WASHINGTON (AP) — CJ Abrams hit a three-run homer to cap a six-run fourth inning, and the Washington Nationals defeated the Philadelphia Phillies 8-7 Friday night to spoil Michael Lorenzen’s first start since throwing a no-hitter nine days earlier.
Jake Alu and Blake Rutherford both drove in two runs for Washington, which has won 11 of 15 overall and 15 of 18 at home since July 8.
Kyle Schwarber homered twice for the Phillies, who entered the day two games ahead of San Francisco for the NL’s top wild-card spot. Philadelphia has lost four of its last five.
“I was just out of sync today,” Lorenzen said. “I was having to think way too much about what my body was doing to make certain pitches. It’s not where you really want to be during a game, thinking about your mechanics and delivery to try to throw strikes.”
Lorenzen (7-8) didn’t make it out of the fourth inning in his first outing since no-hitting Washington on Aug. 9. The right-hander’s bid for back-to-back no-hitters was dashed when Lane Thomas beat out an infield single in the first. But Lorenzen didn’t face serious trouble until the fourth.
With the Phillies up 6-1 after a six-run fourth, Johan Rojas dropped Dominic Smith’s one-out fly to center. Lorenzen allowed the next five batters to reach, capped by Abrams’ three-run blast to right field, ending his night.
“We owed him something,” Abrams said. “We had to put up runs. We put up seven, which is a good day.”
Lorenzen, who threw a career-high 124 pitches in the no-hitter, allowed seven runs, six earned, and eight hits in 3 1/3 innings. Manager Rob Thomson said Lorenzen’s velocity was good, but that his changeup wasn’t the same as it was during his gem.
“I don’t think I really had good anything today,” Lorenzen said.
Washington tacked on an insurance run on Thomas’ RBI single in the sixth.
Jose A. Ferrer (3-0), one of seven National pitchers in the game, worked the fifth. Kyle Finnegan surrendered a leadoff homer to Schwarber in the ninth before retiring the next three batters for his 20th save.
The homer ended Finnegan’s streak of 14 2/3 scoreless innings, which had been the longest in the National League. Finnegan is 3-0 with an 0.92 ERA and nine saves in 27 appearances since June 11.
“It’s not the way you want to start off an inning, but we were still fine at that point,” Finnegan said. “It gets a little more serious because they’re one swing away at that point, but I felt good. I felt like my stuff was good, so I wasn’t too worried about that leadoff home run.”
Bryce Harper was booed before each plate appearance, a customary event since he signed with Philadelphia in 2019 after playing his first seven seasons in Washington. Harper went 2 for 5, and led off the fourth against Nationals starter Joan Adon with a double.
Harper eventually came around on J.T. Realmuto’s two-run double, and the Phillies followed with Jake Cave’s RBI double and Rojas’ run-scoring single. Schwarber then lofted a fly ball into the first row of seats in right to make it 6-1.
Adon allowed six runs in four innings.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Phillies: LHP Ranger Suárez (hamstring soreness) will not make his scheduled start Sunday in the Little League Classic in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. “We don’t know how it happened,” Thomson said. “We don’t know long it’s going to be. But we’ll re-evaluate tomorrow.” RHP Zack Wheeler will start Sunday on regular rest. …OF Brandon Marsh (left knee) was 1 for 3 with two walks Friday for Triple-A Lehigh Valley, while OF Cristian Pache (right elbow) was 2 for 5 with two steals. Thomson said Marsh could be activated as early as Saturday. … LHP José Alvarado (elbow) threw a scoreless inning with two strikeouts Friday for Lehigh Valley.
Nationals: RHP Mason Thompson (left knee) pitched a scoreless inning Thursday for Double-A Harrisburg in his first rehab appearance. … RHP Carl Edwards Jr. (shoulder) tossed a scoreless inning Thursday for Class A Wilmington. … RHP Thaddeus Ward (shoulder) threw three scoreless innings Thursday for Washington’s Florida Complex League affiliate.
UP NEXT
Phillies: LHP Cristopher Sánchez (1-3, 3.39 ERA), who allowed one earned run in six innings in a June 30 loss to Washington, draws the start as the series continues.
Nationals: RHP Jake Irvin (3-5, 4.76), who faces Philadelphia for the first time, is 2-0 with a 3.94 ERA in five starts at home since July 8.
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