Washington Nationals drop third straight, 8-6 Philadelphia Phillies in series opener in CBP...

Erick Fedde gave up two runs early, on solo home runs by Rhys Hoskins and Jay Bruce, but it was a four-run fourth that hurt the starter and the Washington Nationals in the first game of four with the Philadelphia Phillies in Citizens Bank Park. The home team ended up taking the series opener by a final score of 8-6.

Trea Turner had another multi-hit game, extending his hit and on-base streaks to 16 games and 22 games, respectively, but another big offensive night for Turner wasn’t enough...

Fedde vs the Phillies: Erick Fedde made three solid appearances out of the bullpen to start the month (1.74 ERA, .216/.326/.243 line against in 10 ¹⁄₃ IP), filling in for injured starters early in games twice. He faced the Phillies in his first start back in the rotation last week, giving up seven hits and four runs over five innings in what ended up an 8-3 loss in D.C.

“He pitched well, he fell behind a couple times, worked his way out of some jams with the double plays,” manager Davey Martinez said after that outing.

“When he’s throwing ground balls, that’s when I know he’s pitching really well,” the manager added. Fedde got eight ground ball outs and two double plays in that outing.

Tonight, he was going up against the Phillies again, this time in Citizens Bank Park, and he fell behind early when Rhys Hoskins hit a 2-0 fastball out to the left field corner for a one-out home run that made it 1-0 in the bottom of the first.

Jay Bruce hit a 3-1 fastball out to right in the bottom of the second, connecting for the second solo shot off the Nationals’ starter, 2-0.

Fedde walked Bryce Harper and hit J.T. Realmuto to put two on with no one out in the fourth inning, and started behind 2-0 on Didi Gregorius in the next at bat, and gave up an infield hit, then Jean Segura lined a 1-2 sinker to left-center for a base-clearing double that put the Phillies up 5-0, and 6-0 on a sac fly by Alec Bohm after Segura moved to third on a ground ball by Jay Bruce.

Fedde held the Phillies there, and was up to nine in a row set down after he retired the Phils in order in the bottom of the sixth, and the 10-pitch inning left him at 85 pitches overall.

That was it for Fedde...

Erick Fedde’s Line: 6.0 IP, 4 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 1 BB, 4 Ks, 2 HRs, 85 P, 50 S, 9/2 GO/FO.

Howard vs the Nationals: Spencer Howard, a 2017 2nd Round pick, and the top pitching prospect in the Phillies’ organization heading into this season, made his MLB debut early this month.

In three starts in the Philly rotation before tonight, the righty put up a 6.17 ERA, five walks, 11 Ks, and a .358/.407/.623 line against, though his third start was arguably his best, with the 24-year-old holding the Blue Jays to a run on five hits in 3 ²⁄₃ IP.

“That’s not the best I’ve been,” Howard told reporters, after that outing.

“I made a few minor tweaks during the past couple of days, and I’m starting to feel a little bit better on the mound.”

Howard was sharp early in the series opener with the Nationals in Citizens Bank, tossing four scoreless on 70 pitches, while working around three hits and two walks, but he got Soto’d in the fifth on a 0-1 slider outside that Juan Soto powered out to left for a two-run opposite field home run that got the Nationals on the board, down 6-2.

Spencer Howard’s Line: 5.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 4 Ks, 1 HR, 91 P, 58 S, 5/2 GO/FO.

Turn-On: Trea Turner started the four-game set in Citizens Bank Park with a 15-game hit streak going, over which the 27-year-old shortstop was 30 for 62 (.484 AVG), with seven doubles, two triples, three home runs, 11 RBIs, four walks, two HBPs, and 18 runs scored.

Turner also had a 21-game on-base streak, with a .495 OBP in the 21 games going back to August 8th. He extended both streaks with an infield single with one out in the third.

Turner singled again in the fifth, and scored on Juan Soto’s two-run home run, then hit a home run in the top of the seventh, 3 for 4, two runs scored, and an RBI. And he singled with one out in the ninth as well, 4 for 5.

BULLPEN ACTION: Phillies’ righty JoJo Romero took over on the mound in the top of the sixth inning and retired the side in a 12-pitch frame.

Heath Hembree gave up a solo home run by Michael A. Taylor on a 1-0 slider that ended up 10-15 rows back in the left field seats, 6-3, and Trea Turner hit a second straight solo homer on a 1-2 fastball up in the zone that went out the other way, 6-4.

Tommy Hunter came on for the home team with two out in the seventh and retired Howie Kendrick to keep it a 6-4 game.

Wander Suero gave up a single by Jay Bruce and a double by Alec Bohm in the first two at bats of the seventh, but got two outs without a run scoring before Rhys Hoskins hit a high cutter up in the zone outside to left for a two-run double that made it an 8-4 lead.

Hunter came back out and gave up a one-out single by Josh Harrison and a double by Adam Eaton, but he stranded both runners to preserve the Phillies’ four-run lead.

Sean Doolittle retired the Phillies in order in a 15-pitch eighth.

Brandon Workman came on to end it in the top of the ninth and gave up a one-out single by Trea Turner and a two-run home run to right by Juan Soto, 8-6. That’s how it ended.

Final Score: 8-6 Phillies

Nationals now 12-20