Jonathan Papelbon came back to Philadelphia on Monday night. He had some harsh words for his former teammates (see story), blew his first save in exactly a year, and vultured a win as the Washington Nationals beat the Phillies, 8-7, in 11 innings at Citizens Bank Park.
The Nats rallied for an unearned run against Luis Garcia in the top of the 11th to break a tie. Garcia allowed a single, a walk and a fielder’s choice to take the loss. Catcher Cameron Rupp had a costly passed ball in the inning.
The Nats took a 7-6 lead on Jayson Werth’s solo home run in the top of the 10th.
Papelbon came on in the bottom of the inning and quickly surrendered a game-tying homer to Freddy Galvis.
The blown save was Papelbon’s first in 24 chances this season. Amazingly, it came a year to the day after his previous blown save. That came when he was with the Phillies. He infamously grabbed his crotch as he walked off the mound at Citizens Bank Park that day.
The Phillies have the worst record in the majors at 56-89.
The game lasted three hours, 54 minutes, way too long for a pair of also-rans.
Starting pitching report
Rookie Aaron Nola was knocked around for the second time in his last three starts. He was tagged for nine hits and three runs in five innings. Three of the hits were home runs, two solos and a grand slam.
Nola was coming off seven shutout innings against the Braves in his previous start. In the start before that, he was tagged for nine hits, including two home runs, and six runs over four innings by the Mets.
Including his work in the minors, Nola is at 175 innings for the season. The team wants to keep him around 180, give or take, for the season, so it’s possible he will make just one more start, though nothing is official.
Nola has a 4.11 ERA in 11 starts.
Washington starter Jordan Zimmermann gave up seven hits and six runs over six innings. Four of the runs came on a pair of Phillies’ homers. Zimmermann walked one and struck out eight.
Bullpen report
Garcia took the loss. Papelbon got the win. Doug Fister registered the save that Papelbon could not get.
At the plate
Ryan Howard belted his 23rd homer of the season. Darnell Sweeney had an RBI single and Cody Asche followed with a three-run homer in the sixth, as the Phils rallied for four runs in the inning to tie the game at 6-6.
Anthony Rendon hit the first pitch of the game for a home run. Bryce Harper hit his 37th homer in the third inning and Werth smacked a grand slam on an 0-2 pitch from Nola in the fifth as the Nats opened up a 6-2 lead.
Health check
Howard left the game with a left knee contusion. He tried to execute something that wasn’t a stretch and wasn’t a block on a throw across the diamond from Galvis. The ball hit hard off Howard’s knee.
Aaron Altherr was hit by a pitch and left the game with a right elbow contusion.
One day after suffering a dislocated left thumb, second baseman Cesar Hernandez was placed on the disabled list. He will require surgery to repair ligament damage and his season is over. A full recovery is expected well before spring training.
The Phils added infielder Chase d’Arnaud from their Triple A roster.
Maikel Franco continues to make strides in coming back from a broken wrist. Manager Pete Mackanin said there was still a chance Franco could get back before the season ends.
Up next
David Buchanan (2-8, 9.11) pitches for the Phillies on Tuesday night against Washington right-hander Stephen Strasburg (8-7, 4.30).