Phillies 4, Nationals 3
WASHINGTON -- Maikel Franco hit a tiebreaking double in the seventh inning, and the Philadelphia Phillies beat Washington 4-3 Tuesday, ending the Nationals' eight-game home winning streak.
The Franco double scored Andres Blanco, who doubled off Oliver Perez (1-1) for his third hit of the game. Franco came up limping after the hit but stayed in the game.
Blanco hit a two-run homer in the first inning.
Cesar Hernandez also had three hits for the Phillies (10-10), who lost 12 of 19 to Washington last season.
Phillies starter Vince Velasquez (3-1) gave up three runs on five hits in six innings. He walked three and struck out four.
David Hernandez pitched a scoreless seventh, striking out Ryan Zimmerman looking on a backdoor breaking ball to end the inning with two runners on base.
Hector Neris struck out two in the eighth, and Jeanmar Gomez pitched the ninth for his fifth save. Gomez retired Bryce Harper on a grounder for the final out with a runner on base.
Washington starter Max Scherzer struggled again and did not figure in the decision. He threw 116 pitches in six innings, giving up three runs, seven hits and four walks with seven strikeouts.
Washington's Michael A. Taylor had two hits for the second game in a row but fanned for the second out in the ninth against a 92 mph pitch from Gomez.
Zimmerman and Bryce Harper had RBI singles in the fifth to tie the score at 3 against Velasquez. It was the first single at home this year in 10 games for Harper, who already had five doubles, three homers and eight walks at Nationals Park.
The Phillies had grabbed a 3-1 lead in the fourth on an RBI single by Hernandez, his second hit off Scherzer.
That came one batter after Ryan Howard was thrown out at the plate on a close play by first baseman Zimmerman on a grounder off the bat of David Lough. Howard immediately signaled to the Phillies' bench, but manager Pete Mackanin did not issue a replay challenge.
The Nationals had cut the lead to 2-1 in the second as Daniel Murphy doubled to right, went to third on a wild pitch and scored on a sacrifice bunt on safety squeeze by Danny Espinosa.
Scherzer gave up his fifth homer of the year in five starts when Blanco went deep to right for a two-run shot in the first. It was the first homer of the year for Blanco and just his 12th in 380 career games.
Velasquez entered the game having allowed just 11 hits in 19 1/3 innings with 29 strikeouts and three walks. He struck out four in his last start on April 19 after fanning 16 on April 14 against San Diego.
Scherzer began the game with a 4.32 ERA and had allowed a team-high four homers in 25 innings.
NOTES: Washington C Wilson Ramos was placed on the bereavement list due to the death of grandfather. C Pedro Severino was called up from Triple-A Syracuse, and Jose Lobaton made the start behind of the plate against the Phillies. Severino, who was hitting .244 for Syracuse, had four at-bats last season with the Nationals. ... Washington LHP Gio Gonzalez (1-0, 1.42 ERA) will face Philadelphia RHP Jeremy Hellickson (1-1, 5.21) in the second game of the series Wednesday. ... Phillies manager Pete Mackanin was drafted by the Washington Senators in the fourth round in 1969. He was replaced as the Cincinnati Reds manager after the 2007 season by Dusty Baker, now the Nationals' manager. ... The Nationals were coming off a 16-inning win Sunday over the Minnesota Twins. It was the first time Baker ever won a game in which his team trailed in both the ninth inning and also in extra innings.