Nationals eke out another tight victory over Phillies 3-2

It required a little more late drama than they would have preferred, but the Nationals won another tight, low-scoring ballgame against the Phillies today, eking out a 3-2 victory to maintain some momentum heading into this week's series with the Mets.

Gio Gonzalez tossed seven strong innings, Daniel Murphy and Anthony Rendon delivered key RBI doubles and the Nationals bullpen hung on for dear life late to wrap up the club's sixth win in seven games on its current homestand.

Next up: the Mets, who come to town the next three days in a last-ditch attempt to make the National League East race competitive again. The Nationals, at the moment, lead New York by 9 1/2 games with 19 to play, their magic number down to 11.

The Nats pulled this one off thanks to a pair of runs in the bottom of the seventh, with Rendon doubling to deep left field to score Bryce Harper from first, then scoring himself on a passed ball.

Down 3-1, the Phillies did get a quick run back when Tommy Joseph homered on the first pitch he saw from rookie reliever Koda Glover in the top of the eighth. Fellow right-hander Blake Treinen wound up putting the tying run in scoring position later in the inning, but escaped thanks to his 17th double play induced this season, tops among all major league relievers.

Mark Melancon then pitched the ninth to record his 41st save, his 11th in as many opportunities since his July 31 acquisition.

Two of the Nationals' most consistent players teamed up to give their team an early 1-0 lead.

Trea Turner led off the bottom of the first with a single up the middle on the first pitch he saw from Adam Morgan. A few minutes later, Murphy roped a double down the right field line, bringing Turner all the way around from first with the afternoon's first run.

It was Murphy's 42nd double of the season, tops in the NL, and his 102nd RBI, second only to Colorado's Nolan Arenado.

Turner, meanwhile, delivered another hit in the bottom of the third, giving him 27 multi-hit games in 54 games this season (51 starts). His swipe of second base was his 22nd successful steal in 25 attempts.

Handed that quick 1-0 lead, Gonzalez ensured it would stay that way for six innings. The left-hander managed to get quick outs. And when he did put a man on base, he twice immediately induced 5-4-3 double plays to quash any threats.

The margin for error for Gonzalez, though, was razor-thin all along, given the Nationals' inability to extend their lead against Morgan. And so, when Tommy Joseph tagged a 3-1 changeup over the center field wall in the top of the seventh, this game was tied 1-1, and Gonzalez's otherwise sparkling outing lost a bit of its luster.

Not that anyone could fault Gonzalez at the end of the day. He gave the Nationals seven innings of one-run ball, putting them in position to win.