PHILADELPHIA -- Wilson Ramos is seeing the ball as well as he ever has, and the Washington Nationals have as a result seen their catcher get off to the best start of his career.

Ramos hit an opposite-field three-run homer in support of Max Scherzer's eight-inning effort as the Nationals drubbed the Philadelphia Phillies 7-2 on Wednesday night, completing a sweep of a three-game series.

Ramos, 3-for-4 in the game, drove in four runs in all. A .257 hitter his first six seasons, he is at .338 so far this year, which might be attributable in part to the fact that he underwent Lasix surgery early in spring training.

"To be honest I can't answer if it's the vision," he said of his success. "Lately obviously it's been helping me read pitches a lot earlier, and I've been more patient at the plate. It could very well be because of the surgery."

Ramos hit his three-run homer off Philadelphia starter Adam Morgan (1-4) in the Nationals' four-run sixth inning. Danny Espinosa added a solo shot that inning.

Ryan Zimmerman had two RBIs in the game for the National League East-leading Nationals, who won their fourth straight despite the absence for the second straight night of Bryce Harper with a bruised right knee.

Tyler Goeddel hit a two-run homer to account for Philadelphia's runs. The Phillies saw their season-worst losing streak reach six games. They also lost for the 10th time in their last 12 games to fall to 26-27, the first time they have been below the .500 mark since they were 9-10 on April 24.

"We know where we need to go," manager Pete Mackanin said. "We're not there yet. We'd like to be the Cubs."

Scherzer (6-4) allowed two runs and five hits while striking out 11 and walking two. It was the 39th double-figure strikeout game of his career, and his third this season. He fanned 20 against Detroit on May 11 to equal a major league record, and struck out 10 in a loss to the New York Mets his next time out, on May 17.

"I just feel like I did a good job of mixing all my pitches," he said. "Wil was back there calling a good game, and I just kind of got some rhythm with him. Was able to get in the flow of the game, and obviously our offense came alive."

Morgan dropped his fourth straight start, going six innings and yielding six runs and nine hits while striking out six. He didn't walk a batter, but Ramos and Espinosa both homered off him in Washington's four-run sixth inning.

Morgan hit Daniel Murphy on the right forearm with a pitch with two outs in the top of the first. After Murphy voiced his displeasure, Zimmerman followed with a double to right, chasing in the game's first run.

The Nats made it 2-0 in the fourth. Anthony Rendon led off with a double and scored on a single by Ramos.

Zimmerman and Rendon opened the sixth with singles, and Ramos, a right-handed hitter, followed by lining Morgan's 1-0 pitch into the seats in right field, his seventh homer of the season.

"He's not called the Buffalo for nothing," Nats manager Dusty Baker said of his 6-1, 257-pound catcher. "I've never seen a skinny buffalo, unless he's sick. It's not surprising. This guy's strong."

One out later, Espinosa also hit his seventh of the year and his second in as many days, a solo shot that put the Nats up 6-0.

Murphy tripled off reliever Brett Oberholtzer and scored on Zimmerman's sacrifice fly in the seventh, and Goeddel made it 7-2 with his third homer of the season in the bottom of that inning.

NOTES: 1B Tommy Joseph was in the starting lineup for Philadelphia, and manager Pete Mackanin said before the game that Joseph will replace veteran 1B Ryan Howard for three or four days (and possibly longer, depending on how Joseph performs), so that Howard can "clear his head a little bit." The 36-year-old Howard, in his 13th season, flied out as a pinch hitter in the ninth inning. He hit .101 in May and is at .153 overall. ... Joseph went 0-for-4. ... Nationals manager Dusty Baker said after the game he hopes to have Bryce Harper (bruised right knee) on Friday, when the Nats open a series in Cincinnati. ... Philadelphia acquired INF-OF Jimmy Paredes from Toronto for cash considerations and designated INF Emmanuel Burriss for assignment. Paredes struck out as a pinch hitter in the sixth inning.