Instant Replay: Nationals 5, Phillies 2

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WASHINGTON — The long ball continued to plague Cole Hamels, as a pair of solo shots spelled trouble for the Phillies’ ace in Thursday night’s 5-2 defeat to the Washington Nationals.

Hamels gave up a leadoff homer to Yunel Escobar in the first inning and another leadoff shot to Michael Taylor in the fifth, as the Phillies (3-7) dropped their fifth game in a row following a three-game sweep against the Mets.

The Phillies rallied to tie the score in the third inning and briefly took the lead in the fourth, but it was short-lived. Hamels gave up a run in the fourth when he walked Bryce Harper, balked him to second and saw him score on a two-out single by Wilson Ramos.

Following Young’s homer in the fifth, the Nats scored two more in the sixth on a double from Ryan Zimmerman.

Starting pitching
Hamels pitched six innings, allowing five runs on five hits with four walks and seven strikeouts to fall to 0-2. In three starts covering 18 innings, Hamels has allowed a major league-leading seven home runs. Oddly enough, all seven of the homers are solo shots.

Since the start of the 2013 season, Hamels is 17-25 with just two three-game winning streaks.

For the Nats, Doug Fister gave up two runs — one earned — on four hits and four walks in 6 2/3 innings. He struck out four and retired 10 in a row after a one-out walk to Ryan Howard in the fourth.

Bullpen report
Luis Garcia pitched a scoreless seventh inning before turning it over to Jonathan Papelbon in the eighth. In his first work since April 11, Papelbon retired all three hitters he faced.

At the plate
Featuring a new-look batting order with Howard in the No. 7 hole (see story), the Phillies created plenty of run-scoring opportunities only to leave seven runners on base. They had the bases loaded twice, but only cashed in with a sacrifice fly in the fourth.

Freddy Galvis knocked in the Phils’ first run in the third with a two-out triple. Howard went 1 for 3 with a single, a walk and two flyouts in his new spot in the lineup.

Up next
The four-game series continues on Friday night when Sean O’Sullivan (0-0, 3.00) faces the Nationals’ Max Scherzer (0-1, 0.66). O’Sullivan faced the Nats in his only other start this season, allowing a pair of runs on five hits and a walk in six innings. He struck out five.

Scherzer faced O’Sullivan and the Phillies on April 12, when he gave up a run on six hits in six innings. Neither pitcher figured in the decision.

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