Phillies 8, Nationals 5 (Game 2)
PHILADELPHIA -- The Philadelphia Phillies' bats came to life as they salvaged a split of a doubleheader with an 8-5 win over the Washington Nationals on Sunday.
In the opening game, Washington got seven strong innings from starting pitcher Stephen Strasburg to hold on for a 3-2 win.
The Nationals (42-34) did not get that same effort from Tanner Roark in the series finale as their eight game-winning streak was halted.
Roark, who was announced as the starter only 30 minutes before the game, was chased after just 3 1/3 innings, giving up 12 hits as he was responsible for eight runs -- all earned. The Phillies (27-50) batted around twice at least partially under his watch, in the second and fourth innings, scoring four runs in each frame.
It was difficult to find a Phillies player who wasn't getting involved in an offense that picked up only five hits in the opening game of the day but collected 16 base hits off the Nationals' staff in the second game.
It was only the fifth time all season the Phillies had scored eight runs or more, though four of those outings have happened in the last week. The 16 hits were two short of their season high.
Phillies second baseman Cesar Hernandez went 4-for-4 with a stolen base after going 2-for-4 with two steals in the first game. Center fielder Odubel Herrera, who watched the opener from the bench, went 3-for-5 with two runs scored and an RBI. Third baseman Maikel Franco, first baseman Darin Ruf and left fielder Cody Asche had two hits apiece.
Even starting pitcher Severino Gonzalez got in on the action, collecting his first major-league hit and coming around to score in the fourth inning.
Gonzalez, who was called up from Triple-A Lehigh Valley for the start, was removed in the sixth inning after allowing a home run to Nationals' catcher Jose Lobaton. He still picked up his third win of the season by going 5 1/3 innings, allowing four runs (all earned) on six hits while striking out seven.
The Nationals got within three runs by tacking on one in the seventh, but aside from a three-run fourth inning it was a struggle to string together hits with regulars Bryce Harper, Denard Span and Wilson Ramos all sitting this one out.
Phillies closer Jonathan Papelbon worked around a two-out single for his 14th save in as many opportunities.
Washington will try to start a new winning streak on Tuesday in the opener of a three game series in Atlanta. The Phillies begin a four-game set with Milwaukee at home on Monday.
NOTES: The Phillies and Nationals managed to play 1 1/2 innings of Saturday's game before it was canceled due to rain. Sunday's game, originally scheduled to start at 1:35 p.m. ET, was moved up to 1:05 p.m. and became the first of a single-admission doubleheader, the first true doubleheader in Philadelphia since Sept. 3, 2006. ...With a loss in the opening game of the doubleheader, the Phillies became the first team to lose 50 games this season. It's the quickest the franchise has reached 50 losses (76 games) since the 1997 season, when they started the year 23-50. ...Washington added INF Wilmer Difo to the active roster as its 26th man for the doubleheader.