Philadelphia, PA - Aaron Rowand went 3-for-4, hit the go- ahead solo home run in the eighth inning, and threw out a runner at the plate for good measure to lead the Philadelphia Phillies to a 4-3 win over the Washington Nationals in the first of a three-game set.
Rowand scored three times for the Phillies, who survived a so-so outing by Kyle Kendrick to win their four straight. Kendrick, who was pulled after 5 2/3 innings, let up five hits and three runs with three walks and a hit batter. Ryan Madson (2-2) pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings of relief, and Antonio Alfonseca picked up his eighth save.
Brian Schneider’s three-run double provided the offense for the Nationals, who hung in despite losing starter Jason Bergmann after 2 1/3 innings to tightness in his left hamstring. Bergmann allowed four hits and two runs. Luis Ayala (0-2) served up Rowand’s homer to take the loss for Washington, which had won four of five entering the game.
Ayala was brought in with two outs in the eighth to handle the right-handed Rowand, but hung a pitch low and over the plate that Rowand golfed deep into the leftfield stands to put the Phils on top.
Alfonseca rebounded from a leadoff walk to Austin Kearns and, after a nice diving stop of a Schneider grounder by Chase Utley for the first out, fanned Ryan Langerhans and got pinch-hitter Robert Fick to ground out to end the game.
Carlos Ruiz’s clutch double into the left-center gap with two outs and runners at the corners plated the first run for the Phils in the second.
The Nats had a chance to tie the game in the third when, with runners at first and second and two outs, Ronnie Belliard singled to center. Bergmann was waved home from third, though, and was gunned down by a sizeable margin by Rowand, ending the inning.
The play at the plate apparently had an effect on the Washington starter, who gave up a leadoff blast to Rollins in the third and, after issuing a one-out walk to Utley, left the game.
Billy Traber pitched well in his absence, though, and Nats took the lead when Kendrick scuffled in the fourth. After allowing a leadoff double to Ryan Zimmerman, Kendrick issued a one-out walk to Ryan Church, and beaned Kearns to load the bases. Schneider came through for the Nats with a line drive into the gap in left-center, clearing the bases.
The Phillies tied things in the sixth when Rowand roped a one-out double to right, moved to third on a wild pitch, and scored on Pat Burrell’s sacrifice fly.
Game Notes
Philadelphia’s run in the second ended a 22-inning scoreless streak for Nationals pitchers, who had last been scored on in the seventh inning of their 3-1 loss to the Rockies on July 20…The Nationals are 10-9 in July. They are looking to record their first winning month of the season.
