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USA Today Sports Images Dan Haren struck out 10 over six innings but received no decision. |
Game in a nutshell: Dan Haren gave the Nationals a performance that at times was dominant (10 strikeouts in six innings) though it did include back-to-back homers in the top of the second. His lineup, meanwhile, had plenty of chances to take out rookie right-hander Jonathan Pettibone and the Phillies bullpen but managed only three runs. With the game tied in the eighth, Drew Storen surrendered back-to-back, two-out, RBI hits to put Philadelphia on top. The Nationals lineup then couldn't complete a rally late, going down in the ninth against Jonathan Papelbon to suffer a frustrating loss. Now 25-24, they'll need to beat the Phillies in Sunday's series finale to avoid falling into a second-place tie with their division rivals.
Hitting lowlight: How many chances did the Nationals give themselves tonight, only to come away with very little? Far too many chances. Though Adam LaRoche and Denard Span each
