CHICAGO (AP) -- Bryce Harper hit his 18th home run, Max Scherzer struck out a season-high 13 to outduel Jon Lester and the Washington Nationals beat the Chicago Cubs 3-0 on Wednesday night.
The top two free-agent pitchers on the market last offseason, Scherzer (6-3) and Lester faced off in a memorable matchup in the finale of the three-game series. Scherzer, who signed a seven-year deal worth $210 million with Washington, was better than his counterpart, throwing seven scoreless innings while allowing five hits and one walk to win his fifth straight start.