"I'm just trying to finish strong. I felt pretty good today," Nolasco said. "This type of offense will put runs up against you quick. I was just trying to pitch smart, trying to pitch to a good location and make them put the ball in play."
Nolasco (12-12), who won his third straight and notched his fourth career shutout, also shut out the Nationals 9-0 on Aug. 28 against Stephen Strasburg. The righthander struck out six and walked one, stifling a team that had scored 43 runs in its five previous games.
"He can get nasty when he starts throwing that changeup and that curveball and hitting the corners with his fastball," Nationals manager Davey Johnson said.
Nolasco didn't allow a hit until Michael Morse's one-out single in the fifth.
In other games: *
At New York, Brian McCann homered and drove in the go-ahead run in extra innings to give the Atlanta Braves a 3-2 win over the Mets.
* At Cincinnati, Matt Dominguez hit a three-run homer, Tyler Greene added a solo shot and the Houston Astros slowed the Reds' run to the NL Central title with a 5-1 win. Johnny Cueto (17-8) lost a second consecutive start for the first time since July 3.
* At Pittsburgh, Alfonso Soriano hit a two-run homer in the eighth inning to give the Cubs the go-ahead runs and Chicago completed a three-game sweep of the Pirates with a 4-2 win.
* At St. Louis, Allen Craig hit an RBI single with two outs in the 10th inning and the Cardinals beat the Milwaukee Brewers, 5-4, to avoid a three-game sweep.
* At San Diego, Chase Headley hit a grand slam to extend his career-bests to 27 homers and an NL-high 102 RBI, and Carlos Quentin followed with a homer for the Padres' first back-to-back shots this season in an 8-2 win over the Arizona D-backs.
* At San Francisco, Hunter Pence started the game with a two-run double off emergency Dodgers starter Joe Blanton (9-13) and the Giants rolled to a 4-0 victory. Los Angeles' scheduled starter Clayton Kershaw was scratched due to a strained hip flexor.
