Chicago, IL (My Sportsbook) - Livan Hernandez threw eight strong innings and Jamey Carroll drove in a pair of runs to lead the Washington Nationals to a 4-3 victory over the Chicago Cubs in the opener of a three-game series at Wrigley Field. Hernandez tied a franchise record by winning his 11th straight decision.

Jose Guillen homered and Vinny Castilla added an RBI for the Nationals, who have won four straight and nine of their last 11 games. Washington, which just completed a 5-1 homestand with a three-game sweep of the Pirates, continues to maintain a firm lead in National League East.

Hernandez (12-2) was charged with three runs on 10 hits. The righthander, who struck out three and walked two, is tied with Florida's Dontrelle Willis and St. Louis' Chris Carpenter for the most wins in the NL.

Hector Carrasco struck out two while tossing a 1-2-3 ninth for his second save.

Derrek Lee and Todd Hollandsworth homered for the Cubs, who have lost two straight on the heels of a four-game winning streak.

Cubs starter Mark Prior struck out Brad Wilkerson and Junior Spivey to begin the game, but Guillen homered over the center field wall to give Washington a 1-0 lead in the top of the first.

Prior retired the first two hitters to begin the visitor's second, but Brian Schneider doubled and Carroll followed with an RBI single to give the Nationals a 2-0 advantage.

Carroll drove in another run in the fourth to stretch Washington's lead to 3-0. Prior again had two outs in the inning after retiring Schneider on an infield pop up with runners at first and third. Carroll, however, delivered his second two-out RBI to score Marlon Byrd.

Prior (5-2), making his second start since coming off the disabled list, headed to the showers after five innings. The righthander was charged with three runs on six hits. He struck out seven without walking a batter.

Hernandez threw five scoreless frames before surrendering a pair of homers in the sixth. Lee belted his 24th of the season leading off the bottom of the sixth and Hollandsworth lined a pitch from Hernandez just inside the foul pole in right with two outs in the frame to cut the Cubs' deficit to 3-2.

Washington responded with yet another run with two outs in the top of the seventh. Castilla singled into left field off Cubs reliever Roberto Novoa to bring Wilkerson to the plate for a 4-2 advantage. The run was charged to reliever Glendon Rusch, who surrendered a double to Wilkerson.

In the home eighth, the Cubs appeared to have tied the game on a homer by Jeromy Burnitz. Lee began the inning with a fly ball to right field and ended up at third as Guillen lost sight of the ball and failed to make the catch. Burnitz followed with a drive to right that left the ballpark. After Nationals manager Frank Robinson argued, the call was reversed and the ball was ruled foul. Burnitz, though, slapped the next pitch down the left field line to bring Lee to the plate to make it a one-run game.

Burnitz, representing the tying run, was on third with one out, but was picked off on a great throw by Schneider from behind the plate.

"That was a big mistake in a big situation," Burnitz said. "I wish I could take it back. I can't. I got off too far trying to maybe read a chopper or a wild pitch."