WASHINGTON -- At last, the Washington Nationals lineup is starting to click. In related news, Davey Johnsons squad is closer to first place than it has been in over six weeks. Ryan Zimmerman hit a grand slam, Bryce Harper added three hits and two stolen bases, and the Nationals sent the San Diego Padres to their ninth straight loss, 11-7 on Sunday. Stephen Strasburg (5-6) allowed four runs over six innings. He matched his season-high with nine strikeouts as the Nationals won their fourth straight, the last three over San Diego. The victory moved the Nationals within four games of NL East-leading Atlanta. That is the smallest deficit for the defending division champions since May 20. "Weve played below our potential and now were coming around," Johnson said. "Thats a good feeling." Feeling good isnt in the Padres repertoire right now. "That was a rough one. No doubt about it," San Diego manager Bud Black said. Anthony Rendon hit home run and drove in three runs for the Nationals, who are four games over .500 for the first time since April 12. San Diego lost the final nine times on its 10-game road trip. In the series finale, San Diego outhit Washington 12-11, but finished 1 for 12 with runners in scoring position. Of course, scoring seven runs is often enough to claim victory. During other parts of the skid, the offence only scored seven runs over six games. "Youre finding different ways to lose each time," catcher Nick Hundley said. "Some days, we pitched great and didnt hit. Other days, we swung great and didnt pitch. You try to find a nice combination of both and go from there." Zimmermans slam off Robbie Erlin (1-2) put Washington ahead 5-1 in the third inning. In his first at-bat, the Nationals third baseman struck out on full count fastball. In the third inning, Zimmerman batted after Harper reached on an infield single off the glove of first baseman Jesus Guzman to load the bases. With an approach Johnson described as more aggressive, Zimmerman swung at the first pitch - another fastball - he saw from Erlin and launched it over the right-field wall. "Ive kind of been the same way my whole career. I take a lot of first-pitch strikes," Zimmerman said. "That kind of gives me fastballs right down the middle with the bases loaded to hit." Two batters later, Rendon hit a two-run homer. Rendon and Strasburg had RBI singles during the Nationals four-run fifth inning. Harper, chosen a day earlier for the NL All-Star team, hit an RBI single in the first. "I think everybody has been swinging it well," Harper said. "Its good to puts runs up there on the board for Stras." That certainly hasnt been the case most of the season. In Strasburgs previous four starts, Washington scored four runs total. The rare scoring surge with Strasburg on the mound helped the starter win for the first time in three starts and earn his second victory since May 26. Strasburg, who started the six-run third inning with a walk, lost his way in spots. He hit three batters, walked two and in the fourth yielded a two-run homer to Alexi Amarista. "It was a tough day for Stras out there," Johnson said. "He was battling. I thought he threw good. Sometimes he fights himself ... seems like the last couple of weeks hes been snake bit." The right-hander allowed seven hits, his most since April 7, and never pitched a 1-2-3 inning. But the San Diego native overpowered the Padres when needed. With Washington leading 7-3 in the fifth and two runners on with two outs, Strasburg struck out Kyle Blanks. "I think it was a good series for us, obviously getting the sweep and gaining some ground," Strasburg said. "Keep swinging like that, I think were going in the right direction." Amarista had three hits and drove in three runs, including an RBI groundout in the seventh against reliever Craig Stammen, who allowed three runs in one inning plus three batters. Replacing Stammen in the eighth with two runners on and Washington leading 11-7, Drew Storen recorded three straight outs. Making his fourth big league start, Erlin went four-plus innings, allowing nine runs on six hits and four walks. NOTES: Chase Headley had three hits and an RBI for the Padres. ... Washington placed LHP Ross Detwiler (lower back strain) on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to July 4. The Nationals are expected to activated RHP Dan Haren (shoulder) from the 15-day DL to replace Detwiler in the rotation for Mondays series opener at Philadelphia. ... San Diego placed C Yasmani Grandal (right knee sprain) on the 60-day disabled list and called up C Rene Rivera from Triple-A Tucson. ... San Diego returns home for a three-game series against Colorado. RHP Edinson Volquez (6-6, 5.26) opposes RHP Rockies Tyler Chatwood (4-2, 2.75) on Monday. Dalvin Cook Vikings Jersey . Robredo, ranked No. 16, bounced back from an upset loss to Leonardo Mayer in the second round of the Royal Guard Open in Chile last week to down Carreno Busta in 1 hour, 25 minutes. On a day filled mostly with qualifying matches, fifth-seeded Marcel Granollers of Spain also entered the second with a 7-5, 3-6, 6-2 win over Aljaz Bedene of Slovenia, while Guido Pella of Argentina defeated Guillermo Garcia-Lopez of Spain 7-6 (6), 6-4 to advance. Randy Moss Jersey . The native of Mont-Tremblant, Que., captured a World Cup downhill event Saturday, his second this year and fifth career victory on the circuit. http://www.thevikingsshoponline.com/Youth-Paul-Krause-Vikings-Jersey/ . -- Matt Ryan needed one of the best games of his career to lead the Falcons and their depleted offence out of their three-game losing streak last week. Mike Hughes Youth Jersey . -- Charline Labonte couldnt have asked for a better homecoming. Kirk Cousins Womens Jersey . Michell Burger, a woman who lives on an estate next to Pistorius gated community, said she and her husband were awoken by the screams in the pre-dawn hours of Feb. 14 last year, when Pistorius killed Reeva Steenkamp by shooting four times through a door in his bathroom. SAN ANTONIO -- San Antonio Spurs guard Danny Green refuses to visualize potential eyesight issues as the culprit in a subpar 2015-16 campaign, in which he finished with the second-lowest three-point shooting percentage of his career (33.2).Still, that didnt stop the eighth-year veteran from undergoing LASIK eye surgery shortly after the teams loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference semifinals.My eyesight wasnt that bad to begin with, Green said.Perhaps thats true. But Green knocked down just 30.1 percent from three-point range during the 2015 calendar year; this, after connecting on better than 40 percent from long range over his first four seasons in San Antonio.San Antonio waited and waited throughout the season for Green to shake the slump. Then, it appeared Greens struggles were finally subsiding when in January he nailed 49.1 percent from long range. But after the All-Star break, Green watched his three-point shooting percentage sink to 27.7 percent.Then, surprisingly, Green found his shot again in the playoffs; hitting 24 of his 48 attempts from three-point range.Im not gonna say it was [vision issues], Green said. I got the procedure done, [and] it helps. But that wasnt the reason why I was shooting poorly. Some seasons, you have good ones. Sometimes, you have bad ones. Sometimes, its due to adjusting to chemistry. Sometimes its due to injury. Sometimes, you just dont shoot it well. Sometimes, its mental.For me, its just really building that confidence back up mentally, physically staying healthy, fitting into this system and jelling with these guys as fast as possible so that Im adjusted well, and can pick and choose my spots so I dont shoot as poorly as I did last year.Green cant afford to, considering more than 60 percent of his shots come from 3-point range, and the fact hes struggled throughout his career to create off the dribble. Green hits just 27.4 percent on pull-up attempts, and he compensated for the long-range shootiing woes by attempting fewer shots, which caused his usage rate to dip to a career-low 14.dddddddddddd6 percent.Hes always been able to space the floor with how well he shoots, forward Kyle Anderson said. But it just takes it to another level when hes consistent with that 40 percent [connection rate]. We know hell hit shots. We depend on him, and we know hell knock them down. Hes a proven shooter in this league. So with him on the floor, regardless, we have faith in him to take that next shot.Interestingly, Greens prowess on defense made up last season for what he lacked on the offensive end, according to Spurs coach Gregg Popovich.Greens plus-2.9 defensive rating in ESPNs real plus-minus (RPM) led all shooting guards, as he blocked 2.4 percent of opponents 2-point attempts.I just beat him up, and say, What have you done for us lately? Gregg Popovich joked. Im not sure that [LASIK surgery is] gonna [be] a significant factor in his recovery. Hell be fine. He always plays good defense. So hell make more shots this year. It just happens. Its called sports. Sometimes, hitters dont hit.Other times, players wind up taking hits, which is why Green practiced for the first time on Wednesday after missing the first week of training camp and the clubs exhibition opener at Phoenix due to a thigh bruise.Popovich estimated that Green participated Wednesday in approximately 75 percent of the teams workout, but the expectation is the third-longest tenured Spur outside of Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili will play on Saturday when San Antonio hosts the Atlanta Hawks at the AT&T Center.Its just turning the page, Green said of last season. Its in the past. Its just the life of a shooter. You cant think about the last shot or the last game. You have to think about the next one. The next one could change the whole momentum of any game or any situation. ' ' '