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Daniel Murphy saves the day as Washington Nationals top Phillies in series opener

By Pablo Roa |
May 30, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Washington Nationals second baseman Daniel Murphy (20) is congratulated by third base coach Bob Henley (13) after hitting a solo home run against the Philadelphia Phillies during the fourth inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
May 30, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Washington Nationals second baseman Daniel Murphy (20) is congratulated by third base coach Bob Henley (13) after hitting a solo home run against the Philadelphia Phillies during the fourth inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Daniel Murphy delivered a clutch hit in the top of the eighth inning to lead the Washington Nationals to a win over the Phillies in the first game of the three game series in Philadelphia.

The Washington Nationals defeated the Philadelphia Phillies Monday night after a big night at the plate from second baseman Daniel Murphy and a solid performance from starter Tanner Roark. Washington was trailing heading into the late innings, but a big three-run eighth inning put the Nationals on top in the series opener.

Roark got the start for the Nationals and was solid all night long. The right-hander allowed just two runs on four hits over seven innings, while striking out four batters and walking two. With the win, Roark improves his record to 4-4 and boasts an impressive 2.70 ERA for the season.

The Phillies’ offense got the scoring started in the bottom of the second inning on a squeeze play with a runner on third, giving them a 1-0 lead. The Nationals got that run back in the top of the fourth on a solo homer off the bat of Murphy, tying the score at 1-1.

Freddy Galvis hit a solo homer in the bottom of the sixth to give the Phillies a 2-1 lead. Fortunately for the Nationals, Murphy wasn’t done.

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After Jayson Werth tied the game with an RBI single in the top of the eighth, Murphy stepped up to the plate with two outs and the bases loaded. The  Nationals’ second baseman delivered, drilling a two-run single to give the Nationals a 4-2 lead.

Murphy went 3-for-4 on the night and raised his batting average to an MLB-leading .395.

Nationals closer Jonathan Papelbon made things interesting in the bottom of the ninth inning. The Phillies led off the frame with two consecutive doubles, trimming the Nationals’ lead to 4-3 and putting the tying run in scoring position with no outs.

Fortunately for Washington, Papelbon was able to strike out the next two batters. Tyler Goeddel then hit a soft line drive right to second base. Murphy made the catch, putting an end to one of his most memorable games in a Nationals uniform and securing a 4-3 win for Washington.

Next Up: The Nationals and Phillies will be back in action tomorrow night at 7:05 p.m. ET. Joe Ross gets the start for the Nationals, while Aaron Nola takes the mound for the Phillies.

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