Phillies inch back in extra-inning slugfest win

Sep 5, 2014; Washington, DC, USA; Philadelphia Phillies center fielder Ben Revere (2) hits a two run home run against the Washington Nationals during the ninth inning at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

It seemed to be all Nationals through the first five innings of Friday’s National League East showdown, but the Phillies responded to a 5-0 deficit and inched back to make things interesting in a high-scoring affair.

Starting pitcher Jerome Williams went just five innings while surrendering nine hits and five runs, four of them earned.

For the Nationals, Stephen Strasburg didn’t last too long either.  Strasburg went six innings and gave up just one run on four hits.  In his last inning of work the Phillies got on the board after Ben Revere doubled in a run.

A solo home run from Ryan Howard in the seventh made it a 5-2 game, but the Nationals were quick to respond with two runs in their half of the seventh.

In the eighth, Chase Utley doubled to collect an RBI and Howard reached on an infield single as Jimmy Rollins crossed the plate to make it a 7-4 game.

Rafael Soriano came on in the ninth inning in hopes to shut down the Phillies, but he only got two outs before being pulled.  Soriano, one of nine Nationals pitchers used, allowed a two-run blast off the bat of Carlos Ruiz to put fans at Nationals Park on edge.  His biggest crime, however, was giving up just the second home run of Ben Revere’s career which tied the game 7-7 and forced extra innings.

Both teams were held scoreless until the 11th inning when Maikel Franco, who recorded his first big-league hit in the game, grounded into a fielder’s choice as Domonic Brown scored his second run of the game off Franco’s second career RBI.

Revere, who went 3-for-5, singled in Franco for his third RBI of the game as the Phillies took a 9-7 lead.  The centerfielder also walked and swiped his 43rd bag of the season.  He has just 23 RBIs in 2014 with eight of them coming this week.

Ken Giles, Jake Diekman and Jonathan Papelbon, who were all a part of Monday’s no-hitter, each pitched an inning.  Diekman (4-4, 3.62) picked up the win while Papelbon recorded his 34th save despite giving up a run.

The Phillies’ 9-8 victory gave them a 9-8 lead in the season series against the Nationals.  Washington outhit Philadelphia 14-11, but left ten runners on base and hit into a pair of double plays.