WASHINGTON (AP) — Curtis Mead and Luis Garcia Jr. homered, Foster Griffin pitched 7 1/3 strong innings and the Nationals beat the Phillies 4-1 on Monday night in the opener of a four-game series between the division rivals.
Dylan Crews, James Wood and Keibert Ruiz each had a double and a single for Washington, which had lost three of four.
Griffin (8-2) gave up a run on four hits and struck out nine without a walk. He has gone five or more innings and allowed one earned run in each of his past four starts.
Clayton Beeter pitched the ninth for his sixth save.
Brandon Marsh homered for Philadelphia, which had won two straight and four of six.
The start of the game was delayed one hour and 32 minutes by rain.
Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper, who went a combined 12 for 17 over their past two games with six homers (four by Schwarber) went 2 for 8 with Harper singling twice.
Washington’s CJ Abrams saw his home run streak end at three games. Nasim Nuñez singled twice and has hit safely in eight straight games and reached base safely in a career-high 14 straight.
Marsh’s homer in the seventh pulled the Phillies within 2-1, but Wood singled and Mead followed with a two-run shot in the bottom half.
Wood doubled leading off the first against opener Tim Mayza and scored on a single by Crews.
Garcia homered off Alan Rangel with one out in the second to make it 2-0.
Mayza (2-2) allowed one run in one inning and bulk reliever Rangel, recalled from Triple-A Lehigh Valley, allowed a run on five hits over five innings.
Up next
Philadelphia’s Jesús Luzardo (6-4, 4.20 ERA) pitches the second game of the series, while the Nationals will start Zack Littell (6-6, 5.45).
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