Washington Nationals drop 2 of 3 in CBP with 7-5 loss to Philadelphia Phillies...

Tanner Roark and the Washington Nationals fell behind 3-0 early in tonight’s series finale in Citizens Bank Park, but rallied to take a 5-3 lead with runs in the third and fourth, and a three-run top of the fifth. In the bottom of the fifth inning, however, Roark gave three more before he was lifted from what ended up a 7-5 win for the Philadelphia Phillies.

Roark tied a season (and career) high with five walks total on the night and threw 105 pitches in just 4 ²⁄₃ IP.

Daniel Murphy doubled to drive in a run in the top of the third inning, Michael A. Taylor homered to left in the Nationals’ fourth, and Anthony Rendon (RBI single) and Jayson Werth (two-run double) put the Nats up in the fifth before the Phillies rallied to retake the lead.

Nationals now 95-63

HERE’S HOW IT HAPPENED:

• Tanner Roark worked around a leadoff walk in the first, but he gave up a second free pass to the first batter in the second, Rhys Hoskins, and back-to-back singles Aaron Altherr and Obubel Herrera and a two-run double by Jorge Alfaro followed as the Phillies jumped out to a 2-0 lead.

Roark’s third walk of the game loaded the bases back up with no outs in the second, and a third run scored on a 4-6-3 DP off Philly starter Mark Leiter’s bat, 3-0.

• Daniel Murphy lined his 43rd double of the season to center on a two-out, 0-2 fastball up in the zone from Leiter, driving in the Nationals’ first run of the game to make it 3-1 in the third.

• Roark got a strike-em out, throw’em out double play to end a 16-pitch third after a leadoff single by Freddy Galvis and a HBP on Rhys Hoskins that drew warnings for both teams after Trea Turner took a fastball off the elbow in the top of the third.

• Michael A. Taylor made it a one-run game in the top of the fourth, taking a 1-1 cutter from Leiter for a ride to left field for a towering solo shot, 3-2 in the Phillies’ favor. No. 18 for Taylor.

• Trea Turner and Bryce Harper hit back-to-back singles to start the Nationals’ half of the fifth, and pulled a double steal with Daniel Murphy at the plate.

Murphy walked to load’em up in front of Ryan Zimmerman with no one out, but Zim went down swinging at a 2-2 cutter out of the zone, low. Anthony Rendon stepped in next, however, and worked the count full before shooting an RBI single through the right side to tie it, 3-3. Jayson Werth followed with a two-run double to left off new pitcher Yacksel Rios, lining a 1-1 fastball off the wall to put the Nationals ahead, 5-3.

• Mark Leiter’s Line: 4.1 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 3 BB, 5 Ks, 1 HR, 98 P, 56 S, 3/2 GO/FO.

• Roark issued his third leadoff walk in five innings to Cesar Hernandez in the Philly half of the fifth, and gave up his fifth walk of the game to Rhys Hoskins with two out and a two-run triple to right by Aaron Altherr tied things up at 5-5. Odubel Herrera lined an RBI double through the right side in the next at bat to put the Phillies back on top, 6-5.

• Sammy Solis came on with a runner on second and two out and struck Jorge Alfaro out to end the fifth.

• Tanner Roark’s Line: 4.2 IP, 7 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 5 BB, 3 Ks, 104 P, 56 S, 5/2 GO/FO.

• Bryce Harper got a fourth at bat after Trea Turner walked to start the sixth. Phillies’ skipper Pete MacKanin went to the pen for left-hander Hoby Milner, who got Harper swinging with a 2-2 curve.

Turner got caught trying to steal second in the next at bat, and after Daniel Murphy walked, Victor Arano came on and struck Ryan Zimmerman out to end the sixth.

• Michael A. Taylor singled with two down and stole his 17th base of the season, but h was stranded as Arano completed a scoreless top of the seventh.

• Brandon Kintzler took over for Solis after a leadoff walk in the Phillies’ seventh, and retired three straight batters to end the frame.

• Luis Garcia gave up a single by Trea Turner in the top of the eighth and walked Daniel Murphy with two down before striking Ryan Zimmerman out (0 for 5, 3 Ks, 7 LOB) to end the top of the inning.

• Enny Romero gave up leadoff and one-out singles in the Phillies’ eighth and threw a wild one that put both runners in scoring position. Cesar Hernandez hit a grounder to second in the next at bat, and Daniel Murphy threw home for what looked like an out until the ball popped free as Pedro Severino tagged Ty Kelly, 7-5.

• Hector Neris got the ninth and retired the Nats in order. Ballgame. Final Score: 7-5 Phillies.

NATIONALS PREGAME NOTES:

• Washington’s loss last night left them 115-125 in the all-time series with the Philadelphia Phillies, though the Nationals are 80-54 against their NL East rivals since 2011.
• A win tonight would give the Phillies two series wins over the Nationals in Citizens Bank Park this season, for the first time since 2014.
• The Phillies have lost 23 of their last 31 games against the Nationals and have been outscored 139-114 over the 31-game stretch.
• Washington’s 50-30 road record this season is the NL’s best and the best road record in Expos/Nationals franchise history.
• The 2017 Washington Nationals earned the seventh postseason berth in 84 seasons of MLB in the nation’s capital joining the 1924, 1925, 1933, 2012, 2014, and 2016 Senators and Nationals.
• Washington’s offense leads the NL in SLG (.448) and the Nationals started the night ranked second in the NL in AVG (.265), runs scored (794), and OPS (.778), and third in extra-base hits (540).
• In today’s Phillies-themed “Fun With Arbitrary End Points Segment”: Over the last 29 games, Philadelphia’s bullpen has posted a 2.63 ERA, good for 4th in the majors behind only the Indians (2.33), Nationals (2.31), and Red Sox (2.14).

Nationals now 95-63