Phillies 9, Nationals 3: Hunter Pence hit a pair of home runs and Cole Hamels pitched eight strong innings as Philadelphia pulled away late to avoid a three-game sweep in Washington.

Hamels (4-1) scattered five hits, a walk and a hit batsman, striking out eight. He allowed just one run, a steal of home by Bryce Harper in the first inning. It appeared that Hamels would try to complete the game when he took his first turn at bat in the top of the ninth, but he was later lifted for a pinch hitter when the Phillies batted around during a six-run inning.

Pence put the Phillies in front when he hit a two-run homer to left-center against Jordan Zimmermann (1-3) in the fourth inning. Placido Polanco added an RBI base hit later in the inning to make it 3-1.

The visitors broke it open in the ninth. Juan Pierre plated Jimmy Rollins with a single and came home on a Shane Victorino triple before Pence put an exclamation point on the night with another two-run blast to left. Freddy Galvis capped the Philadelphia scoring with a two-run single. All six runs in the inning were charged to Ryan Perry.

Roger Bernadina doubled home a run for Washington in the its final at-bat, and Ian Desmond followed with an RBI infield hit.

Harper was hit by a Hamels pitch with two out in the first inning and took third on a Jayson Werth single. He gave the Nationals a 1-0 lead with his first major league stolen base when Hamels threw to first in an attempt to pick off Werth.

Zimmermann allowed three runs on seven hits in six-plus innings, walking four. He departed with the bases loaded and nobody out in the seventh, but reliever Craig Stammen got out of the inning without allowing a run.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Pence has hit safely in nine straight games ... Werth left in the sixth after injuring his left wrist while trying to make a play on a base hit by Polanco ... Harper became the second Nationals player to steal home. Desmond accomplished it as part of a double steal last April 20.