Jun 12, 2016; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Nationals left fielder Jayson Werth (28) hits a walk off two run RBI single against the Philadelphia Phillies during the ninth inning at Nationals Park. The Washington Nationals won 5-4. Photo Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports
WASHINGTON — Jayson Werth hit a two-run single in the last of the ninth with two outs off Jeanmar Gomez as the Washington Nationals rallied for a 5-4 win over the Philadelphia Phillies on Sunday, sweeping the three-game series.
The winning pitcher was Jonathan Papelbon (1-2), who gave up a homer to Maikel Franco in the ninth, while Gomez (2-2) was tagged with the loss. The Nationals (39-24) are a season-high 15 games over .500 and have won six of their last seven. The Phillies (29-34), now a season-low five games under .500, have lost the last six to Washington.
The Phillies tied the game at 3-3 in the sixth as Odubel Herrera had an RBI double and Freddy Galvis singled to drive in Herrera.
Philadelphia’s Cody Asche hit his first homer of the year in the fifth, a solo shot down the left field line to trim the margin to 3-1 against Washington starter Joe Ross.
The only hit Ross allowed in the first four innings was a clean single with two outs in the first to Franco, who had two hits.
Danny Espinosa led off the second with his 11th homer of the season to give Washington a 3-0 lead against Adam Morgan, the Phillies starter. The switch-hitter, batting righty against Morgan, went deep for the eighth time in 15 contests and 10 of his last 14 hits have been for extra bases.
Ryan Zimmerman and Wilson Ramos had rare back-to-back sacrifice flies to give the Nationals a 2-0 lead in the first inning.
Morgan, who entered with a 6.70 ERA, allowed three earned runs in 6 2/3 innings with a career-high eight strikeouts. David Hernandez came on to retire Michael A. Taylor for the last out of the seventh.
Ross, who lasted just four innings in his previous start, gave up three runs in seven innings with eight strikeouts and no walks before Sammy Solis took over in the eighth.
NOTES: Washington RF Bryce Harper received a rare day off Sunday, with OF Chris Heisey (.218, four homers) getting the start in right. … Phillies manager Pete Mackanin was drafted by the Washington Senators in 1969 in the fourth round. After his playing career, Mackanin was a manager for the nearby Frederick (Md.) Keys in 1993 and the Bowie (Md.) Baysox the following year in the Baltimore Orioles’ farm system. … The red-hot Chicago Cubs come to Washington on Monday and RHP Kyle Hendricks (4-5, 2.90 ERA) will pitch against Nationals RHP Max Scherzer (7-4, 3.57) in the first game of the series. … Philadelphia RHP Jerad Eickhoff (3-8, 3.68) will pitch at Toronto on Monday against Blue Jays RHP R.A. Dickey (4-6, 4.15). … Washington was aiming for its first home series sweep since taking three games from the Minnesota Twins on April 22-24.
