Phillies 8, Nationals 2
WASHINGTON - Rookie left fielder Aaron Altherr had four hits, including an inside-the-park grand slam among his two homers, and five RBIs as the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Washington Nationals 8-2 on Friday and push the defending National League East champions on the brink of elimination.
The Nationals (78-75) began the day 7 1/2 games behind the first-place New York Mets and preceded to lose at home for the eighth time in 11 games and fourth straight. The setback came against a Philadelphia team (58-96) that is now 25-43 against divisional foes.
Washington was done in by the 24-year-old Altherr, who was born in Germany, grew up in Arizona and entered this year with just five big league at-bats and was hitting .225 at game time. He now has five homers this year.
The last inside-the-park grand slam in the majors was hit by Tampa Bay's Randy Winn against the New York Yankees on Oct. 3, 1999. The last time the Phillies had an inside-the-park grand slam was by Ted Kazanski on Aug. 8, 1956, at the Polo Grounds against the New York Giants.
Cody Asche, the Phillies third baseman, hit his team's fourth homer of the night -- a two-run shot against Rafael Martin -- to make it 8-2 in the eighth.
The winning pitcher was Jerad Eickoff (2-3), who gave up just two runs and five hits with 10 strikeouts and one walk in seven innings. He struck out right fielder Bryce Harper three times, and the MVP candidate was hitless in four at-bats and has gone four games in a row without a hit.
The losing pitcher was Jordan Zimmermann (13-9), who had not lost in his previous seven starts and had not lost at home since June 17, against Tampa Bay.
Left fielder Jayson Werth of the Nationals had two hits and two RBIs, including a solo homer in the sixth to pull Washington to within 6-2 before the Phillies went deep again.
Altherr hit home runs in the third and fifth against Zimmerman, a pending free agent Zimmermann.
He hit a solo homer in the fifth and two batters later first baseman Darin Ruf also went deep to give the Phillies a 6-1 lead.
In the third, Altherr lined a single up the middle with the bases loaded and center fielder Michael A. Taylor tried to make a shoestring catch. The ball got past him and Altherr circled the bases for his first career grand slam and first inside-the-park homer in the 109th at-bat of his major league career.
It was the first inside-the-park homer for the Phillies since Jimmy Rollins hit one July 31, 2012, also at Washington.
The Nationals had grabbed a 1-0 lead in the first on an RBI single by Werth, who was hitless in his previous 12 at-bats.
Zimmermann, 29, was bothered by a sore neck earlier this week but started on regular rest Friday. It would not be his night, as he allowed six runs, six hits (three homers) and two walks with six strikeouts in five innings before he was lifted for a pinch-hitter. It was the third time this year he gave up three homers in a game.
NOTES: The Nationals appealed a three-game suspension handed down Friday to RHP Jonathan Papelbon, who was available on Friday. Acquired in a trade from the Phillies in late July, Papelbon was ejected on Wednesday when he hit 3B Manny Machado of the Baltimore Orioles in the ninth inning after Machado hit a go-ahead homer in the seventh off RHP Max Scherzer. "I know he's appealed," Washington manager Matt Williams said of his closer. "We'll go through that process." ... Washington RHP Stephen Strasburg (10-7, 3.81) will face Phillies RHP Aaron Nola (6-2, 3.84) on Saturday. ... The Phillies began their last road series of the year with a record of 24-54 on the road, the worst mark in the majors and the most road losses in a season for the team since going 27-54 in 1988.