Major League Baseball

Nationals melt down; Phillies win 9-8 in 11

Published Sep. 5, 2014 11:50 p.m. ET

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WASHINGTON (AP) Rafael Soriano blew another save Friday, and an error by Bryce Harper on a routine fly ball in the 11th inning led to the go-ahead runs, giving the Philadelphia Phillies a 9-8 win over the Washington Nationals.

The Phillies rallied from a five-run deficit with two unearned runs in the eighth and then three that were fully earned in the ninth off Soriano, who was booed off the field as his late-season slump continues.

Then came an unearned pair of runs in the 11th off Craig Stammen (4-5), an inning that started with a two-base error when left fielder Harper ran smack into Denard Span after the center fielder had clearly called for a fly ball by Domonic Brown.

After a sacrifice bunt, Brown scored on a fielder's choice grounder to first by Maikel Franco, who was playing in his second major league game and in the third inning had produced his first major league hit.

First baseman Tyler Moore tried to get Brown at home, but the throw was off target. Franco went to second, and Moore was charged with the Nationals' third error of the game.

Jake Diekman (4-4) pitched one inning for the win. Jonathan Papelbon pitched the 11th for his 34th save, but only after allowing a run off consecutive one-out hits by Anthony Rendon, Jayson Werth and Moore.

Philadelphia has won 8 of 11, a stretch that includes a three-game sweep of the Nationals last week in Philadelphia.

The Phillies trailed 7-2 before third baseman Rendon booted a grounder that led to the two-run eighth. Carlos Ruiz hit a two-run homer off Soriano in the ninth with none out.

Ben Revere tied the score with his second homer of the season and of his career - clearing the right field wall by just a few rows in right field on a 2-2 pitch with two outs.

Before the game-tying shot, Revere had 947 career plate appearances on the road without a homer - the most among active players.

Soriano stood and watched with his hands at his hips. He has allowed at least one run in seven of 12 appearances, and his ERA that was at 1.10 on July 27 has spiked to 3.04.

Adam LaRoche, ailing in three different places, hit a two-run homer in the first off Phillies starter Jerome Williams. LaRoche also had a sacrifice fly to give him eight RBIs in two games.

The veteran first baseman started despite a nagging lower back strain, a sore elbow and the remnants of a stomach bug that had him woozy and barely able to swing a bat against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday, when he had five RBIs after entering the game in the ninth inning of a 14-inning win.

Nationals starter Stephen Strasburg (12-10) allowed one run and four hits over six innings with five strikeouts and no walks. He has a career-high 189 innings for the season, surpassing his 183 from last year.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Phillies: LHP Mario Hollands (flexor strain, left elbow) was placed on the 60-day disabled list, but the reliever won't undergo surgery.

''He's on six weeks' rest, at least, from baseball,'' manager Ryne Sandberg said. ''It's basically a rest program. So that's good news.''

Hollands' spot on the roster was taken by RHP Sean O'Sullivan, whose contract was selected from Triple-A Lehigh Valley.

UP NEXT

Philadelphia's A.J. Burnett (7-15, 4.40 ERA) faces Washington's Tanner Roark (12-9, 2.91) on Saturday in the second game of the three-game series.

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Follow Joseph White on Twitter: http://twitter.com/JGWhiteAP

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