For once, Nats smack around Halladay (Nats beat Phillies 5-2)

PHILADELPHIA - Roy Halladay normally dominates the Nationals. I mean dominates them. Coming into today, Halladay was 11-0 with a 2.09 ERA in his last 13 starts against Montreal/Washington. Today has been a different story, however. The Nats have struck for five runs and eight hits off Halladay through five innings, and hold a 5-1 lead over the Phillies as we go to the sixth. Halladay allowed four runs in the third inning, two coming on a triple to right-center off the bat of Bryce Harper. It's Harper's second triple in three days and gives him nine RBIs on the season. After Harper scored on an Adam LaRoche sac fly, Ian Desmond walloped his eighth home run of the season - most on the team. Must be the daddy strength again. Rick Ankiel then hit a solo shot to straight-away center leading off the fourth, making it a 5-1 Nats lead. Nats righty Jordan Zimmermann struggled to get through five innings, allowing seven hits and throwing 98 pitches, but he's allowed just one run and finally has gotten some run support. (He also has gone 2-for-3 off Halladay. No big deal.) Zimmermann's outing continues the recent trend of Nats starters not making it deep into games. Assuming Zimmermann doesn't make it further than six innings, the Nationals will have gotten more than six frames from their starter just once in their last six games. That's some serious wear and tear on the bullpen. Update: Zimmermann went six frames, doing a nice job to push through his high pitch count and save the 'pen from working an extra inning. He leaves having allowed one run on seven hits, throwing 107 pitches over his six innings of work. It's still 5-1 Nats as we go to the late innings. Update II: Tyler Clippard retired the Phillies in order in the ninth, registering his first save since June 10, 2010, and the Nats beat Philadelphia 5-2. Dating back to last season, the Nats have now won six in a row in Philadelphia, marking the first time in franchise history they've done so. Washington is now 4-1 against the Phillies this season.