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Late homer by Werth gives Phils a much needed win

Aug 20, 2008 - 4:46 AM By Vince DiGregorio PA SportsTicker Contrbuting Writer

PHILADELPHIA (Ticker) -- The Philadelphia Phillies were fortunate to be playing a last-place team.

Jayson Werth snapped an eighth-inning tie with his 17th home run of the season as the Phillies rallied from a three-run deficit for a 5-4 victory over the Washington Nationals in the opener of a three-game series on Tuesday.

The loss extended the Nationals' losing streak to 11 games. Washington (44-82) is last in the National League East Division, 25 games out of first place.

"We've been hurt a lot by different things," Nationals manager Manny Acta said. "Right now, we're not catching the ball, not executing and not helping ourselves."

With the score tied, 4-4, Steven Shell (0-1) hung a 1-2 pitch that Werth hit over the left field fence, giving him a new career-high for homers in a season. He hit 16 as a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2004.

"I got a curveball that was up a little bit and was able to put a good swing on it," Werth said. "It was a spot where we needed the big hit and I was glad to get it."

Werth's blast was the only run the Phillies produced with a hit. The others came on an error and three sacrifice flies by Greg Dobbs, Geoff Jenkins and Chris Coste.

"You have to find any way to push across runs," Dobbs said. "Sometimes, it's not the prettiest of ways, but it doesn't matter. There's plenty of ways to score runs in this game.

"(Sacrifice flies) are not sexy, but it's a way to get a run in and get our offense going. Those runs count just as much as any other."

Philadelphia had managed just six runs in their last three games, despite winning two of three at San Diego.

Ryan Madson (3-1) pitched a scoreless eighth for the win. Brad Lidge retired the side in order in the ninth for his 31st save in as many chances for Philadelphia, which began a nine-game homestand.

"We need to take care of business at home," Lidge said. "We're playing nine games here. We needed to open up with a win. We did a great job of coming back. The bullpen did a great job."

The Phillies (67-58) kept pace with the first-place New York Mets (69-57), who remained 1 1/2 games ahead of them in the NL East.

"We haven't played our best ball for sure, but we're right there," Werth said. "We're a game and a half (behind). It was good to get the win, especially in the first game of the homestand. Hopefully, the hitting will pick up and we'll put together a little stretch run."

Philadelphia won its sixth consecutive game against Washington this year.

"It's another tough loss for us, but it's important that we keep playing hard," Washington's Ryan Zimmerman said. "We played a good baseball game tonight. Just did a couple of things that hurt us. That's what you get with a young team."

Willie Harris gave the Nationals a quick 1-0 lead with a one-out homer in the first inning. Harris lined an 0-1 pitch from Joe Blanton into the right field seats for his 10th home run of the season.

Philadelphia tied it in the second against Jason Bergmann on a sacrifice fly by Dobbs before Washington regained the lead in the fourth. The Nationals opened the frame with three straight singles capped by an RBI hit by Jesus Flores to make it, 2-1.

The Nats upped their advantage to 4-1 in the fifth on Zimmerman's RBI triple and Ronnie Belliard's run-scoring single. Belliard went 4-for-4, but Washington failed to build on its lead and finished 2-for-12 with runners in scoring position.

"It was a game where we didn't execute again and they did," Acta said. "They had three sac flies and we didn't drive that guy in from third with less than two outs."

The Phillies pulled within 4-3 in the bottom half of the inning. Shane Victorino led off with a triple and scored when Harris dropped a shallow flyball hit by Dobbs. One out later, Jenkins pinch hit for Blanton and lofted a sacrifice fly.

Coste had Philadelphia's third sacrifice fly in the seventh to knot the game, 4-4.

Blanton went five innings and gave up four runs on eight hits, while Bergmann tossed 6 1/3 frames and allowed four runs - three earned - on six hits.