Power stroke returns in rapid fire in Philly (Nats win 17-7)

PHILADELPHIA - The Nationals entered play tonight dead-last in the majors with only 12 home runs hit this month. Two innings later, they've taken over sole possession of 29th place, and they're only one away from moving into a tie for 28th.

Three big blasts by Trea Turner, Juan Soto and Anthony Rendon have brought this previously moribund lineup to life and allowed the Nats to open up a commanding 7-0 lead on the Phillies after only two innings.

The Nationals roughed up Nick Pivetta, with four of their first five batters recording hits, three of those for extra bases.
Adam Eaton led off the game with a single, then Turner immediately followed by launching a ball into the left field bleachers, giving the Nats a quick lead and giving them a sorely needed long ball. And they weren't done. After Bryce Harper struck out, Rendon doubled, then trotted around the bases after Soto delivered his seventh big league homer, his fourth to the opposite field.

Pivetta looked like he had settled down in the top of the second when he retired the first two batters he faced, but back-to-back walks of Turner and Harper kept the inning alive. And Rendon made the Phillies right-hander pay for it, sending a three-run homer over the wall in right-center to extend the Nationals' lead to 7-0.

With the three home runs so far, the Nats have jumped over the Royals for 29th place in the majors in June blasts. They trail the Pirates for 28th place by one homer now.

Pivetta, who was pulled one batter after the Rendon bomb, has now made five starts in his career against the Nats organization that traded him for Jonathan Papelbon in 2015. He has surrendered 23 earned runs on 34 hits in only 17 1/3 innings, serving up 10 homers in the process.

Handed that huge lead, Erick Fedde is trying to work quick innings and put himself in position to earn his first major league win in his eighth career start. The right-hander has allowed three batters to reach base in two innings, but none have scored.

Update: They're still going. The Nats scored four more runs in the top of the fourth, three of those coming on a Harper opposite-field homer. That was Bryce's 20th of the season, his first since June 9 against the Giants. And after Wilmer Difo doubled home Soto (who is 3-for-3), the Nationals lead was 11-0. The Phillies did finally chip away at Fedde in the bottom of the fourth, but an 11-2 lead heading to the fifth still feels awfully comfortable.

Update II: Protecting an 11-run lead apparently is tougher than you thought. Fedde labored to complete five innings, ultimately allowing five total runs and racking up a career-high 115 pitches. The Nats added a run in the top of the sixth, so that makes it 12-5, with a long way still to go.

Update III: The Nats just refuse to make this one easy. Tim Collins pitched the seventh and served up a towering, two-run homer to Carlos Santana. That makes it 12-7, with six outs still to go before they can celebrate a win.

Update IV: Holy cow, what a finish. The Nats clubbed three more homers in the ninth, including Soto's second of the night. They finished with seven homers in the game and won 17-7.