WASHINGTON -- The Washington Nationals know they have plenty of work to do to get back into the NL playoff race. Adam LaRoche hit a two-run home run in the sixth inning to lift Washington to its fourth consecutive victory with a 4-2 win over the Giants. Nationals starter Gio Gonzalez threw four shutout innings. San Francisco lefty Madison Bumgarner allowed just one run on an infield ground out in his four innings before the rain hit. "Four wins in a row, thats pretty good," said Gonzalez, who pitched despite a sore back and said the injury will not affect his next start. LaRoche sent a 1-0 fastball from Giants reliever Guillermo Moscoso (1-1) off the facing of the second deck above the Nationals bullpen in right field. That came after a leadoff single by Ian Desmond and broke a 1-1 tie. Tanner Roark (2-0) earned the win with two innings of relief after the delay. Rafael Soriano got his 30th save of the season. "Good little streak were on," LaRoche said. "Better late than never. But were still in a hole pretty good so weve got a lot of work to do." Thats because the winning streak has done little for Washington (58-60) in its pursuit of an NL wild-card berth. It remains 8 1/2 games out of the final playoff spot with just 44 games remaining after the Cincinnati Reds beat the Chicago Cubs 6-4 in 11 innings on Tuesday. The Giants are struggling after winning their second World Series in three years last season. They are 7-15 over their past 22 games and at 52-66 in last place in the NL West. "Same thing weve been talking about," San Francisco manager Bruce Bochy said. "We get our hits. We get them out there. We just cant get them in. Again, it came back to get us." Even with the winning streak, frustrations have mounted for the Nationals in recent days. Earlier in the 11-game homestand, outfielder Bryce Harper and manager Davey Johnson argued in the dugout late in an Aug. 7 loss to Atlanta. In the first inning on Tuesday, Gonzalez was late covering first base on a fielders choice ground out. After the inning, television cameras caught Washington outfielder Jayson Werth and Gonzalez in a verbal altercation in the dugout. Gonzalez had to be screened by pitching coach Steve McCatty as Werth walked away. "It stays between me and Werth," Gonzalez said. Werth refused comment after the game. "Just a little camaraderie going on," Johnson said. "Jayson sometimes can get a little vocal. He thought Gio was a little late covering first." The Giants had evened the score after the rain delay ended because of a Desmond error at shortstop with runners at first and third in the fifth. Joaquin Arias scored that run. San Francisco had scratched second baseman Marco Scutaro (stiff back), who was originally in the lineup. Arias replaced him and had three singles and a double for a career-high four hits and scored twice. Desmond began the fourth with a double to right-centre field. LaRoche followed with a single to right. Then Wilson Ramos hit a ball off Bumgarners right knee. It deflected to third baseman Pablo Sandoval, who threw out Ramos as Desmond scored to put the Nationals up 1-0. Gonzalez remained in the game despite the sore back, and kept San Francisco off the board. The Giants had runners at first and second in the fourth before Gonzalez struck out Brandon Crawford looking to end the threat. That was the end of his night at 69 pitches. Thunderstorms moved in and halted the game at 8:28 p.m. Kurt Suzuki added a run for Washington with a sacrifice fly in the eighth. NOTES: Harper didnt start the game because he had the flu, according to Johnson, but made a pinch-hitting appearance in the eighth inning. . San Francisco CF Angel Pagan, on the DL since May 28 following surgery on his left hamstring, could start a rehab assignment at the end of this week, Bochy said. ... Nationals RHP Ross Ohlendorf, on the DL with a right arm injury, was expected to throw a bullpen session Tuesday and will make a rehab start on Aug. 15 or 16, according to Johnson. ... Washington LHP Ross Detwiler, on the DL since July 4 with a herniated disc in his back, wont resume baseball activities for at least another week, but is expected to return this season, Nationals GM Mike Rizzo said. ... San Francisco starts RHP Tim Lincecum (6-11, 4.18) on Wednesday in the second of a three-game series. He faces Washington RHP Jordan Zimmermann (13-6, 3.06). Nike React On Sale . -- Nate Robinson has played for seven teams, so beating one of them is no longer a rare occurrence. Nike React Shoes Online . Zvonareva, who won the tournament in 2009 and 10, couldnt handle her opponents big groundstrokes in only her third event back after 17 months out with a shoulder injury. 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BOSTON -- Rick Porcello continued to dominate at Fenway Park, and fans had to settle for a Red Sox victory without an appearance by Alex Rodriguez.Porcello pitched eight solid innings, Matt Barnes cleaned up a mess created by closer Craig Kimbrel and Boston held on to beat the New York Yankees 5-3 on Tuesday night.Kimbrel walked in a run with the bases loaded in the ninth before handing off to Barnes, who struck out Mark Teixeira for his first save. Boston returned home after going 5-6 on a West Coast trip.It was a big win for us. It came off a long, tough road trip, Porcello said. So we started the homestand off the right way and its a good way to start the series.After falling behind early, the Red Sox scored three runs in the fifth to lead 5-2. Boston has won 10 of the last 14 meetings between the rivals. Dustin Pedroia had three RBI.Porcello (15-3) allowed two runs and struck out six. He improved to 11-0 in 12 starts at home this season.Luis Severino (1-7) allowed five runs and seven hits over 4 1/3 innings. It was his first start since being demoted to the minors in May.Rodriguez did not play after announcing that this weeks four games would be his last with the Yankees. Manager Joe Girardi said the plan is for Rodriguez to start the final game of the series on Thursday night. A-Rod will play his final game in pinstripes Friday night at home against Tampa Bay.With the Red Sox leading in the ninth, a We want A-Rod! chant briefly broke out among sellout crowd.Rodriguez made his major league debut for Seattle at Fenway in 1994.Things got tense for a moment in the seventh after Chase Headley was thrown out trying to stretch his double off the Green Monster into a triple. Benches cleared after Headley had words with Porcello, and the two briefly came face-to-face. Umpires quickly stepped in and were able to calm things.Porcello declined to say what the specific issue was about.It was one of those moments where I felt like I needed to say something and I did, he said. So its between me and him. He knows what I said, and Ill leave it at that.Headley also was mum about the incident.He said what he had to say and I responded, Headley said. Im competing, too, so I actually kind of enjoyed it, to be honest. We havent had one of those dustups with the Red Sox in a while. It got me going a little bit.The Red Sox played catch up until putting thinngs together in the fifth.ddddddddddddAndrew Benintendi nearly had his first career homer after hitting a shot next to the yellow line that separates the Green Monster and the wall in center. The umpires conferred briefly before signaling a home run. Benintendi rounded the bases and had a few minutes in the dugout before the call was overturned on a review and ruled a double.It still drove in Sandy Leon, who led off with a triple to the corner in right, and put Boston up 3-2.Benintendi scored on a double by Pedroia, and the second baseman came around to put Boston up 5-2 when David Ortiz hit a line drive off the Green Monster.BOBBLEHEAD CANCELEDThe Red Sox canceled an Ortiz bobblehead promotion when the figurine turned out to be racially insensitive, said team president Sam Kennedy. The bobblehead depicts Ortiz addressing fans at Fenway Park following the Boston Marathon bombings, but Kennedy says it didnt much resemble the retiring slugger and was not fit for distribution. The rejected bobblehead was made by BDA, Inc., and the company will also produce the replacements.We value our decades-long relationship with the Red Sox organization and its decision to postpone Tuesdays David Ortiz bobblehead giveaway, BDA said in a statement. Were currently working closely with the Red Sox to ensure the team and its fans receive a quality product.TRAINERS ROOMYankees: New York claimed LHP Tommy Layne off waivers and placed him on the active roster Tuesday, one week after the Red Sox designated him for assignment. Layne made his Yankees debut when he came out of the bullpen in the fifth and replaced Severino.Red Sox: Manager John Farrell said after the game that LF/C Blake Swihart will have surgery sometime in the coming days on his injured left ankle sprain. He is likely done for the season.UP NEXTYankees: RHP Nathan Eovaldi (9-8, 4.80) leads the club in wins despite losing his last two starts, allowing a pair of home runs in each.Red Sox: LHP Drew Pomeranz (0-2, 6.20 in AL) is still looking for his first win since coming to Boston in a trade with San Diego on July 14. Pomeranz was 8-7 with the Padres and made the NL All-Star team with an ERA of 2.47.---Follow Kyle Hightower on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/khightower ' ' '