Paul DeJong homered for the second straight day after ending a minor league demotion, Andre Pallante pitched into the ninth inning and the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Washington Nationals 5-0 Sunday.

Corey Dickerson also homered for the Cardinals, who broke the game open in the fourth inning against starter Josiah Gray (7-7).

Washington star Juan Soto was 0 for 3 with a walk. Soto is one of several Nationals who could be dealt before Tuesday's trade deadline. Washington has the worst record in the majors at 35-68 and went 6-19 in July.

An All-Star in 2019, DeJong was demoted to Triple-A Memphis in May after hitting .130 with one home run in 24 games. He seemed to rediscover his power stroke with the Redbirds, slugging 17 homers in 51 games, including one in each of his final three games.

DeJong homered in his return Saturday, then connected again in the sixth inning Sunday against Jordan Weems.

Pallante (4-4) allowed five hits in eight-plus innings and earned his first road victory for St. Louis, which ends July a game behind Philadelphia for the NL's third wild card. The Cardinals went 4-4 on their three-city, eight-game trip coming out of the All-Star break.

Pallante struck out a career-high eight and walked one. The Nationals didn't get a runner to third base until chasing Pallante with a single and a double to begin the ninth. Ryan Helsley then retired the next three hitters to end it.

Gray issued two four-pitch walks with one out in the fourth inning before retiring DeJong. Dickerson then poked a curveball down the right-field line for his fourth homer of the season.

Gray allowed four runs on five hits in five innings while striking out six.

Dickerson doubled, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on Dylan Carlson's groundout in the third to account for the Cardinals' first run.

Adam Wainwright (7-8, 3.28 ERA) starts the opener of a three-game series at home Tuesday against the Chicago Cubs.