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Gerut's blast lifts Padres past Nationals

May 30, 2008 - 12:38 AM By Jamie McConeghy PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

SAN DIEGO (Ticker) -- Maybe momentum has finally made its way to San Diego.

Jody Gerut launched a three-run home run down the right field line in the bottom of the eighth inning, lifting the San Diego Padres to a 5-2 victory over the Washington Nationals on Thursday.

Rookie Edgar Gonzalez added a two-run single for the Padres, who claimed just their fourth series win of the season.

"We've been looking for ways as a team to try and build momentum," Gerut said. "If momentum isn't there, you've got to create it. Hopefully, after winning a series, we can keep this momentum going into the weekend."

The blast - Gerut's second of the season - came three batters after Washington left fielder Ryan Langerhans robbed Kevin Kouzmanoff of a home run to lead off the inning. Kouzmanoff belted a pitch from Saul Rivera to deep left and Langerhans timed his leap perfectly to make the catch.

"I just timed it right," Langerhans said. "I knew I had it but sometimes you can lose it when you land."

But it was all for naught as Khalil Greene and Michael Barrett hit back-to-back singles off Rivera (3-3) before lefthander Charlie Manning came on to face Gerut, who crushed a 1-2 offering just inside the foul pole in right.

"It was a great job by Jody to come in there with his first at-bat and have to face a lefty after a pitching change," San Diego manager Bud Black said. "He took advantage of a ball that the pitcher would probably like to have back."

Gerut had not been in the majors since 2005 before playing for the Padres this season. He had one home run during all of 2005 in 59 games.

"I was looking to put it in play to give us a run," Gerut said. "I knew I got a lot of it, I just hoped it was enough."

Heath Bell (2-3) pitched a scoreless eighth inning to notch the win, while Trevor Hoffman worked a perfect ninth to secure his 11th save in his 900th career appearance.

Padres starter Wil Ledezma matched his career high with seven strikeouts over five innings, surrendering just one run on two hits.

"I was feeling great today," Ledezma said. "I was focused and I just tried to keep the ball down."

The Nationals took a 1-0 lead in the top of the fourth on Elijah Dukes' sacrifice fly, but Gonzalez's single to right in the bottom half gave the Padres a 2-1 edge. It was just the third start of Gonzalez's career and first in left field,

"He's had some good at-bats since the time he's been (in the major league)," Black said. "It's great that we have some bench players who can contribute."

"I went up there looking to be aggressive," Gonzalez said. "He threw a pitch outside and I was able to slap it the other way."

San Diego maintained the lead until the seventh, when Langerhans entered as a pinch hitter and hit a two-out, RBI single to right, scoring Dukes from third.

"(Langerhans) had an unbelievable game," Acta said. "It's just too bad that it wasn't in a win.

The loss prevented Washington from winning its first series in San Diego since August 17-19, 2001, when the franchise was in Montreal.

"We can't get anything going offensively," Acta said. "These are the guys that we brought into spring training. These are the guys we expected to be our offense. What can we do?"