Nationals hit 4 homers in win vs. Phillies
PHILADELPHIA -- Daniel Murphy hit a go-ahead home run, one of four homers by his team, as the Washington Nationals beat the Philadelphia Phillies 5-1 on Tuesday night.
Jayson Werth, Danny Espinosa and Stephen Drew also connected for Washington, which won its third straight. Espinosa and Drew hit back-to-back shots in the ninth inning, and Drew's was an inside-the-park blast.
Cesar Hernandez drove in the lone run for Philadelphia, which dropped a season-high five in a row. The Phillies, now 26-26, fell to .500 for the first time since they were 10-10.
Murphy, the major leagues' top hitter with a .397 average, snapped a 1-1 tie with a solo homer off Aaron Nola (4-4) in the sixth inning. It was Murphy's ninth homer of the season, and his second in as many nights.
Espinosa's homer, his sixth of the season, was a two-run blast off reliever Colton Murray with two outs in the ninth. Drew, batting for reliever Felipe Olivero, then sent a shot to deep center field that bounced high off the fence and eluded Philadelphia center fielder Odubel Herrera and right fielder Tyler Goeddel.
Goeddel finally picked up the ball in medium right field and fired home, but his throw was up the third-base line, allowing Drew to elude catcher Cameron Rupp and slide home.
Washington starter Joe Ross (5-4) earned his second straight victory, going seven innings and allowing one run and three hits while striking out five and walking two.
Nola went six innings and allowed two runs and five hits, while striking out six and walking one.
Werth, the second batter Nola faced in the top of the first, hit a first-pitch fastball into the seats in left field with the bases empty, his eighth homer of the season.
The Phillies forged a 1-1 tie when David Lough led off the bottom of the second with a single and Cesar Hernandez followed with an RBI triple.
Ross managed to avert further trouble, retiring Nola on a grounder to short with the infield in and inducing a fielder's choice bouncer off the bat of Odubel Herrera, on which shortstop Danny Espinosa fired home to retire Hernandez. Freddy Galvis then flied out to end the inning.
NOTES: Phillies manager Pete Mackanin scrambled the lineup of his team, which before Tuesday had scored 163 runs, second-fewest in the major leagues. C Cameron Rupp batted fourth, only the second time he started in that spot this season, and slumping 1B Ryan Howard was dropped to No. 5 in the order. Mackanin also dropped 2B Cesar Hernandez to No. 8 and batted pitcher Aaron Nola ninth, after hitting the pitcher eighth much of the season. ... Washington OF Bryce Harper was not in the starting lineup after suffering a bruised right knee when hit by a pitch from Phillies RHP Jeremy Hellickson on Monday. Harper is listed as day-to-day.