The Phillies (4-9) offense couldn't do much of anything against Stephen Strasburg and the Nationals (6-7) on Sunday afternoon, losing by a score of 4-1. The Phillies close out their first road trip of the year with a 1-6 record. Ryan Zimmerman led the offense for Washington, driving in two runs in four at-bats. The Nationals first baseman tallied seven RBI's during the four-game series.
How They Scored:
In the fifth, David Buchanan got the first two outs rather quickly before giving up a bloop single to Denard Span. Ian Desmond followed with an RBI-double, scoring Span, to make it 1-0. Jayson Werth drove in Desmond with a single to make it 2-0. The Phillies opted to intentionally walk Bryce Harper next, but Ryan Zimmerman made them pay with an RBI-double, extending the lead to 3-0. Zimmerman made it 4-0 with an RBI-single in the seventh.
Meanwhile, the Phillies finally got to Stephen Strasburg in the eighth. Odubel Herrera hit a one-out double and Freddy Galvis drove him in with an RBI-single to make it a 4-1 game.
Starter's Report:
David Buchanan (0-3, 9.22) looked better today than he did in his previous two starts, tossing five innings and giving up three runs on six hits. He also struck out four and walked three. After getting out of some jams prior to the fifth inning, Buchanan got a little unlucky with bloop hits in the fifth that ended up coming back to haunt him. Unfortunately, he couldn't limit the damage and was lifted after 98 pitches, 63 of which were strikes.
The Nationals got a spectacular outing from Stephen Strasburg (1-1, 4.50), who entered today's game with an ERA just under seven. He spun 7.1 innings of one-run ball, striking out seven and walking two.
Out of the Pen:
Justin De Fratus came in to pitch the sixth inning for the Phillies and gave up one hit in a shutout frame. Dustin McGowan followed De Fratus out of the pen and surrendered a run on one hit and a walk. Both De Fratus and McGowan sport 2.70 ERA's thus far in 2015. Jeanmar Gomez got some work in as well this afternoon, pitching a scoreless eighth inning. He's tossed 6.2 innings so far this season for the Phillies, posting a 2.70 ERA.
Matt Thornton relieved Stephen Strasburg to get the final two outs of the seventh and did just that. He struck out Cody Asche before getting Jeff Francoeur to ground out. Drew Storen closed the door for his fourth save of the season in the ninth, working around two baserunners.
At the Plate:
Odubel Herrera's average is now at .302 after going 1-for-4 with a double and a run scored during today's game. Freddy Galvis is hitting .318 this season. Today, he went 1-for-3 with an RBI and a walk.
Ryan Zimmerman continued his success against the Phillies, going 2-for-4 with two RBI's on the day. Jayson Werth contributed with an RBI in his four plate appearances while Ian Desmond went 2-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored as well. He got things started for the Nationals in the fifth with an RBI-double.
Post-Game Thoughts:
Once again, the Phillies offense was unable to get anything going against another ace pitcher in Stephen Strasburg. They had a couple of opportunities to score runs, but couldn't get the hit when it mattered. When they finally got on the board in the eighth, it was thanks to Odubel Herrera and Freddy Galvis. They have been doing a nice job at the top of the lineup for the Phils this season.
David Buchanan looked a little better today than he did during his first pair of outings this season, but he has a long way to go in convincing me that he can be consistent. This disastrous road trip finally ends for the Phillies. They went 1-6 against the Nationals and the Mets.
Up Next:
The Phillies have a day off on Monday before hosting the Miami Marlins at 7:05pm on Tuesday, April 21st. Jerome Williams (1-1, 4.09) will get the nod for the Phils and will be opposed by Dan Haren (1-1, 2.08).
Brandon Apter, Publishing Editor for Philliedelphia.com
