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Aaron Nola started rough and never really settled down, as the Washington Nationals rolled over the Phillies for the second game in a row--apparently they weren't yet overconfident enough.
A leadoff walk to Michael Taylor opening the game, a single by Anthony Rendon, a sacrifice fly by Bryce Harper, a rough error by makeshift left fielder Darin Ruf, a single by Ryan Zimmerman, a triple by Daniel Murphy; and the Nats had all the runs they would need: three. Nola did make it out of the inning with no further damage, unlike Jeremy Hellickson's adventure yesterday.
In the fourth, the Nats struck again after a two-out double by Wilson Ramos and intentional walk to Danny Espinosa; when pitcher Max Scherzer hit just his fourth career extra-base hit, a double to right that scored both runners. In the fifth, then, after Rendon drew another walk, Harper followed with a homerun; his fifth of the year and fifth in five games at Citizen's Bank Park. Well, it's a goddamn high school field and all, Mr. McCann, and Bam-Bam Mondo has some monster prodigious power (warning Washington Broadcast Goober Alert).
That was it for Nola, though not the Nats, as they would get another in garbage time off James Russell in the ninth; on a pinch hit home run by Chris Heisey.
The Phils' lone run came in the fifth, when Cameron Rupp absolutely demolished a ball into the left field stands.
One other highlight came in the top of the third, when Harper had gotten on base again somehow, and Nola picked him off. Umpire Andy Fletcher called him safe, but Ryan Howard called for an appeal. Upon review, he was correctly called out.
Also, this happened, and was very adorable.
The mini-Phanatic represents the power of the Phils' offense.
With the loss, the Phils drop to 5-7 on the young season, and third place in the division. They'll look to even the score somewhat tomorrow afternoon. Charlie 'Roy Halladay II' Morton will take the hill against the Nats' Gio Gonzalez in the third and final game of this series. With any luck, their overconfidence will get the best of them this time.