PHILADELPHIA -- Bryce Harper said after Friday's game that he was having a lot of fun. The Washington outfielder has certainly been making Philadelphia a fun place to play for the Nationals.

The Nationals trounced the Phillies 8-1 on Saturday and Harper was a big reason.

After driving in a run in the first inning with a sacrifice fly, Harper clubbed a two-run homer -- his second home run in as many nights -- off Phillies starter Aaron Nola in the top of the fifth inning, extending Washington's lead to 7-0.

Harper went 2-for-3 at the plate with three RBIs, extending his dominance at Citizens Bank Park to 12 hits in his last 20 at-bats in five games in Philadelphia, with at least two hits and a home run in each.

A seven-run lead was lenty for Washington starter Max Scherzer. The hard-throwing right-hander tossed seven innings of five-hit ball, striking out seven to go with one walk.

Scherzer helped his own cause in the fourth inning. The Phillies elected to intentionally walk Danny Espinosa with two outs to get to Scherzer after a Wilson Ramos double stopped a streak of 10 straight Nationals retired by Nola.

The move proved fatal. Scherzer clubbed a two-run double to the wall in right field to put Washington up 5-0.

The Nationals got to Nola early and chased him after five innings. He allowed seven earned runs and seven hits in five innings while striking out six.

Washington (9-1) extended its best start to a season in franchise history.

Catcher Cameron Rupp got the Phillies on the board with one out in the bottom of the fifth, taking Scherzer deep to left field to make it 7-1. Scherzer had retired the previous 12 Phillies in order before Rupp registered the Phillies' second hit of the game.

For the second straight night, the Nationals jumped all over Phillies starting pitching in the first inning.

Nola issued a leadoff walk to Michael Taylor that was followed by an Anthony Rendon single to left field, moving Taylor to third. Harper drove Taylor in with a sacrifice fly.

A single by Ryan Zimmerman drove in Rendon before a Daniel Murphy triple had the Nationals -- who led 5-0 after the first inning Friday -- ahead 3-0 before the Phillies came to the plate.

With Scherzer, one of the league's best pitchers, on the mound, the Nationals were well on their way to their seventh straight win.

NOTES: Phillies 1B/OF Darin Ruf (left shoulder) made his first start since April 6. Ruf was expected to platoon this season at first base with Ryan Howard but was slotted into left field as the Phillies search for more offense from their corner outfield positions. ... The 8-1 record the Nationals reached with a win Friday night at Citizens Bank Park marked the best start in franchise history, going back to the days of the Montreal Expos. ... The Nationals went with the same lineup on Saturday that pounded the Phillies 9-1 on Friday night. ... Phillies OF Odubel Herrera entered play Friday leading the league with 237 pitches seen through 11 games. His 5.27 pitches per plate appearance also led all hitters. ... The series closes Sunday with Gio Gonzalez taking the mound for the Nationals against Charlie Morton.