Padres 6, Nationals 1: Will Venable tied a career high with four hits as visiting San Diego handed Stephen Strasburg his shortest outing of the season and salvaged a split in its abbreviated two-game series with Washington.

John Baker had three hits and drove in as many runs and Anthony Bass (2-4) tossed eight sizzling innings for the Padres, who improved to 4-10 on the road this season.

Rookie Bryce Harper deposited Bass' lone mistake over the wall in center field for his second homer in as many days. Ian Desmond had a pair of hits for the Nationals, who fell to 13-5 at home this season.

Strasburg (3-1), who grew up in San Diego and attended San Diego State, labored through a 39-pitch first inning before before departing after four frames. He allowed four runs on seven hits.

Venable started Strasburg's problems with a double and came around to score on Yonder Alonso's RBI single. Baker capped the first-inning uprising by plating Alonso and Chase Headley with a single to shallow center.

James Darnell extended San Diego's lead to 4-0 with a solo homer in the fourth inning. The blast was Darnell's first this season.

The offense was more than enough for Bass, who rebounded from sub-par efforts in his last two trips to the mound. Bass scattered five hits and struck out seven.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Venable, who has hit safely in 23 of his 25 starts this season, fell a homer shy of the cycle. No member of the Padres has ever hit for the cycle in franchise history. ... The contest was delayed eight minutes by rain during the first inning. ... San Diego outfielder Jeremy Hermida had surgery to repair a sports hernia. Hermida, who has been on the disabled list since April 27, is expected to miss another four to six weeks.