Nationals walk off a victor behind Harper

The Phillies lost their fourth in a row.

Cesar Hernandez became Philadelphia’s first baserunner against Tanner Roark with a soft bunt single in the fourth inning.

Philadelphia Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said he was ecstatic when Jeremy Hellickson headed out to pitch the sixth inning against the Washington Nationals on Sunday in Philadelphia. But Maikel Franco was useless, going 0-for-5, leaving five on base, including one on a wave at a six-foot-high strike 3 in the eighth, then three more in the ninth with a groundout to third, blunting a rally that could have left the Nats requiring smelling salts. “When a guy goes to the opposite field with authority, that’s hard to teach”, he said. “I’m a touch off right now”. Harper took the 0-2 pitch yard and sent the Nationals home with a 6-4 victory.

When Sunday’s game concluded it was thanks to Harper smashing a three-run home run to center field against Phillies closer Joaquin Benoit.

Jeanmar Gomez had survived pitching through the ninth inning Friday night at Nationals Park, which is something he used to know how to do with a fair amount of regularity before his closing skills evaporated. “It’s been nearly everybody”.

Leake (1-1) gave up four hits, struck out seven and walked none over seven shutout innings. “He’s turned into a real good major league player”. Thanks to Harper, the Nationals went on to win 6-4. The Phillies are 3-14 in the last 17 meetings and the under is 8-2-1 in the last 11 meetings. He also singled and doubled. If this were a one time thing, no problem, but the Nationals bullpen has struggled this season.

“They’ll be fine”, Roark said. Though he walked more men (unintentionally) in the first four innings than he walked in his first two starts combined, frequent visits from catcher Matt Wieters and the rest of the infield seemed to calm him down. We believe in them. He has crushed 15 home runs against the Phillies since the start of the 2015 season.

As with any baseball team in any six-plus-month season, the Phillies would be bound to hit one revealing moment. I think Rizzo should be on the phone with the White Sox GM, whom he just managed to get Adam Eaton from to pick up David Robertson (their closer) as well.

Chris Heisey, making his first start this season, homered in the seventh.

Gonzalez allowed three runs – two earned – five hits and three walks in 7 1/3 innings. A University of IL product, Roark and the pitching staff are getting used to new catcher Matt Wieters.

The Pirates scored three times in the eighth off Koji Uehara (0-1), getting the go-ahead run when pinch runner Alec Hanson slid home on Andrew McCutchen’s bases-loaded grounder.

Baker will be rooting for the NBA’s Washington Wizards and NHL’s Washington Capitals in the playoffs.

ROCKIES 4, GIANTS 3 Rookie Antonio Senzatela (2-0) held San Francisco scoreless on four hits over the first six to win his second consecutive start.

“We had timely hits when we needed them to tie the game up and then go ahead”, Mackanin said. “If something happens, I take full responsibility. Every time I talk to somebody about the Caps, they’re always, ‘Ah they’ll lose'”.

INF Stephen Drew (hamstring strain) went on the disabled list April 12 but is not sure of his return.

The Nationals almost lost Sunday’s game at Nationals Park in the same demoralizing way they lost a handful of others this season.

That’s when they will resurface in NY, where they will face the Mets, against whom they were 7-12 previous year and were 0-3 last week.

Harper is now up to four home runs this season after the pair on Sunday. Cubs starter Jon Lester pitched three-hit ball for seven innings and left with a 1-0 lead. He struck out 10, the 50th time in his career he reached double figures in strikeouts.