Phillies 7, Nationals 2: A.J. Burnett struck out seven over six strong innings and Ryan Howard hit a three-run home run as host Philadelphia evened up its three-game series with Washington.

Burnett (2-1) allowed a run on three hits and two walks en route to posting the first win by a Phillies’ starting pitcher in their first 12 home games. Jimmy Rollins went 4-for-5 and scored twice, Marlon Byrd had a two-run single and Cody Asche added a solo shot for Philadelphia, which defeated Washington for only the third time in the last 11 meetings.

Adam LaRoche recorded both of his hits off Burnett – including a solo home run in the sixth inning – to improve to 10-for-25 all-time against the right-hander while pinch hitter Zach Walters went deep off Mario Hollands in the seventh. Tanner Roark (2-1), who entered this contest with a scoreless streak of 18 innings after throwing a three-hit shutout last Saturday, was tagged for seven runs over four-plus innings.

Rollins singled and stole second in the opening frame and Chase Utley drew a walk before Howard drove the second pitch he saw from Roark into the seats into left-center. Asche followed suit in the second when he jumped on a 3-2 fastball over the middle of the plate and lined it over the fence in right for his first homer since Opening Day.

Domonic Brown ended a string of 13 hitless at-bats on a one-out double in the fourth and came across on Carlos Ruiz’s line-drive double just over the outstretched glove of Washington shortstop Ian Desmond. Roark was pulled after giving up singles to Tony Gwynn Jr. and Rollins to open the fifth, but Ryan Mattheus could not keep them from scoring as Byrd ripped a grounder past third to bring them home.

GAME NOTEBOOK: The game was delayed 24 minutes in the bottom of the sixth due to rain. … Burnett is 4-0 with a 1.02 ERA and 46 strikeouts in 44 innings over his last six starts against Washington. … Former Nationals and Phillies closer Brad Lidge threw out the ceremonial first pitch. The two-time All-Star recorded 100 saves with Philadelphia from 2008-2011 before he wrapped up his major-league career with two saves for Washington in 2012.