Phillies battle Scherzer but lose, 5-2

The Phillies weren't able to take advantage of Washington righthander Max Scherzer on an "off night."

At least judging by his recent performances, Scherzer was downright hittable Friday night. Beatable is another story.

Scherzer pitched eight innings and allowed two runs on five hits in a 5-2 win over the Phillies to kick off the Pete Mackanin interim managerial era at Citizens Bank Park.

Mackanin replaced Ryne Sandberg, who surprisingly resigned on Friday.

Scherzer's two previous outings were an awful lot to live up to, and he entered Friday's game bringing the name of Johnny Vander Meer back into the public consciousness.

Vander Meer is the only pitcher to throw back-to-back no-hitters, accomplishing the feat in 1938 with the Cincinnati Reds.

Coming off a no-hitter against Pittsburgh last Saturday and a one-hitter against Milwaukee the start before that, Scherzer was pitching some of the best baseball of his life. That's saying something, since he won the American League Cy Young Award in 2013 with Detroit.

"It is fun," Scherzer said of his recent roll. "I feel I am in sync with my catchers."

Phillies shortstop Freddy Galvis hit a one-out double to the right-field corner to break up Scherzer's perfect game in the sixth inning.

It was the first hit Scherzer had allowed in 171/3 innings.

"The thing about him is, No. 1, he comes right at you and is very aggressive and throws all his pitches for strikes," Mackanin said.

Washington, playing without Bryce Harper (hamstring) scored all five runs off Aaron Harang, who has lost seven consecutive starts for the first time in his career.

The big blow was a two-run homer by Matt den Dekker in the sixth inning that extended the lead to 5-0.

"I threw a change-up that was down and ran right in and den Dekker put a good swing on it," Harang said. "It is right in his swing tower and that is frustrating, because that changes the whole game there."

Trailing by 5-0 through six innings, the Phillies got an RBI double by Domonic Brown in the seventh and a solo home run by pinch-hitter Ben Revere in the eighth.

"I felt like we had a chance to get to him," Mackanin said of Scherzer. "It would have been nice winning a game he started, as well as he has been pitching lately."

It was surprising that Revere went deep against Scherzer. Actually, Revere's hitting a home run against anybody would raise eyebrows. It was just his third career major-league homer.

"Even though I gave up a home run, I felt like I was throwing the ball well and able to execute my pitches late in the game," Scherzer said.

Brown ended the game hearing boos when he was caught in a rundown between third and home. He received a similar response from the crowd in the fifth inning when a two-out liner to right field by Wilson Ramos dropped out of his glove, allowing the Nationals to score an unearned run.

"Two missed plays out there might have cost us the game," Brown said. "I have to play better."

The same goes for the rest of the team, especially when facing baseball's hottest pitcher.