PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Stephen Strasburg threw six effective innings, Matt Wieters hit a solo homer and the Washington Nationals beat the Philadelphia Phillies 5-3 Monday night.
Strasburg (7-7) gave up two runs and five hits, striking out five.
The Phillies fell 3 1/2 games behind first-place Atlanta in the NL East after losing the opener for the seventh straight series. They’re 6-12 since Aug. 8 and have dropped five games in the standings during that span.
Zach Eflin (9-5) allowed five runs — three earned — and eight hits in 5 1/3 innings. His throwing error in the fourth cost him.
The Nationals had the bases loaded with one out that inning when Strasburg put a bunt down. Eflin picked it up barehanded and his underhand toss to the plate sailed high for an error, allowing the go-ahead run to score.
Adam Eaton followed with a slow roller to the same spot and Eflin made the exact same play and got the out at home.
Trea Turner then knocked in another run on a bloop single that fell in because left fielder Rhys Hoskins broke back at first.
Eaton greeted reliever Luis Avilan with an RBI double in the sixth to make it 5-2.
Rhys Hoskins crushed Ryan Madson’s first pitch in the eighth for his 27th homer.
Justin Miller tossed a perfect ninth for his first save in his first try in his 39th appearance.
Washington took two of three from the Phillies at home last week after trading Daniel Murphy to the Cubs and Matt Adams to the Cardinals.
Down 2-0 in the third, the Phillies tied it on an RBI triple by Roman Quinn and an RBI single by Cesar Hernandez. Strasburg struck out Asdrubal Cabrera swinging to strand runners at second and third.
Eflin retired the first two batters before Bryce Harper, Anthony Rendon and Juan Soto hit three straight singles in the first to give the Nationals a 1-0 lead.
Wieters led off the second with his sixth homer to make it 2-0.
NEW MAN ON TOP
Quinn led off for the first time and Hernandez batted third for just the third time in 641 career games.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Nationals: RHP Kelvin Herrera was placed on the 10-day disabled list with a torn Lisfranc ligament in his left foot. Madson took his spot after he was reinstated from the DL.
Phillies: LHP Austin Davis (lower back tightness) began a rehab assignment at Triple-A Lehigh Valley. … INF Pedro Florimon (broken right foot) is continuing his rehab in Triple-A. … RHP Jerad Eickhoff (lat strain, finger) is expected to join the team when rosters expand Saturday.
UP NEXT
RHP Aaron Nola (15-3, 2.13 ERA) and RHP Max Scherzer (16-6, 2.13) face each other for the second straight outing when the Phillies and Nationals meet Tuesday night. Nola tossed eight innings in Philadelphia’s 2-0 win at Washington last Thursday.
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