PHILADELPHIA -- The Washington Nationals hit four home runs against the Philadelphia Phillies on Tuesday night.

The Phillies had four hits.

That was the stark difference between the teams in the Nationals' 5-1 victory, and the difference between them in the standings.

Washington, which leads the National League East with a 31-21 record, won its third consecutive game despite the absence of Bryce Harper, last year's National League MVP, with a bruised right knee.

Philadelphia, which faded to fourth in the five-team division after a promising start, saw its season-worst losing streak reach five games.

"We're just getting out-homered every night," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "Once again, I feel like it's a broken record. We're not hitting."

The Phillies, now 26-26, are at the .500 mark for the first time since they were 10-10.

"When things are going good, they snowball," Mackanin said. "When they're going bad, they snowball. And you've got to keep that snowball from rolling. Somehow we've got to figure out a way to get out of it."

The Nationals, meanwhile, are rolling in the other direction -- especially second baseman Daniel Murphy.

Murphy, the major leagues' leading hitter with a .397 average, snapped a 1-1 tie with a solo home run off Aaron Nola (4-4) in the sixth inning. The homer was Murphy's ninth of the season, and his second in as many nights. It came one day after his two-run single put the Nationals ahead to stay in Monday's 4-3 victory.

"I'm just looking for a pitch in my zone," he said, "and trying to put my 'A' swing on it."

He went 2-for-4 and finished May with 47 hits, equaling the franchise record for hits in any month. Al Oliver also had 47 in August 1982, and Marquis Grissom did the same in June 1994.

"Murph's ready to hit June, July, August, September," manager Dusty Baker said. "You've seen him in October. It doesn't really matter, as long as we keep him healthy and happy."

Jayson Werth, Danny Espinosa and Stephen Drew also connected for Washington. Espinosa and Drew hit back-to-back shots in the ninth inning, and Drew's was a pinch-hit inside-the-park blast.

It was the fifth time this season Washington has hit consecutive homers. Drew's inside-the-park shot was the fourth in Nationals history, and their second this season. Ryan Zimmerman also hit one on May 15 against Miami.

Drew's shot was, in addition, Washington's eighth pinch-hit homer to date, matching a Nationals single-season record.

Espinosa's homer, his sixth of the season, was a two-run blast off reliever Colton Murray with two outs in the ninth. Drew, batting for reliever Felipe Olivero, then sent a shot to deep center field that bounced high off the fence and eluded Philadelphia center fielder Odubel Herrera and right fielder Tyler Goeddel.

Goeddel finally corralled the ball in medium right field and fired home, but his throw was up the third-base line, allowing Drew to elude catcher Cameron Rupp and slide home.

"It kind of happened fast," Drew said. "I saw the ball kick back so I knew I could get to third but halfway to third I saw (third base coach Bob Henley) still waving his hand, so I said, 'I have to kick it in gear here.' "

Washington starter Joe Ross (5-4) earned his second straight victory, going seven innings and allowing one run and three hits while striking out five and walking two.

Nola went six innings and allowed two runs and five hits, while striking out six and walking one.

Werth, the second batter Nola faced in the top of the first, hit a first-pitch fastball into the seats in left field with the bases empty, his eighth homer of the season.

The Phillies forged a 1-1 tie when David Lough led off the bottom of the second with a single and Cesar Hernandez followed with an RBI triple.

Ross managed to avert further trouble, retiring Nola on a grounder to short with the infield in and inducing a fielder's choice bouncer off the bat of Odubel Herrera, on which shortstop Danny Espinosa fired home to retire Hernandez. Freddy Galvis then flied out to end the inning.

NOTES: Phillies manager Pete Mackanin scrambled the lineup of his team, which before Tuesday had scored 163 runs, second-fewest in the major leagues. C Cameron Rupp batted fourth, only the second time he started in that spot this season, and slumping 1B Ryan Howard was dropped to No. 5 in the order. Mackanin also dropped 2B Cesar Hernandez to No. 8 and batted pitcher Aaron Nola ninth, after hitting the pitcher eighth much of the season. ... Washington OF Bryce Harper did not play after suffering a bruised right knee when hit by a pitch from Phillies RHP Jeremy Hellickson on Monday. Harper is listed as day-to-day.