. On Sunday, he showed he knew what he was talking about.

Hernandez took a no-hitter into the sixth inning and the Diamondbacks beat the struggling Nationals, 3-1, to complete a four-game sweep.

“I’m not the kind of guy who’s going to go out there and try to beat them because I got traded last year,” said Hernandez (1-0), dealt by Washington to Arizona last summer. “I go outside and do my job.”

Arizona outscored Washington, 21-6, in the series, and the Nationals dropped to 1-6, the majors’ worst record.

Hernandez didn’t give up a hit until Ryan Zimmerman’s ground-rule double with two outs in the sixth. Hernandez wound up giving up three hits over seven innings. It was his 12th career victory at RFK Stadium, the most by any pitcher since baseball returned to the nation’s capital.

Around the league

Arizona’s Randy Johnson gave up two runs and four hits and struck out four in six innings of a minor league start at Modesto for Class-A Visalia in the second of three scheduled minor league appearances. Johnson, who underwent back surgery in the off-season, threw 73 pitches, 58 for strikes.... Florida shortstop Hanley Ramirez (hamstring) left in the first inning against Philadelphia and left fielder Josh Willingham was a late scratch because of a stiff back. Both said they expect to return soon.

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RESULTS

* St. Louis 10, at Houston 1 -- Albert Pujols hit a two-run homer to break out of a one-for-17 slump and Kip Wells outpitched college teammate Jason Jennings. Wells (1-1), a Houston native, gave up one hit and struck out seven in seven innings. He retired the last 16 batters he faced. Jennings (0-1) played with Wells at Baylor. Houston fell to 1-5, matching its worst start since 1990.

* at Florida 6, Philadelphia 4 -- The Phillies walked 11 times but stranded 14 runners in falling to 1-5 for the third time in four seasons and the second year in a row. Backup catcher Matt Treanor hit a run-scoring triple for the Marlins, then scored the go-ahead run on a suicide squeeze to help them overcome an early three-run deficit.

* at Atlanta 3, New York 2 -- Brian McCann and Jeff Francoeur hit consecutive run-scoring doubles in the eighth inning to rally the Braves. Aaron Heilman blew the save.

* Pittsburgh 6, at Cincinnati 3 -- Freddy Sanchez had two hits and a run batted in in his first game since coming off the disabled list. Jason Bay, Jack Wilson and Brad Eldred homered to help the Pirates avoid their first three-game sweep in Cincinnati since September 1998.

* at Milwaukee 9, Chicago 4 -- Geoff Jenkins and Gabe Gross hit consecutive homers, and the Brewers beat old nemesis Wade Miller (0-1), who came in with a 6-0 record at Miller Park and an 11-1 mark against them.

* at San Diego 2, Colorado 1 -- Jose Cruz Jr. homered in the eighth inning to tie it and rookie Kevin Kouzmanoff singled with one out in the 10th to break out of a two-for-20 slump.

* Arizona 3, at Washington 1 -- The Diamondbacks limited the Nationals to one run for the third straight game.

* Dodgers 10, at San Francisco 4 -- The Giants fall to 1-5, a record they’ve had only twice -- 1967 and 1980 -- since moving from New York in 1958.

From the Associated Press