WASHINGTON -AP- With Stephen Strasburg's dominating performance and Denard Span's return to the lineup, the Washington Nationals are feeling better about themselves.Strasburg allowed a run in 7 1/3 innings and Span returned from the disabled list to spark a three-run fifth inning that helped Washington to a 4-1 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Sunday."No offense to anybody, but it was normal, more normal today," Nationals manager Matt Williams said.Strasburg (1-1) struck out seven, walked two and allowed five hits in his best start of the season as the Nationals took three of four from the Phillies for their first series win. 
The right-hander had allowed 11 runs -- eight earned -- in his previous two starts, but took a no-hitter into the fifth inning Sunday with improved offspeed pitches."I think it's just the command of my changeup and the feel for my changeup was much better," Strasburg said.Added Williams: "That may be as good as I've seen him."Span singled and scored from first on Ian Desmond's double, sparking a two-out rally against Phillies starter David Buchanan (0-3)."I was out of breath," joked Span of the sprint, coming in his first game back following surgery in March to fix a core muscle. "But it felt good to just get on my horses like that."Jayson Werth singled in another run and then scored on Ryan Zimmerman's bloop double off Buchanan, who allowed three runs and six hits, three walks and struck out four."I made some good pitches, just had some tough luck on some hits ... and that fly ball to Zimmerman, you just can't do anything about that," Buchanan said.Drew Storen worked the ninth for his fourth save, sending the Phillies to their seventh loss in eight games.Philadelphia has scored only 32 runs through 13 games, but most hitters would've struggled against Strasburg on Sunday.He required only 21 pitches -- 18 strikes -- to make it through the first three innings."You want them to put the ball in play in four pitches or less, and they were doing that," Strasburg said.Then in the fifth, he struck out Jeff Francoeur on a curveball and Ryan Howard on a changeup before Carlos Ruiz looped a single to left to end the no-hit bid.The Nationals added a fourth run in the seventh on Zimmerman's single. Strasburg was chased in the eighth after Odubel Herrera doubled and scored.
The right-hander had allowed 11 runs -- eight earned -- in his previous two starts, but took a no-hitter into the fifth inning Sunday with improved offspeed pitches."I think it's just the command of my changeup and the feel for my changeup was much better," Strasburg said.Added Williams: "That may be as good as I've seen him."Span singled and scored from first on Ian Desmond's double, sparking a two-out rally against Phillies starter David Buchanan (0-3)."I was out of breath," joked Span of the sprint, coming in his first game back following surgery in March to fix a core muscle. "But it felt good to just get on my horses like that."Jayson Werth singled in another run and then scored on Ryan Zimmerman's bloop double off Buchanan, who allowed three runs and six hits, three walks and struck out four."I made some good pitches, just had some tough luck on some hits ... and that fly ball to Zimmerman, you just can't do anything about that," Buchanan said.Drew Storen worked the ninth for his fourth save, sending the Phillies to their seventh loss in eight games.Philadelphia has scored only 32 runs through 13 games, but most hitters would've struggled against Strasburg on Sunday.He required only 21 pitches -- 18 strikes -- to make it through the first three innings."You want them to put the ball in play in four pitches or less, and they were doing that," Strasburg said.Then in the fifth, he struck out Jeff Francoeur on a curveball and Ryan Howard on a changeup before Carlos Ruiz looped a single to left to end the no-hit bid.The Nationals added a fourth run in the seventh on Zimmerman's single. Strasburg was chased in the eighth after Odubel Herrera doubled and scored.
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