Kyle Schwarber doubled home a run in his delayed Nationals debut, Andrew Stevenson had a pinch-hit homer and Washington beat the St. Louis Cardinals 5-2 Monday night.

Schwarber, Josh Bell and Josh Harrison were in the starting lineup after being sidelined for Washington's first six games by a coronavirus outbreak that prompted the postponement of the team's season-opening series and left the club short-handed. The Nats ended a five-game skid, while the Cardinals lost their third straight.

Stevenson hit his first homer of the season into St. Louis' bullpen in right field leading off the seventh inning, putting Washington ahead 4-2. The solo shot was just his fourth homer in 221 career at-bats.

Kyle Finnegan (1-0) pitched 1 1/3 innings, giving up a run on one hit. He struck out two.

Schwarber, acquired in the offseason after the Chicago Cubs declined to offer him a contract, hit a 1-0 pitch from starter John Gant into right-center to drive in Juan Soto, who singled to start the sixth.

The Nationals added a run on the next pitch from reliever Giovanny Gallegos when Starlin Castro hit a sacrifice fly to foul territory in right, driving in Bell.

Gant (0-1) went five innings and gave up three runs. He allowed six hits, struck out four and walked three.

Washington had a chance to break the game open when the first four batters reached to start the eighth against reliever Andrew Miller, including Castro singling home Bell. Ryan Helsley struck out Yan Gomes, and pinch-hitter Ryan Zimmerman flied out to center fielder Dylan Carlson, who threw out Schwarber at home to end the inning.

Yadier Molina hit his second homer of the season in the sixth to pull the Cardinals to 3-2.

Matt Carpenter ended an 0-for-12 start to the season with a bunt single in the third and scored on Tommy Edman's hit, tying the game at 1. Carpenter has struggled at the plate since spring training, with just two hits in 37 at-bats, including 13 strikeouts.

Victor Robles led off the game with his second triple of the season and scored on Soto's one-out single to give the Nationals a 1-0 lead.

Jack Flaherty (1-0, 5.23 ERA) gets his third start of the season and is coming off a strong outing at Miami, where he gave up one hit and struck out six in six shutout innings. Stephen Strasburg (0-0, 0.00 ERA) starts Tuesday. He gave up one hit while striking out eight over six scoreless innings in a 2-0 loss during the second game of a doubleheader last Wednesday against Atlanta.