Instant Replay: Phillies 12, Nationals 5

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BOX SCORE

WASHINGTON — The Phillies used a pair of two-run home runs late in the game to rally to a 12-5 win over the Washington Nationals on Sunday afternoon.

Jeff Francoeur tied the game with a two-run homer in the top of the eighth and Andres Blanco put the Phils ahead with a two-run homer in the top of the ninth.

After Blanco’s home run, the Phillies rallied for six unearned runs in the inning to blow the game wide open.

Blanco’s home run came against Nationals’ closer Jonathan Papelbon, who moments earlier had been involved in a physical altercation with teammate Bryce Harper in the Washington dugout.

The Phillies are 59-97 on the season. They finished the road portion of their schedule at 26-55. They went 7-12 against Washington on the season. 

The Phillies need to go 4-2 in their final six games of the season to avoid their first 100-loss season since 1961.

Starting pitching report
Aaron Harang allowed two runs over six innings. The runs came on back-to-back homers in the second inning. Harang scattered five hits, walked one and struck out two. He left for a pinch-hitter. 

Washington lefty Gio Gonzalez cruised through the first five innings. He gave up three straight singles to load the bases in the sixth inning then walked the next two batters as the Phillies tied the game at 2-2. Gonzalez was lifted after the second walk.

Bullpen report
Jeanmar Gomez allowed two runs in the bottom of the seventh.

Dalier Hinojosa got the win.

Rafael Martin and Matt Grace picked up Gonzalez with the bases loaded and no outs in the top of the sixth and got three quick outs to stop the damage in that inning.

Casey Janssen let the Nats’ two-run lead get away in the top of the eighth when he gave up a two-run homer to Francoeur.

Papelbon was charged with five runs and took the loss.

At the plate
The Phils scored their first two runs on a pair of bases-loaded walks in the sixth.

In addition to the two-run homers by Francoeur and Blanco, the Phillies got two-run singles from Cameron Rupp and Freddy Galvis to salt the game away.

Blanco added an RBI single in the ninth, giving him three RBIs in the frame.

The Phils scored eight times in the ninth. Six of the runs were unearned.

Ian Desmond and Matt den Dekker hit consecutive pitches for home runs in the second inning to stake Washington to a 2-0 lead.

The Nats opened the bottom of the seventh inning with three straight hits (one was an infield hit) off Gomez. The third hit was an RBI single by Jose Lobaton and it broke a 2-2 tie. Pinch-hitter Dan Uggla followed with a sacrifice fly to score to give the Nats a 4-2 lead. 

In the field
Aaron Altherr capped a long run in center with a diving catch on the track to end the bottom of the eighth. 

That’s it, kid
Aaron Nola is done for the season (see story).

Up next
The Phillies are off Monday. They open the final homestand of the season with a three-game series against the NL East champion New York Mets beginning Tuesday night. Here are the pitching matchups:

Tuesday night – RHP David Buchanan (2-9, 7.96) vs. RHP Bartolo Colon (14-12, 4.15)

Wednesday night – RHP Alec Asher (0-5, 7.52) vs. LHP Steven Matz (4-0, 2.27)

Thursday night – RHP Jerad Eickhoff (2-3, 3.07) vs. RHP Logan Verrett (1-1, 2.70)

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