TORONTO – Vernon Wells homered and drove in a season-high four runs, Shaun Marcum struck out a career-high 11 over seven innings and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Washington Nationals 7-3 on Saturday.

Wells singled home a run in the first, hit a two-run homer in the third and drove in a run with a bases-loaded walk in the fourth.

Wells, who signed a seven-year, $126-million contract extension in the offseason, homered for the first time since May 20 at Philadelphia, a span of 88 at-bats. It was his sixth home run of the season.

Frank Thomas hit a two-run single in the third and Troy Glaus was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the fourth as Toronto won its third straight, matching a season-high set four times previously.

Marcum (4-2) improved to 3-0 with a 2.38 ERA in seven starts since joining Toronto’s rotation on May 13. The 25-year-old right-hander struck out the side in the first and fourth innings, walked three and gave up two runs and three hits, including two home runs.

Dmitri Young led off the second with his seventh homer and Ryan Zimmerman hit his 11th in the fourth, a solo shot to left.

Zimmerman added an RBI-single in the eighth off reliever Casey Janssen, who recorded the final five outs.

Making his sixth start, Washington right-hander Levale Speigner (2-3) allowed seven runs and 10 hits in 3 1-3 innings. He walked two and struck out one. Speigner raised his ERA to 8.76.

The loss denied Washington the chance to extend its run of four straight series victories on the road.

Nationals second baseman Felipe Lopez, a former Blue Jay, struck out four times in four at-bats.

Notes: Washington batters have hit 24 home runs in the team’s past 24 games. … Toronto has won six straight over Washington dating back to 2005. … Playing for Triple-A Columbus, Washington minor league OF Brandon Watson doubled in the fourth inning Saturday, extending his hitting streak to 42 games and matching the International League record set by Jack Lelivelt of the Rochester Hustlers in 1912.

AP-ES-06-16-07 1542EDT