With the drizzle at first pitch developing into steady rain by the middle innings, Trevor Williams simply tried to throw a bunch of strikes and stay mentally tough.

Williams outpitched Miles Mikolas in soggy conditions, CJ Abrams went 3 for 3 with a homer and the Washington Nationals beat the St. Louis Cardinals 3-0 on Wednesday to end a five-game skid.

With the rain getting heavier in the fifth inning, Abrams sent a 1-0 fastball from Mikolas (4-5) into the visitors’ bullpen in left-center.

Williams (4-4) allowed five hits and threw 75 pitches while working into the seventh inning for the first time this year as he cooled off the Cardinals, who had won four straight and scored eight or more runs in their last three. St. Louis was shut out for the seventh time this season.

Williams departed after Lars Nootbaar’s leadoff single in the seventh. Reliever Mason Thompson walked Nolan Arenado, then got two outs before Kyle Finnegan came on and induced an inning-ending grounder. Finnegan completed the eighth and Hunter Harvey pitched the ninth for his fourth save.

Jeimer Candelario drove in runs for Washington with a double in the sixth and a grounder in the eighth.

This was the final game of the Cardinals’ only visit to Washington this season, and they were scheduled to depart for London on Wednesday night for a weekend series against the rival Chicago Cubs.

UP NEXT

Cardinals: RHP Adam Wainwright (3-1, 5.56 ERA) is set to open the series at London Stadium against Cubs LHP Justin Steele (7-2, 2.71) on Saturday.