WASHINGTON -- Before last weeks start in New York, Stephen Strasburg noticed his curveball wasnt working the way he wanted it to. He made an adjustment and dazzled the Mets, limiting them to two hits in six innings. Five days later, Strasburg relied on it again. Against the Houston Astros, the 23-year-old looked unhittable for five innings, struggled in the sixth and watched his team score four runs after he was lifted for a pinch-hitter as the Washington Nationals beat the Astros 6-3 on Monday. Strasburg allowed just three singles in the first five, but the Astros got to him in the sixth for two runs and three hits. Strasburg (2-0) walked one and struck out five. He hasnt allowed a home run in 50 1-3 innings -- since Aug. 15, 2010. His ERA rose from 0.69 to 1.42. "I thought I could get another inning out of him -- until that rough inning," manager Davey Johnson said. Steve Lombardozzi had three singles and a two-run double in the sixth off Kyle Weiland (0-2) that gave Washington a 4-2 lead. Ryan Zimmerman followed with a two-run single. Strasburg used the curveball regularly at San Diego State, and on Monday, he had his best since his Aug. 2010 Tommy John surgery. "I made an adjustment in New York with it. In the pen, it wasnt working warming up," Strasburg said. "I just wanted to go out there and trust it -- and it worked pretty well." Last week, Johnson allowed him to throw a career-high 108 pitches. He wanted Strasburg to throw fewer. Through five innings, he threw 61, but in the laborious sixth, Strasburg had to throw 32. "In his previous start, I took him longer than I wanted to. It probably took a little bit out of him," Johnson said. Strasburg wasnt surprised to be pinch-hit for, but didnt come out willingly. "He knows I want to go out there and stay out there as long as I possibly can. You want to go 7,8,9 innings. I got into a couple of jams that put the pitch count up." Weiland started for the seventh time in his major league career and is winless in five decisions. "You try to focus on your own game. Obviously, you know thats in the back of your mind. Hes going to go out there and give his best, and its probably going to be a low scoring game," Weiland said. After Strasburg left, Sean Burnett got two outs in the seventh, Ryan Mattheus allowed an earned run in the eighth, Tom Gorzelanny finished the eighth, and Henry Rodriguez pitched the ninth for his second save. In the third, Ian Desmond doubled to left with one out. Lombardozzi bunted, but Weiland threw the ball away, and Desmond scored on the error. Wilson Ramos hit his first home run with two outs in the fourth. In the sixth, Jordan Schafer and Jed Lowrie led off with singles. On the ninth pitch of his at-bat, J.D. Martinez walked to load the bases. Carlos Lee flied out to centre fielder Rick Ankiel, but Schafer elected not to attempt scoring. Ankiels threw home was perfect. After Strasburg struck out Travis Buck, Chris Johnson hit a two-run single to tie the score. In the bottom of the sixth, Ankiel singled with one out, and with two outs, Roger Bernadina, batting for Strasburg walked. Desmond walked to load the bases, and Lombardozzi, who was starting because Johnson wanted to rest Danny Espinosa, slapped a double to left, and Zimmerman followed with the two-run double. Weiland pitched 5 2-3 innings, allowing six runs and 10 hits. The Astros scored their final run in the eighth on a single to Travis Buck and a triple by Johnson -- his third hit of the game. They batted 2 for 14 with runners in scoring position. "With every pitcher I think, as you go and as you get at-bats off of him, your comfort level goes up a little bit. But hes got really good stuff. He throws hard and hes got three really good pitches," Chris Johnson said. NOTES: Strasburg singled in the fourth inning. Hes now 2 for 31 as a major league hitter. ... Nationals RHP Chien-Ming Wang will throw a simulated game in Viera, Fla., on Wednesday, and if that goes well, hell pitch in a minor league game. Wang has been on the disabled list with a left hamstring injury. ... TV evangelist Joel Osteen threw out the first pitch. Hell be conducting a service at Nationals Park on Apr. 28. ... The Astros have scored at least three runs in every game. ... Houston LHP Wandy Rodriguez (0-1, 2.38 ERA) is scheduled to throw against Nationals LHP Gio Gonzalez (0-0, 3.38 ERA) on Tuesday night. Roman Harper Youth Jersey . -- The Detroit Lions have released cornerback Kevin Barnes. Melvin White Jersey . You can watch the game on TSN at 10pm et/7pm pt and get in-depth player stats, Twitter Trender and more with our GameTracker. The Ducks are 4-1-0 on the season, following up a season-opening blowout loss at Colorado with four consecutive wins. http://www.panthersjerseysofficialshop.com/black-friday-jerricho-cotchery-jersey/ . Not all the credit can be given to Mariota, Mark Helfrich has orchestrated a seamless transition from Kelly at head coach, but the redshirt sophomores performance has allowed the Ducks to pick up where they left off in torturing opposing defences on a weekly basis. Melvin White Panthers Jersey . The person spoke Saturday under condition of anonymity because there was no official announcement about the agreement. The 34-year-old Ludwick hit .275 with 26 home runs and 80 RBIs while helping Cincinnati win the NL Central. Cam Newton Panthers Jersey . The unrestricted free agent blueliner played last season for the Winnipeg Jets. The move came one day after the Hurricanes learned that defenceman Joni Pitkanen will be out for the season with a broken heel. ST. LOUIS -- Adam Wainwright was so excited after throwing a shutout for the St. Louis Cardinals, he acknowledged he got emotional. "It was a huge sense of relief," Wainwright said. "A huge sense of feeling blessed. Ive worked very hard to get back to where I am. "I told Jake (Westbrook) I think it might be the best feeling Ive ever had pitching. Ive done some things that are pretty fun but I cant remember ever feeling that emotional after a game." Wainwright threw a four-hitter and the Cardinals beat the San Diego Padres 4-0 on Tuesday night. "All of the emotion came from just knowing its been over a year since Ive done that," Wainwright said. "Mentally, I was so much better." It was his first shutout victory since Aug. 6, 2010, and third in his career. Wainwright (3-5), who missed 2011 with elbow ligament replacement surgery, struck out nine and walked one while throwing 111 pitches. He retired the first eight batters and allowed just one runner to reach third base. "I think all of the emotion came from just knowing its been over a year since Ive felt really locked in like that," Wainwright said. "I was locked in all night. I knew I could do it. I knew I would do it. This year, it started rough for me but I knew if I kept grinding, it would come back to me." St. Louis manager Mike Matheny was happy to see it. "Its nice to have that kind of outing from start to finish," Matheny said. "Its one he can build on. He believes in himself and rightfully so. Hes accomplished a lot in this game." San Diego manager Bud Black agreed. "I just saw an up-tempo guy with a tremendous amount of focus of getting guys out," Black said. "As the game went on, that didnt waver. He pitched a good game." Carlos Beltran had two hits and two RBIs and Matt Holliday added two hits and an RBI for the Cardinals. Edinson Volquez (2-4) gave up five hits and three runs in six innings. The former Cincinnati Red remains winless in St. Louis. He is 0-3 in four career starts at Busch Stadium with a 6.50 ERA. St. Louis took a 1-0 lead in the first inning. Matt Carpenter hit a double to left field and appeared to hurt himselff as he left the batters box.dddddddddddd Daniel Descalso came in to run for Carpenter and scored on Beltrans two-out single. Descalso stayed in the game at third base for Carpenter, who experienced "right side tightness," according to a club spokesman. Descalso scored on a bang-bang play at home in the sixth. He was hit by a pitch leading off and went to third on a seeing-single between first and second by Holliday. Beltran rapped a sharp grounder to first baseman Yonder Alonso. Descalso came halfway down the line. Alonso threw to third baseman Andy Parrino. Descalso headed home and slid in safely before San Diego catcher Nick Hundley made the tag after getting the throw from Parrino. Hundley did not have the plate blocked. "I didnt do the right thing there," Descalso said. "I got caught in no-mans land. Once the first baseman threw it, I took off. The ball clearly beat me but the front of the plate was there and I beat him to it." With the bases loaded, one out and the infield in, Tyler Greene hit a hard grounder to shortstop Everth Cabrera, who bobbled the ball before pushing it to get the force at second. Holliday scored on the play, making it 3-0. Holliday gave St. Louis a 4-0 lead in the seventh off reliever Alex Hinshaw when he doubled home Rafael Furcal. Hundley threw out his major league-leading 15th would-be base stealer when he nabbed rookie Adron Chambers in the fifth inning. Chambers was called up from Memphis last Friday to fill in for the injured Allen Craig. Chambers made his first start as a big-leaguer, hitting eighth and playing centre field. Notes: St. Louis reliever Kyle McClellan said he will not need surgery on his sore right elbow. He said he hopes to begin throwing in six weeks. ... Cardinals 3B David Freese sat out his second consecutive game. Freese is mired in a 6-for-42 slump over the last 12 games. His batting average has dropped from .312 to .259 since May 9. ... San Diego 3B Chase Headley did not start Tuesday because of a lower back issue. He had started 42 of the Padres 43 games. ... It was the 100th career start for Volquez. ... Cabrera went 0-for-3, extending his hitless slump to 17 consecutive at-bats. cheap jerseys wholesale jerseys ' ' '