Nationals 4, Phillies 0
PHILADELPHIA -- Bryce Harper homered twice and drove in all four of his team's runs, and Stephen Strasburg struck out 14 as the Washington Nationals silenced the Philadelphia Phillies 4-0 on Tuesday night.
Harper continued his surge for the National League MVP award by going 3-for-3 with a solo homer, two-run shot and an RBI single. The 22-year-old right fielder raised his home run total to 39, which put him ahead of Colorado's Nolan Arenado for the National League lead.
For as masterful as Harper was with his bat, the Nationals' other former No. 1 pick, Strasburg, was as excellent with his right arm. Strasburg sat down 14 batters for the second time in his career -- the other time was in his electric major league debut against Pittsburgh on June 8, 2010.
Strasburg (9-7) carried a no-hitter into the fifth inning and third baseman Cody Asche's no-out single that inning was the only hit against the right-hander. The Phillies did not have a runner reach second base the entire game, and the only other batter to reach base was shortstop Freddy Galvis, who drew a first-inning walk.
Harper's first-inning home run was a solo shot that just cleared the deepest part of the Citizens Bank Park fence. He followed that up with his 88th RBI of the season, a single that brought home Yunel Escobar in the third inning against Phillies starter David Buchanan, and a two-run shot I the eighth that also plated Escobar.
Buchanan allowed the two runs off Harper's bat, but worked around three other hits. Buchanan lasted six innings, struck out five and lowered his ERA from 9.11 to 8.49.
It was just the second time in 12 starts that Buchanan allowed less than three runs in a start this season, and the right-hander got inning-ending double plays in both the third and sixth innings.
Tuesday's win was the third in a row for Washington, which improved to four games over .500 (74-70).
NOTES: Phillies 1B Ryan Howard was not in the lineup Tuesday after getting hit on the left knee in the field during Monday night's 8-7 loss to Washington. The team called it a contusion. INF Darin Ruf got the nod for Philadelphia against Nationals RHP Stephen Strasburg. Howard had two home runs and five RBIs in his last three games before the injury, including his 23rd homer of the season on Monday. ... Phillies 2B Andres Blanco was penciled in the cleanup spot Tuesday, making his first start from the four-hole in a major league lineup. Blanco was hitting .301 with an .883 on-base-plus-slugging percentage entering the game. ... Nationals OF Bryce Harper's home run Monday night was the first of his career against a pitcher younger than him, according to Elias. Harper hit his 37th homer of the season against Phillies rookie Aaron Nola. Harper (born Oct. 16, 1992) is 231 days older than Nola (born June 4, 1993).