April 19, 2015
Alex Brandon/AP
Phillies pitching coach Bob McClure, left, talks with catcher Carlos Ruiz (51) and starting pitcher David Buchanan
WASHINGTON — Stephen Strasburg allowed a run in 7 1-3 innings and the Washington Nationals used a three-run fifth inning for a 4-1 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Sunday.
Strasburg (1-1) struck out seven, walked two and allowed five hits as Washington took three of four from Philadelphia for its first series win this season.
Denard Span had a hit and scored in his first game back following surgery in March to fix a core muscle.
Ryan Zimmerman went 2 for 4 with a double and two RBIs. Ian Desmond went 2 for 4 with an RBI double, a walk and two runs scored.
Drew Storen worked the ninth for his fourth save.
David Buchanan (0-3) allowed three runs in five innings for Philadelphia, which has lost seven of its past eight.
Buchanan allowed six hits, three walks and struck out four.
After failing to make it out of the sixth inning in his first two starts, Strasburg retired his first 14 batters Sunday, and required only 21 pitches to make it through the first three innings.
Then in the fifth, he struck out Jeff Francoeur on a curveball and Ryan Howard on a changeup before Carlos Ruiz looped a single to left to end the no-hit bid.
Span led off the bottom half with a single and then scored on Desmond's double down the left field line.
Desmond then scored on Jayson Werth's single up the middle. And after Bryce Harper was intentionally walked, Zimmerman scored Werth on a bloop double to right that dropped ahead of a diving Francoeur.
Phillies: OF Domonic Brown (left Achilles tendinitis) started in right field and batted third Sunday in his second game rehabbing with Triple-A Lehigh Valley at Buffalo. Brown went 0 for 4 Saturday.
Nationals: IF Yunel Escobar (groin strain) was out of the starting lineup for a second day after leaving Friday night's game early. ... Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo said 3B Anthony Rendon (left MCL sprain) and RHP Casey Janssen (right shoulder tendinitis) are progressing in their rehabs, but did not provide a timetable for either player's return.
Phillies: RHP Jerome Williams (0-1, 4.09) starts as Philadelphia begins a six-game homestand Tuesday with the first of three against the Miami Marlins.
Nationals: LHP Gio Gonzalez (1-1, 5.11) looks to continue his success against the St. Louis Cardinals in the first of a three-game series Tuesday. Gonzalez is 2-1 with a 1.17 ERA in three starts against St. Louis.
