WASHINGTON -- The last time the Nationals saw Michael Lorenzen, he was celebrating on the field at Citizens Bank Park, surrounded by jubilant teammates as the crowd roared in elation over his feat. The Philadelphia right-hander had just no-hit Washington, becoming the first pitcher to do so in Nationals team history (2005-present).

Only nine days later, Washington faced Lorenzen again in the National League East series opener Friday night at Nationals Park. From being no-hit to doing the heavy hitting, the Nats erupted against him in their 8-7 win.

The Nationals chased Lorenzen after just 3 1/3 innings by scoring seven runs (six earned) on eight hits, including a home run, and one walk against him. They struck out once.

“We owed him something,” said CJ Abrams. “We had to put up runs. We put up seven [against him], which is a good day.”

Per the Elias Sports Bureau, the last squad to score seven-plus runs off a pitcher in his next start vs. the team he no-hit was the Padres against A.J. Burnett of the Marlins in 2001. Burnett no-hit San Diego on May 12, 2001, then he allowed seven runs (all earned) to them on Aug. 27, 2001.

Since 1980, only three other teams had done the same:

• Brewers: no-hit by Scott Erickson (Twins) on April 27, 1994; scored seven runs (all earned) on May 3, 1994
• Dodgers: no-hit (perfect game) by Dennis Martínez (Expos) on July 28, 1991; scored seven runs (three earned) on July 6, 1992
• White Sox: no-hit by Jack Morris (Tigers) on April 7, 1984; scored eight runs (all earned) on July 3, 1984

“It felt good, and I was proud of the guys, I really was,” manager Dave Martinez said. “They were ready. We had a game plan. For a while there, we were like, 'Wow, he’s got good stuff.' But we got the ball up, we got him in the zone and we hit some balls hard.”

The Nationals had plated one run -- an RBI single by Jake Alu -- through the first three innings. But when the Phillies went on an offensive surge and scored six runs in the top of the fourth against Joan Adon, the Nats answered in the bottom of the frame.

Abrams noted Adon seemed a little down when he came into the dugout, and he assured him the offense would pick him up.

“We have each other's back in everything we do,” said Abrams, “and I just wanted to tell him that we had him.”

Like Philadelphia, Washington batted around the order. With one out, Dominic Smith got the rally going by reaching first on an error by center fielder Johan Rojas. Stone Garrett singled to advance Smith to third, setting up Alu for another RBI single.

After Ildemaro Vargas walked to load the bases, Blake Rutherford recorded his first career RBIs with a single to left that plated Garrett and Alu.

Since debuting on Aug. 4 and grinding through his first five games before collecting his first Major League hit, the 26-year-old Rutherford has felt more at ease at the plate, as exhibited against the Phillies.

“After the first hit, especially, I just felt a deep breath,” said Rutherford, who went 3-for-4 with two runs scored. “The first one, everyone says is the hardest. It was definitely hard for me, for sure -- I think everyone knows that. But it just helped me calm my nerves when I got the first one, just trying to go up there and get it to the next guy and get it to the top of the order.”

Rutherford kept the momentum going to bring up Abrams, who put an exclamation point on the inning by pummeling a first-pitch, go-ahead home run to right field. Seven of his 12 homers this season have come at home.

“It was electric all night, really,” Abrams said of the crowd. “Big game, had a lot of fun. You could see the energy in the dugout, too.” 

Abrams’ three-run blast marked the end of the evening for Lorenzen, concluding the All-Star’s shortest start of the season.

“Too many balls with [the changeup], and the slider wasn’t great today, so I couldn’t lean on that enough,” Lorenzen said. “I felt like they were really able to hone in on the changeup, instead of having some other stuff in the back of their mind. And then the fastball execution was not great.”

The Nationals have forged two comeback wins of five or more runs this homestand, including Aug. 13 against the A’s. They improved to 7-3 in their past 10 games and have won 15 of their past 18 home games. 

“They never quit, and they play hard,” said Martinez. “That’s all you can ask with 26 guys. … They don’t ever feel like they’re out of it.”