WASHINGTON (Interstat) — Zack Littell pitched six solid innings and the Washington Nationals used a three-run burst in the middle innings to defeat the San Diego Padres 4-2 on Sunday afternoon at Nationals Park, taking two of three in the weekend series.

Littell allowed five hits and two runs while striking out five to improve to 5-4 on the season. Clayton Beeter worked a scoreless ninth inning for his fourth save. Griffin Canning took the loss for San Diego, falling to 0-4 after allowing three runs over 4 2/3 innings.

The Padres struck first with two runs in the seventh inning to tie the game, but Washington answered immediately in the bottom half. Andrés Chaparro delivered a pinch-hit double to left field that scored Nasim Nuñez and gave the Nationals the lead for good.

The game was a pitchers’ duel early. Littell retired the first nine batters he faced, and Canning worked out of a first-inning jam when Luis García Jr. grounded into a double play after a leadoff walk.

Washington broke through in the fourth inning. García Jr. led off with a solo home run to center field, his fifth of the season, putting the Nationals ahead 1-0. CJ Abrams followed with a double but was stranded.

The Nationals expanded their lead in the fifth. Keibert Ruiz singled to right field, and James Wood followed with a two-run homer to center, his 16th of the year, making it 3-0.

San Diego’s offense had been quiet against Littell, managing just three hits through six innings. But the Padres mounted a rally in the seventh. Xander Bogaerts walked to lead off the inning. Jackson Merrill bunted for a single, and Ty France doubled to left, scoring Bogaerts. Nick Castellanos then hit a sacrifice fly to center, bringing Merrill home and tying the game 3-3.

The tie lasted only moments. In the bottom of the seventh, José Tena walked and Jorbit Vivas singled to put runners on first and second. A bunt by Ruiz forced out Tena at third but moved Nuñez, who had entered as a pinch runner, to second. After Wood grounded into a forceout, Chaparro stepped up as a pinch hitter and doubled to left, plating Nuñez to give Washington a 4-3 lead. The Nationals later added an insurance run in the eighth on a bases-loaded walk, but the damage was done.

Beeter retired the Padres in order in the ninth, striking out one and inducing a caught stealing to end the game.

Offensively, Abrams led the Nationals with two hits, including a double. Ruiz also had two hits. For San Diego, Merrill had two hits and scored a run, while France drove in one with his double.

The win moved Washington to 31-29, while San Diego fell to 32-26. The Padres had won the series opener Friday afternoon 7-5 before dropping the next two games.

Defense played a role throughout. The Padres turned a double play in the first inning, and the Nationals caught two Padres runners stealing, including a critical play in the seventh when Miguel Andujar struck out and Sung-Mun Song was caught attempting to steal second on the same pitch.

The attendance was 24,050, and the game lasted 2 hours, 37 minutes.

The two teams will go in opposite directions. San Diego travels to Philadelphia for a three-game series starting Tuesday, while Washington hosts Miami on Monday.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Washington Nationals 6, San Diego Padres 4 before the game. Interstat’s ELO system gave San Diego a 57.60 percent probability to win. The Padres were installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of minus 1.5 runs. The total score of 6 runs went over the over/under line of 9.