• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers
• Game Tracker

Rupp's 9th-inning hit lifts Phils over Nats 3-0 for sweep

Apr 29, 2016 - 1:08 AM WASHINGTON (AP) So much for the Washington Nationals' hot start.

Cameron Rupp hit a tiebreaking, two-run double off Jonathan Papelbon in a three-run ninth inning, and the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Nationals 3-0 Thursday to complete a three-game sweep.

Philadelphia has won six of seven and at 12-10 moved two games over .500. The Phillies swept a series in Washington for the first time since May 2009.

''It's always sweet, especially sweeping these guys in your division,'' Rupp said. ''A lot of people write us off saying we don't want to win. That's not true. We come out here and play.''

Aaron Nola, Dalier Hinojosa, Elvis Araujo (1-0) and Jeanmar Gomez combined on a four-hitter and extended Washington's scoreless streak to 22 innings.

''The pitching has been the reason why we're even able to win games,'' manager Pete Mackanin said.

Odubel Herrera singled off Felipe Rivero (0-1) opening the ninth and took third on Freddy Galvis' double.

Maikel Franco was walked intentionally, and Papelbon came in to strike out pinch-hitter Darin Ruf. Rupp hit a drive to deep right that landed over a backpedaling Bryce Harper at the warning track.

''I'm looking for a pitch up and hit the ball in the air,'' Rupp said. ''Keep the ball off the ground.''

David Lough's run-scoring single boosted the lead

''I saw myself working my way out of that situation,'' Papelbon said. ''I really did. I felt real confident getting out of that situation and picking us up there, bases loaded, no outs.''

Gomez pitched a one-hit ninth for his seventh save in seven chances - his third in three days - getting Jayson Werth to ground into a game-ending double play.

''If somebody told me we'd start off 14-7, I'd be very, very happy,'' Nationals manager Dusty Baker said. ''We kind of spoiled everybody by starting the way we did, so we'll get it back together.''

In a game delayed by 36 minutes at the start because of rain, Harper went 1 for 4 on the fourth anniversary of his major league debut. The NL MVP struck out against Araujo with two outs and the bases loaded in the eighth.

Nola, 0-1 with a 7.80 ERA in three prior starts versus Washington, gave up two hits and struck out seven in seven innings.

Washington's Tanner Roark, who struck out a career-high 15 in his previous outing, fanned six as he yielded two hits over seven innings for his second straight start.

HINOJOSA DAY TO DAY

Mackanin said X-rays were negative on RHP Dalier Hinojosa, who took a line drive off his pitching hand in the eighth inning. ''We're just going to go day to day and see how swollen it gets,'' Mackanin said.

PITCHING TO HARPER

Harper walked five times in the first two games of the series, but Nola challenged him with two outs and a runner on third in the sixth, getting a groundout. ''I mean we can't walk the guy every time,'' Mackanin said. ''Somebody's got to be able to get him out, and it's nothing to nothing, middle of the game. I want to give our pitcher credit to get good hitters out.''

BAKER ON HARPER'S ANNIVERSARY

''When he got here he was over matched a little bit in the beginning, which is usual, and then he figured it out. He figured it out in a hurry,'' Baker said. ''He actually figured it out quicker than Barry Bonds did.''

TRAINER'S ROOM

Nationals: Baker rested CF Michael Taylor and 3B Anthony Rendon from his starting lineup, using Matt den Dekker in center and Stephen Drew at third. Rendon pinch hit in the eighth.

UP NEXT

Phillies: Adam Morgan (0-0) is likely to be called up to start Friday's series opener against Cleveland.

Nationals: Stephen Strasburg (3-0, 2.17), the top pick in the 2009 amateur draft, is to start Friday at St. Louis against Mike Leake (0-2, 5.64), taken by Cincinnati with the eighth pick that June.