Instant Replay: Nationals 4, Phillies 1

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WASHINGTON — Bryce Harper drove in a pair of runs, one against Aaron Harang and one against Jake Diekman, to lead the Nationals to a 4-1 win over the Phillies in the rubber game of a Memorial Day Weekend series. 

Harang and the Phils hung tough with Gio Gonzalez and the Nationals, trailing by a run through six innings. But the Nats scored two insurance runs off the Phillies' bullpen in the seventh to put the game out of reach.

At 19-27 at the Memorial Day benchmark, the Phillies are on pace for a 67-95 record. 

The Nationals improved to 13-3 over their last 16 games and are 26-18 on the year.

Starting pitching report
Harang labored through six innings but delivered yet another quality start, his ninth in 10 tries this season.

With nine quality starts, Harang is tied for the major-league lead with Zack Greinke. And since 2014, Harang's 34 quality starts are tied for second-most in the majors with Felix Hernandez. Johnny Cueto leads the way with 35.

Harang needed just 25 pitches to retire the Nationals in the first two innings, but threw 62 over the next three. He did set the Nats down in order on just eight pitches in his final inning of work.

Harang stranded seven men over the first four innings but was unable to keep Yunel Escobar from scoring after he led off the fifth inning with a triple. Harper's RBI groundout gave the Nats a lead they wouldn't relinquish.

For Washington, Gio Gonzalez threw more strikes than usual, 64 on 94 pitches. Manager Matt Williams lifted him with one out in the seventh. Gonzalez allowed just one run on seven hits over 6 1/3 innings with one walk and seven strikeouts.

Bullpen report
A questionable decision by manager Ryne Sandberg cost the Phillies multiple runs in the seventh inning. With two outs and a man on third, Sandberg lifted Justin De Fratus for Diekman. He wanted the lefty-lefty matchup with Diekman against Harper.

The problem is Diekman has struggled all season and hasn't retired lefties with any regularity. The other option would have been having De Fratus intentionally walk Harper, the game's hottest hitter, to set up a forceout with two outs against right-handed hitting Ryan Zimmerman.

When Harper singled the run home against Diekman, Sandberg kept the lefty in the game to face Zimmerman, who promptly doubled in Harper. 

In 19 appearances, Diekman has an 8.04 ERA and has put 35 men on base in 15 2/3 innings. He's also let score seven of the 11 runners he's inherited.

At the plate
With Chase Utley and Ryan Howard sitting against the lefty Gonzalez, Darin Ruf and Maikel Franco batted third and fourth, respectively. Ruf went 1 for 3 with a double and a walk. Franco was 0 for 4.

Jeff Francoeur was the only Phillie with multiple hits. He went 2 for 3 with an RBI single. 

Utley pinch hit with a man on and two outs in the seventh and struck out looking against lefty reliever Matt Grace.

Washington leadoff man Denard Span doubled twice to open the first and seventh innings.

On the bases
Odubel Herrera made a baserunning blunder in the seventh inning that cost the Phillies a chance to rally. 

After singling with one out, catcher Cameron Rupp appeared to single to right field, but Herrera misread the ball and didn't immediately run to second. The hesitation enabled Harper to fire to second to retire Herrera and steal a base hit from Rupp. It went down as a 9-6 fielder's choice. 

Up next
The Phillies begin the third and final leg of their 10-game road trip Monday afternoon at Citi Field against the Mets. First pitch is 1:10 p.m.

Pitching matchups for the series:

Monday, 1:10 p.m.: Severino Gonzalez (2-1, 7.11) vs. Bartolo Colon (6-3, 4.85)

Tuesday, 7:10 p.m.: Jerome Williams (3-4, 5.44) vs. Jacob deGrom (5-4, 2.75)

Wednesday, 1:10 p.m.: Sean O'Sullivan (1-3, 3.54) vs. Noah Syndergaard (1-2, 3.63)

All three Mets pitchers are right-handers. Wednesday will be the Phils' first look at Mets mega-prospect Syndergaard.

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