WASHINGTON - Cole Hamels pitched eight sharp innings, Ryan Howard homered and the Philadelphia Phillies roughed up Stephen Strasburg, beating Washington 8-1 Saturday and ending the Nationals' six-game winning streak.

Hamels (5-3) won his fourth straight start, and has compiled a 1.53 ERA over that stretch. He gave up one run and five hits, striking out five and walking one.

Strasburg (3-5) was chased after 3 2-3 innings. He allowed six runs and seven hits — over his last three starts, he has been tagged for 15 earned runs in 12 innings.

Howard finished with three hits and Maikel Franco had two hits, including a homer, for Philadelphia, which had lost two straight.

Hamels, who had a shutout going until giving up Ian Desmond's RBI double in the eighth, hadn't won four consecutive starts since a five-game run in May 2012. He also snapped his six-game winless streak against the Nationals.

Howard, who had an RBI double in the third inning, is now 10 for 26 (.385) with three homers and five RBIs through six games of Philadelphia's 10-game trip.

Washington's Bryce Harper went 0 for 4 and slammed his bat in disgust after striking out in the ninth inning.

The Phillies got to Strasburg for four runs in the third. A one-out double by Cesar Hernandez put runners on second and third. After Chase Utley's grounder scored Ben Revere, Howard lined a double down the right-field line, sending Hernandez home.

Strasburg quickly got ahead of Franco, but the Phillies' third baseman hit an 0-2 fastball into the right-centre field seats, making it 4-0.

Three Washington errors contributed to Strasburg's exit in the fourth when the Phillies added two runs.

Revere singled home a run and later scored when Desmond committed an error on a grounder by Hernandez.

Howard homered off reliever A.J. Cole to open the fifth.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Nationals: INF Anthony Rendon (oblique, left knee) took full batting practice on the field for the first time. Manager Matt Williams said Rendon will play simulated games in Viera, Florida, beginning early next week. ... Williams said OF Jayson Werth (left wrist contusion) still has swelling in the wrist and is unable to swing a bat.

UP NEXT

Phillies: RHP Aaron Harang (4-3, 1.82) hasn't allowed an earned run over 14 innings in his last two starts. He's 4-5 with a 3.16 ERA in 14 career starts against Washington.

Nationals: RHP Gio Gonzalez (3-2, 4.94) is coming off two no-decisions in which he's allowed 11 earned runs in 10 innings. He's 6-5 with a 3.15 ERA in 13 starts against the Phillies.