Adams, Rendon power pack performance lead Nationals against Phillies

Anthony Rendon continued his torrid hitting with two hits and three RBIs and Matt Adams had two hits and four RBIs as the Washington Nationals scored three runs in the first and kept going, beating the Philadelphia Phillies 15-1 on Wednesday. The Nationals (6-5) took two of three in the series with the Phillies (7-4) after winning two of three in New York against the Mets.

The winning pitcher was Jeremy Hellickson (1-0), who pitched six scoreless innings against his former team and allowed just three hits. Rendon has now hit in 10 games in a row and has an extra-base hit in eight straight, the longest active mark in the majors. Adam Eaton and Brian Dozier each had three hits for the Nationals, who had 17 hits overall.

The Nationals began the first with leadoff singles from Eaton and Dozier off Phillies starter Nick Pivetta (1-1), who needed 39 pitches to get out of the first. That brought up Rendon, who singled to right. The throw by Harper from right field held Eaton at third base. Juan Soto followed with a walk to bring in Eaton and gave the Nationals a 1-0 lead.

Adams, getting the start at first for Ryan Zimmerman, followed with a long sacrifice fly for a 2-0 lead as Dozier scored. Yan Gomes drove in a run with an infield single for a 3-0 lead. Rendon, who had a three-run double in the fourth, entered the game 6 for 12 against Pivetta with three homers. Pivetta entered the game 1-4 with an ERA of 9.93 in seven games with six starts against Washington.

Hellickson played for the Phillies and was 12-10 in 2016 as a member of the rotation. He began 2017 with the Phillies before he was picked up by the Baltimore Orioles. Pivetta was drafted out of New Mexico Junior College by the Nationals in 2013. He worked his way up the minors before he was traded to the Phillies in 2015 for veteran reliever Jonathan Papelbon. The Phillies had just three hits. 

(With inputs from agencies.)