Major League Baseball

Phillies-Nationals game postponed by rain

Published Jun. 27, 2015 5:15 p.m. ET

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PHILADELPHIA (AP) Nationals manager Matt Williams was pretty peeved that this game even started.

Despite heavy rain in the forecast for Saturday afternoon and night, Washington and the Philadelphia Phillies started play under a steady drizzle. The rain intensified and game was stopped 32 minutes after it's 3:05 p.m. start. It was called after a delay of 1 hour, 27 minutes.

The game will be made up on Sunday as part of a doubleheader that begins at 1:05 p.m.

''It's extremely frustrating,'' Williams said. ''It burned up our pitching. I'm not very happy about it.''

Williams said the explanation he got was that it was going to be playable.

''Clearly, it wasn't,'' he said.

The game was scoreless when it was halted after the Nationals batted in the second inning. Washington left-hander Gio Gonzalez gave up one hit in the first inning. Gonzalez won't pitch on Sunday when the NL East-leading Nationals seek their eighth straight win, but Williams said the left-hander could be bumped up from his regular rest.

''We'll play it by ear,'' Williams said.

WHAT A CATCH

Philadelphia's Ben Revere robbed Tyler Moore of extra bases with a leaping catch against the wall in left-center field in the second inning.

''Oh, golly, that was an amazing catch,'' Phillies left-hander Adam Morgan said. ''It was one that I definitely won't forget.''

Said Revere: ''I just tried to jump as high as I can to catch it. Luckily, it found a way into my glove.''

STATS STOLEN

Besides the highlight-reel grab, Revere also singled and stole a base. Those, and all statistics from Saturday's game, are erased from the record books. Revere said he hopes he didn't fall one hit or one stolen base short of a bench mark at the end of the season.

''You end up at the end of the year with 49 stolen bases or 199 hits and you get one taken away from you,'' he said. ''If that happens, I'm going to be ticked. It's whatever. Mother Nature happens.''

LET'S PLAY TWO

The teams will play a rare traditional doubleheader Sunday. Revere said two consecutive games can take a toll on the body.

''Your legs get tired playing one nine and another one after that, especially when you get older,'' he said. ''It really drains you a lot. Get good rest, as much as possible, stretch out, but it's definitely going to be a long day.''

STREAKING

The Nationals' seven-game winning streak is their longest since winning 10 straight last Aug. 12-21. Their starting pitchers went 47 1-3 scoreless innings during the streak.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Nationals: Outfielders Bryce Harper (hamstring) and Denard Span (back) and second baseman Yunel Escobar (bruised left hand) weren't in the starting lineup on Saturday. Williams said Harper and Span are day to day.

Phillies: Healthy first baseman Ryan Howard got a full day of rest on Saturday. Howard wasn't in the lineup, as he entered 0 for 11 with six strikeouts against Gonzalez.

UP NEXT

Washington RHP Stephen Strasburg (4-5, 5.90) and Phillies RHP Kevin Correia (0-1, 4.30), both San Diego natives, will meet in Game 1. Philadelphia will recall RHP Severino Gonzalez (2-2, 8.69) from Triple-A to start the nightcap. The Nationals haven't determined their starter for the second game.

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