Phillies edge Nationals 3-2 to claim weekend series

Ranger Suarez pitched seven scoreless innings and Rafael Marchan knocked in three runs as the host Philadelphia Phillies topped the Washington Nationals 3-2 on Sunday.

Suarez (10-6) struck out 11 without a walk and allowed only three hits in lowering his ERA to 3.07. Nick Castellanos had two hits and scored a run for the Phillies, who captured two of three in the weekend series.

Jake Irvin (8-9) lasted only 2 1/3 innings for the Nationals, allowing three runs, six hits and two walks. Luis Garcia Jr.'s pinch homer in the ninth highlighted a quiet offensive day for Washington.

The key sequence came in the eighth inning, when Philadelphia reliever Jose Alvarado promptly loaded the bases with nobody out. Phillies manager Rob Thomson summoned Tanner Banks, who induced a double-play grounder from James Wood -- a run scored on the play -- and an inning-ending flyout to keep it 3-1.

Garcia hit a home run against Orion Kerkering in the ninth to get the visitors within a run, but Josh Bell and Dylan Crews went down quietly to end it.

Philadelphia opened the scoring in the second inning, a rally that began with Castellanos' leadoff single against Irvin. He advanced on a single by Harrison Bader and then on a grounder before Marchan laced a double into right-center field to make it 2-0.

After retiring the first eight batters he faced, Suarez allowed a double to Jacob Young with two outs in the third. However, he recovered to strike out Wood to keep Washington off the scoreboard.

The Phillies went back on the attack in the third inning, as Alec Bohm and Castellanos singled to open the frame and Bader walked with one out, ending Irvin's day. Shinnosuke Ogasawara came on and got the second out, but he then walked Marchan to force in a run.

Suarez had no major issues in the fourth, fifth or sixth innings. He allowed a leadoff single to Riley Adams in the seventh, but he set down the next three hitters to keep the score at 3-0.

--Field Level Media