St. Louis, MO (Sports Network) - Kyle Lohse was masterful on the mound and Rick Ankiel drove in two runs, as the St. Louis Cardinals completed a three-game sweep of the Washington Nationals with a 3-0 win at Busch Stadium.

A spring-training signee, Lohse (1-0) limited the Nats to four hits over seven innings and has yet to allow a run in 12 innings so far this season for St. Louis, which has won five consecutive games since a season-opening loss to Colorado on Tuesday. Jason Isringhausen pitched a scoreless ninth to pick up his third save of the season.

Ankiel homered and doubled, while Ryan Ludwick added a triple for the Cardinals.

John Lannan (0-1) tossed 6 2/3 solid innings for Washington, which has now dropped four straight following the franchise's first 3-0 start since 2003, when it was based in Montreal. Lannan, who was recalled from Triple-A Columbus on Saturday to take the place of injured closer Chad Cordero, allowed two runs on seven hits, with four strikeouts and three walks.

Ryan Zimmerman finished 2-for-4 at the plate for the Nationals.

Brian Barton led off the first with a walk and scored when Ankiel doubled off the base of the wall in center, but Lannan settled down, retiring the next eight batters he faced before Ankiel belted a home run in the third.

Prior to the homer, Washington failed to cash in with a runner on third and one out in the second. After Nick Johnson grounded out, Austin Kearns smacked a single to left, stole second and advanced to third on Yadier Molina's throwing error, but Lohse retired Paul Lo Duca and Felipe Lopez to end the threat.

Lannan avoided further damage in the sixth. With runners on first and third, Molina hit a soft liner to Zimmerman for out number one. Johnson then gobbled up Adam Kennedy's grounder and relayed to Lo Duca, who tagged out Troy Glaus at home plate. Lohse failed to help his cause, grounding out to Johnson to close the frame.

Molina provided an insurance run with a sacrifice fly in the eighth.