Freddy Galvis followed with a fly ball to left that got over Jayson Werth’s head for a walk-off victor.
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Dexter Fowler hit a three-run homer in the seventh, and Anthony Rizzo and Jorge Soler hit back-to-back shots in the fourth.
They had won five of six after starting 0-4, and won back-to-back series – something that didn’t happen until after the All-Star break in 2015 when they won nine of 10 shortly after Mackanin replaced Ryne Sandberg.
“They’re aggressive”, Nola said.
Well, not exactly. Galvis said he’s worked with the bigger bats both in games and in the batting cage. But he stuck with the lighter one against Papelbon.
“I wished he would have gotten a little more of that ball”, Bourjos said of Howard, “because that would have been a cool story”.
Papelbon, a ideal 5-for-5 in save opportunities this season entering the weekend, was not flawless on Sunday.
“I just want to win”, he said.
Peter Bourjos hit a one-out double to left off Papelbon (0-1).
“It’s not an easy game on the bench”, Blanco said.
Bryce Harper homered in the 10th inning to give the Washington Nationals the lead and Jonathan Papelbon, the closer Philly loves to hate, came on for what nearly everyone figured to be a save. The reigning NL MVP became the second player to homer in six straight games in Philadelphia. He is the fourth player ever to homer in five straight games in Philadelphia, joining Jim Bottomley (1929), Ernie Banks (1955) and Matt Stairs (2004-2007). It is one of his favorite venues, Harper said. “He got to second and saw me and I kind of smirked at him and he knew he should’ve been out”.
Carlos Ruiz hit a solo homer for the Phillies.
In all, the last 10 teams to start 9-1 averaged 88.5 wins.
Gonzalez allowed just four hits over seven strong innings, striking out eight and walking just two Phils’ batters. Scherzer kept Philadelphia at bay by tossing seven innings of one-run baseball.
Arrieta has now gone 48.2 consecutive scoreless innings pitched at home, which is the longest such streak since Ray Herbert (White Sox) completed 54 scoreless home innings between 1962 and 1963.
Ruiz lined a shot to left to give the Phillies their first lead of the series, 1-0 in the second. So Harper made them pay, adding insult to injury by smacking this home run into the Phillies bullpen bathroom. Odubel Herrera bounced out to shortstop and the play stood after a review. He was ruled safe initially, but the Phillies challenged and the call was overturned following a video review. The Phillies are 0-4 when the other guys score first. The Nationals dropped to 9-2, and Papelbon blew his first save in six chances.
Baker rested four of his regulars Sunday, typical day-game-after-night-game stuff, which meant Chris Heisey played center, Stephen Drew played shortstop, Clint Robinson played first base and Jose Lobaton caught. The former Rule 5 pick didn’t walk until his 324th plate appearance last season.
Seattle ace Felix Hernandez tied a career worst with six walks but still came out the victor as the Mariners beat the New York Yankees 3-2. Only the Nationals and Chicago Cubs (9-3) have won nine games so far this season. He went 0 for 4 with three strikeouts.
Phillies: RHP Jerad Eickhoff (1-1, 1.50) takes the mound at home against the Mets.
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Darin Ruf got a start at first base, and went 1-3 with a double. Syndergaard was 2-0 with a 1.46 ERA in two starts vs. the Phillies past year.
