Washington Nationals sweep three-game set from Philadelphia Phillies with 5-1 win

Bryce Harper hit his 33rd home run of the season (a two-run blast) and Ryan Zimmerman hit an RBI single in the first to give the Washington Nationals a 3-0 lead which they added to in the fourth with a solo home run by Zimmerman off Aaron Nola.

A monster shot by Juan Soto off of lefty Austin Davis in the sixth put the visiting team up by four in what ended up a 5-1 win that gave the Nats a three-game sweep of the Philadelphia Phillies in Citizens Bank Park.

Strasburg vs the Phillies: Unbeaten in four turns in the rotation coming off his second DL stint of the season at (1-0) with the Nationals 3-1 in his outings, Stephen Strasburg faced Philadelphia’s Phillies in two of those starts, giving up 12 hits total, four walks, and seven runs in 10 innings pitched, earning a win in the second of his back-to-back appearances against Washington’s NL East rivals last month.

In six innings on the mound in Citizens Bank Park, where he was starting again tonight, the right-hander gave up five hits, three walks, and two earned runs in six innings of work in a 5-3 win for the Nationals back on August 27th.

In the series finale with the Phillies tonight, Strasburg took the mound with a 3-0 lead and tossed four scoreless on 52 pitches, but Philly shortstop J.P. Crawford sent a 3-1 fastball to right in the bottom of the fifth for a solo home run that got the home team on the board in what was a 4-1 game at that point.

Strasburg’s 13-pitch, 1-2-3 sixth left him at 81 pitches (and eight Ks) and he came back out with a 20-pitch seventh in which he worked around a single and picked up his ninth K.

That was it for Strasburg...

Stephen Strasburg’s Line: 7.0 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 9 Ks, 1 HR, 101 P, 64 S, 3/6 GO/FO.

Nola vs the Nats: Philly righty Aaron Nola faced the Nationals in back-to-back starts in late August, holding Washington’s hitters to nine hits, three walks, and two runs (one earned) over 15 innings in which he gave up three walks while striking out 19 and holding the Nats, as a team, to a combined .173/.218/.269 line.

After throwing eight scoreless on the mound in Citizens Bank Park, Nola gave up two runs, one earned, in a seven-inning start in Nationals Park, receiving no decision in what ended up a 5-4 loss for the Phillies.

On the season, the right-hander started the night (3-0) in four starts against the Nationals with a 1.26 ERA and a .180/.241/.250 line against in 28 ²⁄₃ IP.

Back in Philadelphia tonight, Nola fell behind early, giving up a one-out single by Trea Turner and a screaming line drive home run to center Bryce Harper, who crushed a 1-1 change for a two-run shot that made it 2-0 Nationals with one down in the first. Harper’s 33rd.

Anthony Rendon doubled to center, off the wall, in the next at bat, and scored on a two-out RBI single by Ryan Zimmerman to make it 3-0 at the end of an 18-pitch first by Nola.

Nola kept it there through three, but Ryan Zimmerman crushed a 1-2 four-seamer with one down in the fourth, sending a solo shot out to center for his 13th of 2018 and a 4-0 lead.

Nola’s night ended with a scoreless top of the fifth...

Aaron Nola’s Line: 5.0 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 5 Ks, 2 HRs, 74 P, 49 S, 6/1 GO/FO.

HARPER, HARPER, HARPER!!: Bryce Harper started the night 9 for 30 (.300/.333/.500) with two home runs off Aaron Nola in their respective careers, though seven of the nine hits and both of his home runs came in 2015-16. Harper was just 2 for 19 with a walk and 10 Ks in 20 PAs in 2017-18 against Nola before he stepped in for the first time tonight and hit a change out to center field in Citizens Bank Park to put the Nationals up early in the series finale.

Soto ties Ott: Juan Soto hit his 19th home run of the season in the top of the sixth, sending a solo shot into the second deck in right on a 94 mph 1-2 fastball from lefty Austin Davis. It was the 7th home run off left-handers this season for Soto and it tied him with Mel Ott for No. 3 on the list of most home runs by a teenager in MLB history, behind only Bryce Harper (who hit 24 in 2012) and Tony Conigliaro (who hit 24 in 1964).

BULLPEN ACTION: Gabe Kapler started managering in the sixth, getting one out of Yaksiel Rios, who retired Anthony Rendon, before going to the pen again for lefty Austin Davis vs Juan Soto, only to have Soto jack at 94 mph 1-2 fastball, hitting a solo home run into the second deck in right to make it a 5-1 game in the Nationals’ favor. No. 19 of 2018 for Soto. Well played, Gabe.

Davis worked around a two-out double by Adam Eaton for a scoreless top of the seventh.

Koda Glover tossed a scoreless 23-pitch bottom of the eighth to keep it 5-1.

Enyel De Los Santos, who tossed a scoreless eighth, came back out for the top of the ninth and retired the Nationals in order.

Wander Suero got the ninth for the Nationals and retired the Phillies in order to end it.

Ballgame.

Final Score: 5-1 Nationals

Nationals now 74-72