Nats hit the ground running again, roll past Phillies 8-1

PHILADELPHIA - If you are going to watch the Nationals and Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on Sunday, here is some advice: Make sure you are in your seats for first pitch.

The Nationals jumped on the Phillies starter again in the first inning, scoring three runs on a RBI triple by Daniel Murphy, a run-scoring single from Ryan Zimmerman and a sacrifice fly by Bryce Harper.

On Friday night, the Nationals scored five runs in the first inning e route to a 9-1 victory.

Max Scherzer allowed a walk and a single in the bottom of the first, but induced a pair of weak pop-ups to second base to end the threat.

The Nationals lead the Phillies 3-0 after one inning.

Update: Scherzer in a nice groove. He had struck out three of the last five batters he has faced. Nola has also settled down after a rocky first frame, striking out four of the last six batters he has faced.

Harper singled in the third for his fourth hit in the series.

Update II: Scherzer helps his own cause with a dramatic two-run double with two-out in the top of the fourth.

Nola had intentionally walked Danny Espinosa to get to Scherzer (even though Espinosa struckout in his first at-bat). The strategy completely backfired.

The Nationals have a 5-0 lead for the second night in a row. The Nats starter has hit a double in both games.

Update III: Harper is swinging a hot bat again, slamming a two-run shot over the wall in right field in the fifth. The Nationals lead 7-0 and have 16 runs in the first 13 1/2 innings against the Phillies. It's the third straight game Harper has crushed a homer.

Harper now has at least two hits and at least one home run in his last five games at Citizens Bank Park.

Cameron Rupp hit his first homer of the season in the bottom of the fifth to cut the lead to 7-1.

Update IV: Scherzer goes seven innings, scatters five hits, allows one run, earned, one walk and strikes out seven. He threw 108 pitches, 72 for strikes. He is now 5-1 in his career against the Phillies.

Matt Belisle pitched a scoreless eighth. Shawn Kelley took care of the ninth.

Chris Heisey hit his first homer with the Nationals in the ninth, a pinch-hit solo shot to make it 8-1. It was his 12th career pinch-hit home run.

The Nats have hit at least two homers in four consecutive games.

The Nationals (9-1) have won seven straight games and have won 14 of their last 21 games against the Phillies.