WASHINGTON, D.C.,— The St. Louis Cardinals defeated the Washington Nationals 6-1 on Sunday, May 11, 2025, at Nationals Park, improving to 22-19 and holding second place in the NL Central. The Nationals fell to 17-24, remaining fourth in the NL East. The Cardinals’ offense, powered by home runs from Lars Nootbaar, Willson Contreras, and Nolan Arenado, secured the victory in a 2-hour, 24-minute game attended by 20,585 fans under partly cloudy 81-degree weather.
The Cardinals struck early, with Nootbaar’s leadoff home run in the first inning off Nationals starter MacKenzie Gore. Contreras added a solo homer in the second, giving St. Louis a 2-0 lead. The Nationals responded in the fourth when Nathaniel Lowe homered off Cardinals starter Miles Mikolas, cutting the deficit to 2-1. St. Louis pulled away in the seventh, scoring two runs on RBI singles by Yohel Pozo and Victor Scott II, making it 4-1. Arenado’s two-run homer in the eighth sealed the 6-1 final.
Mikolas earned the win, improving to 2-2 with a 4.35 ERA, pitching 5.1 innings and allowing one run on four hits with five strikeouts. Gore took the loss, dropping to 2-4 with a 3.59 ERA, giving up four runs on five hits over 6.2 innings with seven strikeouts. The Cardinals’ bullpen—Steven Matz, Phil Maton, and John King—closed out the game, allowing no runs and one hit over 3.2 innings.
Arenado led the Cardinals with two hits, including a double and a homer, driving in two runs. Contreras also had two hits, including his sixth homer, and Pozo added two hits with an RBI. Nootbaar’s homer and Scott II’s RBI single contributed to the Cardinals’ nine hits. For the Nationals, CJ Abrams went 3-for-4, and Lowe’s homer provided their lone run. The Nationals managed five hits but left four runners on base and went 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position.
The Cardinals’ defense was sharp, turning two double plays, including a diving stop by Brendan Donovan in the fifth and an unassisted double play by Donovan in the eighth. The Nationals’ defense executed one double play but couldn’t overcome Gore’s early struggles and a quiet offense. St. Louis capitalized on 2-for-6 hitting with runners in scoring position, while Washington’s offense faltered late.
The game, part of a series at Nationals Park, showcased the Cardinals’ power, with three homers accounting for four runs. Nootbaar’s leadoff blast set the tone, and Arenado’s eighth-inning homer off reliever Brad Lord put the game out of reach. The Nationals’ lone bright spot was Lowe’s fourth-inning homer, but their offense couldn’t sustain momentum against Mikolas and the Cardinals’ relievers.
The Cardinals’ victory strengthens their position in the NL Central, while the Nationals continue to seek consistency in the NL East. The game’s highlights, including Nootbaar’s homer and Dylan Crews’ diving catch in the ninth, are available for viewing MLB Video Highlights.
