Phillies’ skid stretches to 5 after 5-2 loss to Nationals

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Cole Hamels wanted to be the Philadelphia Phillies' stopper on Thursday night.

Instead, he's still struggling to keep the ball in the park.

Cole Hamels allowed his sixth and seventh home runs in just his third start of the season and the Phillies lost 5-2 to the Washington Nationals.

"I'm supposed to be that guy that stops the slide or stops the bleeding," said Hamels, who allowed five runs in six innings as the Phillies lost their fifth straight. "That's kind of my job. . Not being able to do it today is definitely frustrating. "

The round-trippers are uncharacteristic for Hamels (0-2), who allowed a career-best 14 home runs last season and has never yielded more than 28.

But Yunel Escobar and Michael A. Taylor each belted one for Washington Thursday. Ryan Zimmerman added a go-ahead, two-run double against the Philadelphia left-hander, who allowed more than three earned runs against the Nationals for the first time since 2010, snapping a stretch of 15 starts.

Hamels, who allowed five hits and walked four, said he's elevating pitches.

"It's not a place I want to be in," he said, "But I know I have to make the adjustment."

Freddy Galvis hit an RBI triple and Darin Ruf added a sacrifice fly off Nationals starter Doug Fister (1-0), who went 6 2-3 innings against a Phillies offense that has averaged 2.4 runs through 10 games.

Those offensive woes induced Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg to tinker with his lineup, moving struggling first baseman Ryan Howard from fourth down to the seventh spot for the first time since 2006.

"Do I feel I can hit fourth? Yeah, I know I can," said Howard, who went 1 for 3 with an intentional walk to lift his average to .167. "But I think that's one of the things where you just kind of look at it as an internal challenge to get back to where you know you are."

Fister allowed four hits, struck out four and walked four before leaving the game with the bases loaded. Chase Utley flew out off reliever Matt Thornton to end the thread.

Drew Storen pitched the ninth for his third save.

BALKING INTO TROUBLE

Washington scored a run after Hamels balked Harper to second and Wilson Ramos hit an RBI-single. It was Hamels' second balk this season. He had six career balks coming in.

"I guess my foot crossed. I just don't understand where the actual crossline is. I guess I'll have to look that up," he said. ".twice in one year, and I normally don't ever balk."

TRAINER'S ROOM

Phillies OF Domonic Brown (left Achilles tendinitis) is expected to join Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Friday as he continues a rehab assignment. He went 4 for 14 with a homer in five games with Class A Clearwater.

UP NEXT

Nationals free-agent acquisition Max Scherzer (0-1, 0.66) makes his third start in a rematch of Sunday's starters. The right hander has allowed four runs, one earned, on 10 hits over 13 2-3 innings. Philadelphia's Sean O'Sullivan (0-0, 3.00 ERA) makes his first career start at Nationals Park.

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