Max Scherzer went the distance, scored a run and drove in another as the Washington Nationals defeated the visiting Chicago Cubs 10-3 in the first game of a doubleheader Saturday at Nationals Park.

The doubleheader was played because Friday night's game was washed out following two long rain delays.

Scherzer (17-6) had thrown seven shutout innings in Chicago on Aug. 12 but came away with a no-decision when the Cubs rallied for a win that night.

This time, he allowed nine hits in his nine innings, striking out 11 without a walk. Four of the hits came in the ninth when Chicago scored twice.

Jaime Garcia (3-7) did not last long in his Cubs debut -- one-third of an inning. He was signed by Chicago on Aug. 31 after Toronto released him, and the Cubs added him to the major league roster on Tuesday. However, Garcia did not pitch well in this start.

He walked the bases loaded and got just one out in the first -- after a rain delay of 2 hours, 10 minutes at the start -- and also allowed three stolen bases. Then Juan Soto singled to right on a grounder that just eluded first baseman Anthony Rizzo, bringing in two runs.

Cubs manager Joe Maddon quickly pulled Garcia. The left-hander lasted just five batters overall. He gave up three runs, the third when Matt Wieters later blooped a single that drove in another run off former Nationals right-hander Brandon Kintzler for a 3-0 lead.

Washington added to the rout with a five-run sixth inning.

Trea Turner walked with the bases loaded against Randy Rosario. James Norwood then came on, and Anthony Rendon reached on a pop single that Rizzo couldn't come up with. That made it 5-0 before Norwood let in another run on a wild pitch.

Washington added two more runs in the inning, one on a throwing error, the other on a fielder's choice, for an 8-0 lead. Willson Contreras made it 8-1 with an RBI single in the seventh.

The Nationals scored twice more in the eighth, one of which came on Scherzer's RBI single in the rain.

--Field Level Media