Major League Baseball

Turner hit in sixth lifts Nationals past Phillies 4-3 (Sep 07, 2017)

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 5:26 p.m. ET

WASHINGTON (AP) Trea Turner's clutch swing helped the Washington Nationals move a little closer to their second straight NL East title.

Turner capped Washington's three-run sixth inning with a two-run single, and the Nationals beat the Philadelphia Phillies 4-3 on Thursday night for their fourth straight win.

Adam Lind had two hits and scored a run for Washington, and Michael A. Taylor contributed a terrific catch in center field. Tanner Roark (12-9) allowed three runs and seven hits in six innings.

Coupled with Miami's 6-5 loss at Atlanta, the Nationals lowered their magic number for clinching the division to four.

Facing Adam Morgan with one out and the bases loaded, Turner sent a grounder up the middle to give Washington a 4-3 lead.

''My first couple of bats I feel like I had some pitches to hit and didn't capitalize,'' said Turner, who quickly fell behind Morgan 0-2. ''He threw two tough pitches on the first two and then got that third one up in the zone and I put a decent swing on it.''

Jorge Alfaro and Tommy Joseph homered for Philadelphia, and Odubel Herrera extended his hitting streak to 20 games, the longest in the majors this season.

The Nationals trailed 3-1 when Lind led off the sixth with a single and advanced to third on a wild pitch and passed ball. He scored on a one-out double by Matt Wieters that chased Aaron Nola from the game.

Morgan (3-2) came in and walked pinch hitter Howie Kendrick. Pinch hitter Rafael Bautista singled to load the bases and set the stage for Turner.

Philadelphia's Andres Blanco started the sixth with a fly ball to center that might have cleared the fence, but Taylor raced to the wall and made a leaping grab for the out.

''I knew he got it pretty well,'' Taylor said. ''The ball carries here pretty well so I was just trying to get to the wall as fast as I could.''

Manager Dusty Baker thought the ball was heading out.

''That was a tremendous play,'' Baker said. ''We're used to seeing Michael do things like that in center field because he's becoming one of the best in the business.''

Brandon Kintzler, Ryan Madson and Sean Doolittle combined for three scoreless innings in relief, with Doolittle earning his 16th save since coming to Washington.

Nola was charged with three runs, two earned, and seven hits. He struck out eight and walked two.

''(Nola) pItched well enough to win,'' manager Pete Mackanin said. ''We just didn't score enough runs.''

Washington jumped in front in the second inning when Taylor reached on an error, stole second, and scored on Alejandro De Aza's single.

Alfaro led off the third with his second homer, and Philadelphia grabbed a 2-1 lead on Joseph's 21st of the season in the fourth. Joseph's high drive just cleared the fence in left.

''That thing was higher than it was far,'' Mackanin joked.

NEW KID IN TOWN

Victor Robles, Washington's top prospect, made his major league debut in the seventh and flied out as a pinch hitter.

Robles was promoted from Double-A Harrisburg. The 20-year-old outfielder hit .300 with 10 homers, 47 RBIs and 27 steals in 114 games over two minor league stops this season.

CHASING CHASE

Herrera is the first Phillies player with a 20-game hit streak since 2006, when Chase Utley recorded a 35-game run from June 3-Aug. 3.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Phillies: OF Daniel Nava (back) saw a doctor Thursday.

Nationals: Baker said OF Brian Goodwin (groin strain) suffered a setback and might miss the rest of the season. ... RHP Erick Fedde (right forearm flexor strain) was transferred to the 60-day disabled list.

UP NEXT

Phillies: RHP Jake Thompson (1-1, 4.50 ERA) is 0-1 with a 3.53 ERA in four games, including two starts, against the Nationals.

Nationals: RHP Max Scherzer (13-5, 2.19 ERA) has not lost to the Phillies since joining the Nationals, going 7-0 with a 2.07 ERA in 11 games.

---

More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball