Harper homers, Scherzer Ks 13 to propel Nats to 9th straight series win

Bryce Harper didn't need the wind this time.

One night after a swift gust of wind carried a routine fly ball off the bat of Harper over the left-field wall at Wrigley Field, Harper sent another opposite-field shot into the bleachers.

The Washington Nationals outfielder's National League-leading 18th blast - and 13th of May - in the sixth inning off Chicago Cubs ace Jon Lester helped solidify a 3-0 win in Wednesday's rubber match of the three-game set.

(Courtesy: MLB.com)

Harper went 1-for-3 with two walks to boost his slash line to an incredible .377/.495/.922 in May.

Harper is now tied with Nelson Cruz for the MLB lead in homers (18), and was backed by a spectacular outing from starter Max Scherzer. Mad Max tossed seven shutout frames while striking out a season-high 13 batters on 108 pitches. Harper has a proven track record of providing run support for the new staff ace since he came over from the Detroit Tigers.

Scherzer, who has now won five straight decisions, improves to 6-3 with a sparkling 1.51 ERA and 0.88 WHIP with the victory. His 85 strikeouts lead the majors.

Washington (28-19) now holds a 1 1/2-game lead over the New York Mets for top spot in the NL East.