luck ended without a goal as Kocic recovered just in time. Ove

WASHINGTON -- Doug Fister did the splits while covering first base and reached backward to make a how-did-he-do-that stab of a grounder while on the mound, adding a bit of gymnastics to another pinpoint outing. No one can accuse the 6-foot-8 righty of being either ungainly or inaccurate. He won his fourth straight start Thursday, another walk-free outing of seven innings with just two runs and four hits allowed as the Washington Nationals beat the Philadelphia Phillies 4-2 to complete a three-game sweep. Fister (4-1) struggled in the Nationals debut last month after missing all of April with a lat strain. He hasnt allowed more than two runs in a game since. In six starts, hes walked only two batters. "Id rather them earn it," he said, "than give it away." And earning it is that much harder with a pitcher as flexible as Fister. The college first baseman did a full split while not quite hanging on to a throw to first that would have completed a double play in the first inning. "Yeah, thats not comfortable," Washington manager Matt Williams said. For the player or the manager? "For both," Williams said. Then there was the play in the third inning, when Fister flipped himself around to rob Ben Revere of a hit up the middle -- a play that proved more valuable when Jimmy Rollins followed immediately with a double. "Hes a cat out there on the mound," reliever Tyler Clippard said. "Hes getting everything." Sounds like hes the teams unofficial "pepper" champ. "I try to do a lot of work with groundballs up the middle and try to work on reaction time," Fister said. "Being able to field my position is something I take a lot of pride in." Fisters start is the latest in whats starting to look like the tough-act-to-follow rotation expected from the Nationals this season. Jordan Zimmermann threw eight scoreless innings in the series opener Tuesday, and Stephen Strasburg fanned 11 in Wednesdays win. Overall, the Nationals have won five of six. They have out-scored opponents 38-12 in those half-dozen games, including 19-6 in each of the three-game series against the Texas Rangers and the Phillies. Now comes a 10-game road trip to San Diego, San Francisco and St. Louis. "We have a really hard road trip coming up against some really good teams," Williams said. "Without going too far, were happy with where were at it right now and the way its gone. We have to continue to push." It would be easier if they could keep playing the Phillies, who have lost six straight, are an NL-worst 9-20 since May 5. A team meeting on Tuesday yielded nothing productive, and Rollins can already envision a possible lost season in which key players are traded away. "Its getting out of control now," Rollins said. "Weve got a chance to go out there and change that tomorrow. If not, then thats a decision theyre going to make either way. But wed like to put a streak together going the other direction. Be up in that left column, and find a way to win some games." Kyle Kendrick (1-6) allowed four runs over seven innings and walked a season-high five. He is 1-11 in his last 19 starts, has an 11-start winless streak on the road and hasnt won a day game since 2012, going 0-6 in his last nine starts in the sunshine. But the problems are team-wide. The Phillies are batting .224 over their last 29 games. "Its been time to straighten it out," Philadelphia manager Ryne Sandberg said. NOTES: With the matinee following a rain-delayed game the night before, Nationals SS Ian Desmond and Phillies OF Marlon Byrd were given a day off for the first time this season. Desmond had started every game up to Thursday, while Byrd had started all but one. ... Adam LaRoche hit a two-run homer, and Rafael Soriano picked up his 12th save for the Nationals. Discount Shirts China . Still, Milan remained five points behind city rival Inter Milan in the race for fifth place and the final Europa League berth, after Inter beat 10-man Parma 2-0. Meanwhile, Paul Pogba led the way as Juventus stayed on course for a third consecutive title with a 1-0 win over relegation-threatened Bologna. Wholesale Shirts Free Shipping .ca NHL Power Rankings, ahead of the Chicago Blackhawks, St. Louis Blues and Anaheim Ducks. Moving up, from 10 to seven this week, the Pittsburgh Penguins have won seven straight despite a depleted lineup. http://www.cheapshirtschina.com/ . Messis 75th-minute goal answered some of the criticism the clubs all-time leading scorer had received for his lacklustre performances in the teams recent losses in the league, Champions League and Copa del Rey final. Cheap Nike Shirts . The motion to expand the stadiums capacity passed through by a count of 39-3, with Toronto mayor Rob Ford being among those in opposition. Cheap Nike Shirts China . Of course that doesnt mean hes ignoring it. Thats actually rather impossible given the behind-the-scenes access to the Toronto Maple Leafs the network is getting.PORTLAND, Ore. - Toronto FC head coach Ryan Nelsen can identify the moment when Saturdays game slipped away from his team. It was just before half time when Portland midfielder Kalif Alhassan scored to put the home side up by two on route to a 4-0 victory over the Reds at Jeld-Wen Field, snapping TFCs two-game unbeaten streak. "It really got away from us. Before the second goal, everything was going to plan," said Nelsen. "Unfortunately it was a mistake from a young centre back (Gale Agbossoumonde) who was brilliant on the night. "He was having such a great game, but hell learn from that." Agbossoumondes error in the 83rd minute allowed Wallace to net Portlands second goal, turning what had been a close game into a rout as Rodney Wallace, Will Johnson and Diego Valeri all scored in the final ten minutes for Portland. TFC captain Steven Caldwell agreed with Nelsen, saying the Timbers second goal was the turning point. "We were in the game and started to assert ourselves a little bit and had a bit of momentum," Caldwell said. "And then, of course, we gave away the second goal, which was a poor goal from us. So then we got a wee bit loose and a wee bit open and unfortunately we go down pretty heavy in the end." The Reds travelled to Portland after consecutive 1-1 draws, but did so without the services of four players, who were called up for international duty with Canada. Regular starters Doneil Henry, Ashton Morgan and Jonathan Osorio were among those missing, while midfielder Bobby Convey was injured at Fridays practice session in Portland and was unable to play. Robert Earnshaw had Torontos best first half chance, acrobatically attempting a half volley inside the Portland box after Richard Eckersley carried the ball into the attacking third. Earnshaws shot was saved by former Reds goalkeeper Milos Kocic, who smothered the ball without as much effort as the skill of the shot suggested. Later in the half, Earnshaw tried a bicycle kick that sailed just high of Kocics goal. Toronto nearly reached half time withouut allowing a goal, narrowly avoiding the opener when Alhassans 32nd minute shot ricocheted off Joe Bendiks near post.dddddddddddd But a 45th minute volley from Alhassan sent the visitors into the locker room with a slight deficit. Despite needing to find a goal to salvage a draw, Toronto spent much of the second half on the back foot. An Andrew Jean-Baptiste 51st minute goal was called back for offside and Bendik needed to punch clear a strong Wallace shot just four minutes later. On the hour, Portlands Diego Chara streaked through the Toronto defence but Bendik was bailed out as Chara pushed his open shot wide to the right. Long balls from the back toward Earnshaw and Andrew Wiedeman yielded little, though Nelsen opted not to alter his tactical approach despite Portlands overwhelming possession and passing advantages. Wiedeman did get a half-chance in the 65th minute after a Portland defensive miscommunication, but even that break in luck ended without a goal as Kocic recovered just in time. Over the final fifteen minutes, Toronto finally poured forward with chances coming nearly every minute. Eckersley, Wiedeman and Earnshaw were responsible for the increase in opportunities but Portlands defence, which has allowed the fewest goals from open play in Major League Soccer, lived up to its record and kept the visiting Reds from stealing a late draw. A late Darel Russell header came closest to getting Toronto on the score sheet but it hit the top of the net. Torontos late push was snapped by Valeri after Agbossoumondes miscue left Wallace clear on goal. Valeri found Wallace who slotted his shot past Bendik. Johnson scored Portlands third goal when a series of passes gave the Timbers captain a wide open look in the 87th minute. Valeri poked in an injury time goal to seal the victory. Following the game, Nelsen dismissed the clubs turbulent week, including the firing of team president Kevin Payne, as having any effect on his teams performance. Toronto leaves Portland in ninth place in the Eastern Conference with 22 points coming from 27 games. ' ' '