Nationals 1 - 4 Phillies
Final
  for this game

Strong 7th leads Phils over Nats

Apr 11, 2015 - 4:41 AM Philadelphia, PA (SportsNetwork.com) - Cesar Hernandez's two-run single highlighted a four-run seventh inning that led the Philadelphia Phillies to a 4-1 win over the Washington Nationals that opened a three-game set.

Freddy Galvis was 3-for-3 with an RBI and Chase Utley also drove in a run for the Phillies, who lost two of three against Boston to open the season.

Jerome Williams pitched six innings for Philadelphia and allowed one run on five hits with a walk and six strikeouts. Luis Garcia (1-0) got the win for tossing a flawless seventh inning.

"He just settled in, he stayed down in the zone. He made good pitches," Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg said. "When he missed, he missed to the right spot, usually down and just off the plate."

Michael Taylor's leadoff home run to start the game was the only offense for the Nationals, who have lost three of four to start the season.

"Guys in our lineup have been there before, they've had success, they've done it," Nationals manager Matt Williams said. "We're not worried about that. There are no excuses for scoring enough runs, but we believe in our guys and we believe in their ability."

Gio Gonzalez (0-1) was handed the loss after giving up three runs on five hits while walking four and striking out four in 6 1/3 innings.

The Phillies didn't even get a runner past second until the seventh inning as Grady Sizemore and Cameron Rupp worked one-out walks before Andres Blanco was hit by a pitch.

Xavier Cedeno then took the hill and Hernandez roped a single to right to give the Phillies the lead. After Ben Revere was hit by a pitch to again load the bases, Galvis stroke a one-run single to right off Craig Stammen, and Utley followed with a sacrifice fly for a 4-1 lead.

Ken Giles pitched around a two-out double in the eighth, while Jonathan Papelbon tossed a 1-2-3 ninth for his second save of the season.

Taylor led off the game with his first of the season, but the Nationals left runners at the corners to end the frame.

Washington got just one more runner to third the rest of the game.

Game Notes

Gonzalez fell to 6-5 lifetime against the Phillies ... Jerome Williams improved to 1-1 in five games against the Nationals






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