Donovan ripped his eighth long ball of the year, also pushing his hitting streak up to six games to begin the month of July. Four of his eight homers have come in his last 14 outings, but the utility man's batting average has suffered with the surge in power.

Interim manager Miguel Cairo vowed to continue Dave Martinez’s legacy and praised his former boss before the Nationals’ rain-delayed 4-2 loss to the Cardinals.

The struggling Washington Nationals flew into St. Louis with new leadership in both the front office and the dugout.