Home runs by Hunter Pence and Carlos Ruiz have given the Philadelphia Phillies a 3-1 lead over the Washington Nationals after six innings at Nationals Park.
After getting through the first three innings without allowing a hit, Nationals starter Stephen Strasburg allowed a single to Juan Pierre in the fourth inning. One batter later, Pence sent a Strasburg curveball into the red seats in deep left-center field.
The Nationals got one of the runs back in the bottom of the fourth, when Chad Tracy golfed a solo home run into the Nationals bullpen off of Kyle Kendrick. But Ruiz answered in the top of the fifth by planting a Strasburg fastball beyond the center-field wall.
Pence's home run was the first Strasburg had given up since August 15, 2010.
We'll have plenty more on the series throughout the weekend on SB Nation D.C., so keep it locked to this StoryStream for all of the latest news and updates. For more on this series and all things Washington Nationals baseball, please check out Federal Baseball. For some perspective from the other dugout head over to The Good Phight, SB Nation's Philadelphia Phillies blog. And as always, please check out the SB Nation MLB Baseball hub page for more on this and every Major League series.