 will not lose 100 games. The Phillies haven't hit the century mark since 1961, when they lost 107 of 154 games.Thompson (3-2) gave up a run over five innings, then Edubray Ramos, Adam Morgan, Luis Garcia and Hector Neris combined to strike out nine over four perfect innings. Neris got his 25th save.Harper played for the first time since hyperextending and bruising his left knee on Aug. 12. He was 0 for 2 with a walk before being lifted in the fifth inning.Tommy Joseph had two hits, including a tying RBI single as part of a three-run third inning. Cameron Rupp followed with a line drive that sailed over the head of outfielder Michael Taylor in center field, bouncing to the wall to bring home both Aaron Altherr and Joseph.Rhys Hoskins added a sacrifice fly in the seventh for the Phillies.Howie Kendrick, who was traded from Philadelphia to Washington on July 28, connected on his ninth homer in the second inning for a 1-0 lead. Washington didn't get a hit after the third inning, though.Neris ended the game by striking out the side in the ninth. It was his 19th straight save, the longest streak for the club since Jonathan Papelbon converted 19 straight in 2014-15.Gio Gonzalez (15-8) allowed three runs in five innings.TRAINERS ROOMNationals: 2B Daniel Murphy was held out by manager Dusty Baker for a second straight game due to soreness in his hamstring. Baker said the move was precautionary.UP NEXTThe Nationals and Phillies will meet for the final time in 2017 on Wednesday. Washington will send RHP Tanner Roark (13-10, 4.41) to the mound. He will be opposed by Phillies RHP Mark Leiter Jr. (3-6, 4.69).---More baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball)
Nationals' Harper might return to face Phillies 1h ago• 2 min read PHILADELPHIA -- Monday was supposed to be the day Washington Nationals star Bryce Harper would make his return to the lineup.The 24-year-old has been out of the lineup since Aug. 12 with a bone bruise in his left knee and a left calf strain.However, flu symptoms delayed the outfielder's return for at least another day.So now it is possible Tuesday is the day, when Washington (95-61) plays the second game of a three-game series against the Philadelphia Phillies (62-95) at Citizens Bank Park.The Nationals improved to 26-16 with Harper out of the lineup after a 3-1 win over Philadelphia on Monday night."You hate to waste these days, but you also hate to push him out there when he's not ready," Nationals manager Dusty Baker said.Harper, once a National League MVP candidate who owns a .326 batting average with 29 home runs and 87 RBIs, is doing everything he can to get ready."He was actually here before I got here, trying to get well," Baker said before the game Monday. "You know Bryce, he is champing at the bit to play. So it's just another minor setback."This is, in essence, spring training for him. I just think it's a miracle that we're even talking about it." The Nationals, who need three wins in their final six games to tie the franchise's single-season record, send Gio Gonzalez (15-7, 2.68 ERA) to the mound Tuesday in his final postseason tune-up. The left-hander will go up against Phillies right-hander Jake Thompson (2-2, 4.14 ERA).Gonzalez is looking to cap off a big turnaround campaign in 2017 with another win. The former Phillies farmhand has had good career success against Philadelphia, owning a 10-6 record in 22 starts, compiling a 2.60 ERA in 138 2/3 innings. That includes two no-decisions against the Phillies in 2017. In those two starts, Gonzalez allowed a combined three earned runs in 14 innings.Thompson has not had success facing Washington in his young career. The 23-year-old holds an 0-2 record and a 4.87 ERA vs. the Nationals in 20 1/3 innings. On Sept. 8, in an 11-10 Phillies loss at Washington, Thompson was blasted for seven runs (five earned) in five innings.The righty, however, has been dominant in his past two outings. Thompson threw 5 1/3 scoreless innings in a Sept. 14 win over the Miami Marlins, then followed up with a brilliant performance against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday. He went five innings and allowed just one run on three hits in a no-decision during a 7-5 Philadelphia victory.Another like those would put the Phillies in a good spot. But that also depends which Philadelphia offense shows up. Energized by an influx of youth, the Phillies have been a much different team in the second half. Still, they barely provided a punch against Washington's A. J. Cole on Monday night.The Phillies have scored just seven runs in their past four games."Our bats have gone silent for a few days now," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said.
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