WASHINGTON -- After his last two rough starts, Gio Gonzalez sought the advice of everyone that would listen on the Washington Nationals pitching staff.

Overall, he said, the advice was simple: don't try to be perfect.

Gonzalez shook off his struggles to work into the seventh inning and help the Nationals defeat the Philadelphia Phillies 4-1 to take the rubber game of a three-game series.

"The difference was minimizing damage," said Gonzalez, who had allowed 11 runs over his previous two starts, but yielded just one in 6 1/3 innings Sunday. "I wasn't going out there trying to nitpick the corners or baby my pitches. It was go out there and be aggressive in the strike zone and again, we have defense for a reason."

Nationals right fielder Bryce Harper had two hits, two RBIs and a key outfield assist, and center fielder Denard Span doubled twice and scored a run as Washington won for the seventh time in its last eight games.

"It means that we have guys that stop the bleeding," Gonzalez said of the victory, coming a day after the Phillies thumped the Nationals 8-1. "We have a great bullpen that's going out there doing a job."

Phillies right-hander Aaron Harang took his second loss in May despite making his career-high ninth consecutive quality start.

Gonzalez (4-2), the Nationals' only left-handed starter, escaped a loss in either of his last two outings, but needed to be better Sunday. He was, allowing a run on seven hits and a walk over 6 1/3 innings, while striking out seven. He left with a 2-1 lead.

Closer Drew Storen worked the ninth for his 14th save.

Harang (4-4) saw his string of 17 consecutive innings without allowing an earned run halted when the Nationals tied it at 1-1 in the fourth, but allowed only two runs over six innings. He gave up seven hits, walked two and struck out two as the Phillies fell to their first series defeat in their last four series.

With one out in the seventh, Phillies center fielder Odubel Herrera singled to chase Gonzalez. Catcher Cameron Rupp came up next and looped a ball into right field off reliever Aaron Barrett that dropped in. But Harper threw out the sliding Herrera on a force at second.

Afterward, Phillies manager Ryne Howard said Herrera stayed too close to first waiting to see the ball drop.

"I would say Harper creates some attention out there as the right fielder with his speed and diving catch ability," Sandberg said. "But we want to favor the runner getting to second base on that rather than being that far to go once it dropped in. ... That could've been a big play."

Righty reliever Matt Grace caught pinch-hitter Chase Utley looking to end the inning.

The Nationals scored twice more in the bottom half when Span led off with a double and scored on Harper's two-out single off reliever Jake Diekman. Harper came in on first baseman Ryan Zimmerman's double to make it 4-1.

"Diekman has been tough on Harper in the past," Sandberg said. "You know, one of those hot hitters. And even a ball that gets in on him, jam shot, found a hole there. It looked like he made a decent pitch, just fought it off and blooped it in."

The Nationals took a 2-1 lead in the fifth when third baseman Yunel Escobar tripled to the gap in right-center and scored on Harper's grounder to short.

It was Escobar's first triple since 2013.

Gonzalez started well, inducing the Phillies into inning-ending double plays in the first and second innings before striking out the side in the third.

But the Phillies took a 1-0 lead in the fourth when shortstop Freddy Galvis singled, reached second on first baseman Darin Ruf's walk, and scored on right fielder Jeff Francoeur's single into left field.

The Nationals tied it in the bottom half. Left fielder Clint Robinson smacked a leadoff double into right-center and scored on catcher Jo