SAN FRANCISCO -- With his team chasing the Chicago Cubs for the best record in baseball, Washington manager Dusty Baker is willing to do whatever it takes to keep the Nationals close -- even if it means pulling closer Jonathan Papelbon in the ninth inning.While it might not be the move he cherishes, its one Baker may make even more down the stretch as Papelbon struggles through one of his roughest stretches of the season.Ryan Zimmerman had two hits and scored a run, Trea Turner added two hits and an RBI and the Nationals beat the San Francisco Giants 4-2 on Thursday night in the opener of a key four-game series between division leaders.Papelbon went into the game with 19 saves and retired one batter in the ninth before getting pulled in favor of Shawn Kelley after giving up a single and walk.Im sure he felt badly but I had to do what I had to do to win the ballgame, Baker said of his closer. Im sure that Pap didnt like it but Im sure that he understands.Papelbon has struggled over the past week. He took the loss Sunday against San Diego and again on Tuesday in Cleveland before being unable to close out the win in San Francisco.The object is to win the game, Papelbon said. Do what you can do to win the game.Bryce Harper doubled in a run while Anthony Rendon had two hits to help the Nationals beat All-Star game starter Johnny Cueto (13-3) in Bakers return to AT&T Park. Baker won 840 games as the Giants manager from 1993-2002.San Francisco scored a run in the ninth to pull within 4-2 before Kelley struck out Angel Pagan with the bases loaded to end it and get his fifth save.I was just told to be ready, Kelley said. I had plenty of time to get loose. Basically was just sitting down there waiting to see Dusty poke his head out. When he did I knew it was my turn.The two teams went into the game with identical 59-42 records before Washington won to join the Chicago Cubs (61-40) as the only teams in the majors with at least 60 wins.Nationals starter Tanner Roark (10-6) allowed one run over seven innings, striking out three and walking three. He also singled in a run as part of a three-run second inning.Sammy Solis pitched the eighth while Papelbon, Oliver Perez and Kelley combined to retire the final three batters.Washington jumped on Cueto early with four consecutive two-out singles and a walk in the second inning. Danny Espinosa, Roark and Turner each had an RBI in the inning.Cueto lasted only five innings, matching his shortest outing of the season. The right-hander allowed eight hits and three runs with three strikeouts and two walks.The Giants went into the day hitting .157 with runners in scoring position since the break and squandered a big opportunity in the fourth after Brandon Crawfords one-out triple. Brandon Belt struck out looking and Crawford was caught trying to advance when a pitch from Roark bounced in front of the plate.Man we couldve used a big hit there to really pick this club up when youre in a streak like this, but they got out of it, Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. We just couldnt quite finish it there in the ninth. It wouldve done a lot for the club.Harpers RBI double in the sixth drove in Turner and made it 4-1.WERTHS STREAK REACHES 31Jayson Werth singled in the fifth to extend his on-base streak to a career-high 31 games, the longest active streak in the majors.TRAINERS ROOMGiants: 2B Joe Panik was activated from the disabled list. Panik missed 23 games with concussion. ... OF Hunter Pence (hamstring) could come off the disabled list this weekend. ... LHP Josh Osich was placed on the 15-day DL with a forearm strain. .... LHP Matt Reynolds was called up from Sacramento. ... INF Grant Green was designated for assignment.UP NEXTNationals: RHP Max Scherzer (10-6) faces San Francisco for just the second time since taking a no-decision against the Giants in Game 4 of the 2012 World Series when he was with the Detroit Tigers.Giants: RHP Jeff Samardzija (9-6) makes his fifth career start against Washington. Samardzija is attempting to become the third San Francisco pitcher to reach double digits in wins this season. Patrick Willis Jersey . Ashley Youngs cross was inadvertently headed by Chester into his own net in the 66th minute, allowing United to claim a third straight league win. "We had to dig deep with our fighting spirit and weve done that," United striker Wayne Rooney said. Tai Streets Jersey . For the Wild it was their first win of the season and they now have a record of 1-1-2 while the Jets fall to 2-2. Jets start a six game home stand Friday with another divisional game, home to the Dallas Stars. http://www.custompatriotsjersey.com/custom-ronnie-lott-jersey-large-1601f.html . Peter Gammons, an analyst for Major League Baseballs network and website, drew the ire of hockey fans on Sunday when he criticized the two NHL teams on Twitter for their physical game the night before. John David Crow Jersey .1 million pounds ($61.2 million) on Saturday, giving the beleaguered English Premier League champions a major lift. Bruce Armstrong Jersey .C. -- Manny Malhotra had two goals and an assist, leading the Carolina Hurricanes to a 6-3 win over the Ottawa Senators on Saturday. FORT WORTH, Texas -- TCU coach Gary Patterson almost apologized for some of the comments he made about officials when upset after the Horned Frogs loss to Oklahoma.Patterson said Tuesday at the end of his weekly news conference that he is passionate in his job, and could count about six times in 19 seasons saying something in postgame that he later regretted.After a 52-46 loss at home Saturday night, Patterson was admittedly upset with the officiating , especially an intentional grounding call against quarterback Kenny Hill on TCUs final drive. The coach then also talked about a lack of a holding penalty, and even took a swipe at Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield.In this day and age when nobody ever says its their fault, nobody tells the truth, nobody does anything, I dont really want to be a part of that group, Patterson said Tuesday. So one of the things Id have to say, when it came to the officials, Baker, any of them, the bottom line to it is, is that you have to be bigger than all of it.The Frogs went into the fourth quarter down by 25, but scored 22 consecutive points before an Oklahoma field goal, and then had the ball one last time in the closing minutes.Hill threw the ball while being sacked for an 8-yard loss on first down, and officials initially announced tthat he had gotten out of the tackle box and that there was no penalty.dddddddddddd After Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops appeared to lobby officials otherwise, the penalty, which included a loss of down, was enforced.This game moves really fast. Its hard to be an officiating crew anymore, Ill just be honest with you, Patterson said. Theyre going to make their mistakes. So are we.Patterson also spoke about his high respect for Stoops and the Sooners program, and said he doesnt want anything to change from the respect of the great games they have played against each other. In five matchups as Big 12 opponents, Oklahoma has won four times by a total margin of 17 points, and TCU has a four-point victory.My passion is, you go down and you come back from 20-something points, you about get to the end of it, and you have some suspect things that go on, Patterson said. But the bottom line to it is Ive had some of those things go my way. So you stay in this profession long enough, youre going to have some things that are going to be good for you and some things that arent, and so from a football coach, thats probably as close to an apology as youll ever get. ' ' '