Field Level Media
Jul 12, 2019
Stephen Strasburg threw six scoreless innings, Adam Eaton had two hits and the visiting Washington Nationals opened a three-game series after the All-Star break with a 4-0 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Friday.
Strasburg gave up seven hits with six strikeouts and one walk on 111 pitches, 70 for strikes. Strasburg improved to 11-4 with the impressive outing.
The Nationals were one of the hottest teams in the major leagues before the break and have now won 11 of their last 13 games.
Maikel Franco led the Phillies with three hits while Bryce Harper added two. Rhys Hoskins also walked twice.
Phillies starter Nick Pivetta tossed five innings and allowed six hits and three runs while throwing 87 pitches, 52 for strikes. He struck two and walked two in dropping to 4-4 this season.
Victor Robles hit a two-run single in the second inning to give the Nationals a quick 2-0 lead.
In the third, Ryan Zimmerman added a sacrifice fly to score the Nationals' third run for a 3-0 advantage. Scott Kingery made a terrific diving catch on the sacrifice fly.
Cesar Hernandez and Franco each singled with two outs in the fourth, but Strasburg struck out Andrew Knapp looking on a 3-2 curveball to end the threat.
Pivetta then induced Zimmerman to ground out to second with runners on second and third and two outs in the fifth as the score remained 3-0.
The Phillies left seven runners on base through the first five innings.
Franco picked up his third hit of the game, a two-out single in the sixth, but Knapp flied out.
Fernando Rodney walked Hoskins with one out in the eighth before getting Jay Bruce to ground into an inning-ending double play.
Washington tacked on a fourth run in the ninth when Juan Soto lofted a sacrifice fly to left against Ranger Suarez. The bases had been loaded with one out.
Sean Doolittle pitched a scoreless ninth though it was a non-save situation. Knapp did single with two outs to snap a career-worst 0-for-18 slump.
--Field Level Media