WASHINGTON — Stephen Strasburg struck out 10 batters and allowed one run in six innings for his 15th win in one of his final starts of the season as the Washington Nationals beat the Atlanta Braves 4-1 on Tuesday night.

For weeks, the impending shutdown of Strasburg has been the talk of baseball and though the Nationals haven’t said exactly what their limit for the star right-hander is, it’s thought to be between 160 and 180 innings. After this start, his fourth straight win, when he allowed four hits and walked one, he has thrown 145 1/3 innings.

Talk of his innings limit overshadowed discussion of the NL East race. Washington’s win gave the Nationals a seven-game lead over second-place Atlanta, their largest of the season.

The Braves have lost four straight.

 

ROCKIES 6, METS 2: Jhoulys Chacin (1-3) made an impressive return from an absence dating back to May 1, and visiting Colorado backed him with a pair of sharp defensive plays.

Center fielder Dexter Fowler made a sparkling catch and hit a pair of RBI singles as the Rockies won their third in a row.

 

REDS 5, PHILLIES 4: Zack Cozart hit a tie-breaking homer on Jonathan Papelbon’s first pitch in the ninth as visiting Cincinnati snapped a seven-game losing streak against Philadelphia.

Kevin Frandsen hit a tying RBI triple off Jonathan Broxton (2-1) in the eighth, but the NL Central-leading Reds went up to stay on Cozart’s shot off Papelbon (3-5).

 

CARDINALS 7, ASTROS 0: Adam Wainwright (12-10) matched his career high with 12 strikeouts in a five-hitter and St. Louis punished Houston rookie Lucas Harrell with six runs in the first three innings, getting over a 19-inning loss two days earlier with a win at home.

 

BREWERS 5, CUBS 2: Marco Estrada (1-5) allowed two hits in six solid innings at home to win for the first time in almost a year.

AMERICAN LEAGUE

TIGERS 5, BLUE JAYS 3: Max Scherzer (13-6) struck out eight in seven impressive innings as Detroit took advantage of Ricky Romero’s wildness at Detroit.

Romero (8-11) allowed five runs, seven hits and eight walks in 5 1/3 innings.

 

ROYALS 1, RAYS 0: Eric Hosmer’s two-out single in the 10th inning drove in the only run in a classic pitchers’ duel at St. Petersburg, Fla., between the Royals’ Luke Hochevar and the Rays’ David Price.

Kelvin Herrera (1-1) got the win and Greg Holland pitched the 10th inning for his sixth save.

Price and Hochevar both pitched eight innings, giving up a combined four hits.

 

ORIOLES 5, RANGERS 3: Nate McLouth’s two-run home run keyed Baltimore’s four-run fifth inning at Arlington, Texas.

Chris Tillman (6-2) gave up three runs on six hits, and struck out seven and walked one in 6 2/3 innings.

 

WHITE SOX 7, YANKEES 3: Kevin Youkilis hit a grand slam, Paul Konerko homered and Dewayne Wise had four hits as Chicago rallied for the second straight game at home.

 

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