Patrick Corbin pitched seven strong innings and the Washington Nationals defeated the visiting Philadelphia Phillies 5-1 on Thursday to salvage the finale of the three-game series.
Kyle Schwarber and Josh Bell each hit two-run, first-inning homers for Washington, which had lost four straight and seven of its previous eight.
Washington’s Starlin Castro extended his hitting streak, which started on May 1, to 11 games. He is hitting .500 (11-for-22) over his last six games.
Corbin (2-3), who began the season 0-2 with a 21.32 earned run average, allowed a run on five hits over seven innings. He struck out nine without a walk, throwing 102 pitches. Over his past three starts Corbin has lowered his ERA from 10.47 to 6.19.
Philadelphia starter Zach Eflin (2-2) gave up five runs on seven hits and two walks while striking out nine over six innings.
Andrew McCutchen led off the game with a double and, with one out, Bryce Harper singled him to third. With two outs, the Phillies executed a double steal with McCutchen scoring to make it 1-0.
Nationals manager Dave Martinez held a team meeting after Wednesday’s 5-2 10-inning loss and the effects were immediate.
Josh Harrison reached on a single with one out in the bottom of the first and, after Juan Soto grounded into a force play, Schwarber homered to left on a 1-0 curveball to make 2-0. Castro followed with a walk and Bell sent a first-pitch slider into the second deck in right-center.
Washington made it 5-1 in the sixth when Soto and Schwarber singled and Castro picked up his second hit of the day, a double just inside third base that scored Soto.
After Corbin had left the game, the first two Phillies reached base in the eighth via a Brad Miller double and a McCutchen walk, but Tanner Rainey got Jean Segura to fly out and Daniel Hudson came on to strike out Bryce Harper and Rhys Hoskins on a groundout.
Austin Voth pitched a 1-2-3 ninth.
-Field Level Media
