Max Scherzer powers Nationals to 5-2 win

PHILADELPHIA - Back spasms forced Denard Span out of tonight's game, with Michael A. Taylor taking over center field and the leadoff spot in the order. Taylor smacked the first pitch from Phillies starter Aaron Harang over center fielder Odubel Herrera's head for a double.

Two batters later, Harang ran an 89 mph fastball in hard on Yunel Escobar's left hand, sending him to the ground. Nationals manager Matt Williams and head athletic trainer Lee Kuntz immediately came out of the dugout to tend to Escobar, who remained in the game.

With two outs, Harang uncorked a costly wild pitch allowing Taylor to take third base, and he scored on a two-out infield single from Wilson Ramos. Harang got a glove on the bouncing ball up the middle, slowing it for the charging Freddy Galvis. But second base umpire Jerry Meals got caught in Galvis' space, delaying the throw to first just enough to let Ramos reach safely.

Escobar left the game in between innings with Danny Espinosa shifting to third and Dan Uggla entering at second base.

Max Scherzer has started right where he left off. The right-hander, who threw a no-hitter and a one-hitter in his last two outings, has retired the first six Phillies he has faced on just 15 pitches with two strikeouts.

Update: Scherzer ripped a single to right field to start the fifth, giving the ace a six-game hitting streak. Another wild pitch from Harang allowed Scherzer to race to second base. Scherzer then moved up to third on when Taylor beat out a bunt for a base hit.

Scherzer scored the Nats' second run when Espinosa lifted a sacrifice fly to center.

With two outs, Ramos hit a line drive to right field that Domonic Brown dropped, allowing Taylor to cross the plate on the error.

The Phillies haven't come close to getting a runner on base tonight. Scherzer has struck out four through four innings, taking only 38 pitches.

Scherzer's four shutout frames tonight gives Nationals starting pitchers 45 1/3 consecutive scoreless innings, surpassing the 2008 Cleveland Indians (44 innings) for the second-longest consecutive scoreless innings streak in the expansion era.

The 1974 Baltimore Orioles strung together a 54-inning run that is the longest in the expansion era (since 1961).

Per Elias, the modern era record (since 1900) for the most consecutive scoreless innings from a team's starting pitchers is 56 innings by the Pirates in June 1903.

Update II: Ryan Howard and Brown both hit balls hard against Scherzer in the fifth, but they ended up going for long outs as Taylor ran them down. Scherzer has blanked the Phillies through five innings, throwing just 48 pitches.

Matt den Dekker, getting his first start with the Nats, hit his first home run of the season. The two-run shot pushed the Nats ahead 5-0 in the sixth.

Update III: With one out in the sixth, Galvis roped a double to the right field corner, collecting the first hit against Max Scherzer in the last 16 1/3 innings.

Galvis was stranded, though, as Scherzer retired the next two Phillies, striking out Herrera to end the frame.

Milwaukee's Carlos Gomez was the last to get a hit off Scherzer to lead off the seventh inning on June 14. Since then, Scherzer faced 54 batters before allowing the next hit to Galvis.

Update IV: Cesar Hernandex nailed a double to left-center field to start the seventh. Scherzer then struck out Maikel Franco and Howard before Brown belted a RBI double to center.

That Phillies run ended a streak of 24 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings for Scherzer and a franchise-record 48 consecutive scoreless innings streak for the Nationals' starting pitchers.

Ben Revere crushed a pinch-hit solo homer off Scherzer with one out in the eighth.

Scherzer made it through eight innings, allowing two runs on five hits with seven strikeouts and no walks. He threw 100 pitches.

Update V: Drew Stroren finished off the game.

The Nats beat the Phillies 5-2.