Washington Nationals vs Philadelphia Phillies Box Score on Sep 26, 2017

The Sports Xchange
Sep 26, 2017

PHILADELPHIA -- The long-awaited return of Bryce Harper figured to give a lift to a Washington Nationals team counting down the days until the postseason begins.

Phillies pitcher Jake Thompson and his bullpen mates had other ideas.

Thompson tossed five-plus innings of one-run baseball and Philadelphia's bullpen shut down the Nationals to help the Phillies score a 4-1 victory Tuesday night at Citizens Bank Park.

With the win, the Phillies (63-95), who have four games remaining, will avoid becoming the franchise's first 100-loss club since 1961. Washington (95-62), meanwhile, has five more opportunities to get three wins to tie its franchise record.

Philadelphia pitching made getting closer to that number almost impossible Tuesday.

Thompson (3-2) pitched five innings plus one batter in the sixth (he hit Anthony Rendon to start the inning and was removed). He allowed one run on four hits and struck out five. Thompson finished the year allowing two runs over his final 15 1/3 innings across three starts.

He exited with a 3-1 lead thanks to a three-run Phillies third inning that featured an RBI single from Tommy Joseph and a two-run double off the bat of Cameron Rupp.

That inning spoiled Washington starter Gio Gonzalez's night. Gonzalez (15-8) allowed those three runs on five hits over five innings. He struck out seven but walked five.

Philadelphia's bullpen, a big reason the Phillies have seen more success in the second half of the season, had four members toss four no-hit, scoreless innings against Washington while striking out nine. Closer Hector Neris struck out the side in the ninth while converting his 19th consecutive save opportunity.

The Phillies got an insurance run in the seventh on a Rhys Hoskins sacrifice fly.

Thompson allowed a leadoff single and then walked Harper on four pitches to open the game. But he quickly found a double-play ball before later striking out Ryan Zimmerman to escape a 22-pitch first inning without surrendering a run.

In the second, though, former Phillie Howie Kendrick belted a solo home run to open the scoring and give Washington a 1-0 lead.

The lead, however, was short lived.

Harper, who played for the first time since Aug. 12 (left leg injuries), batted three times and was removed after his fifth-inning pop out in the top of the fifth. The slugger finished 0-for-2 with a walk.

NOTES: Washington won the season series against the Phillies 11-7. ... Philadelphia's bullpen entered Tuesday with a 2.74 ERA in its previous 28 games. That mark ranked fourth in the majors over that time frame. ... During the same stretch, Washington's bullpen ranked third at 2.28. ... The Phillies have won 10 of their last 17 games. ... In the series finale Wednesday, Washington RHP Tanner Roark (13-10, 4.41 ERA) faces off against Phillies RHP Mark Leiter Jr. (3-6, 4.69).