Instant analysis: Phillies 5, Nats 4

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Jeff Kobernus can't haul in Michael Young's third-inning triple off the wall.

Game in a nutshell: Fresh off a frustrating, shutout loss in Cleveland, the Nationals arrived in Philadelphia hoping to find some kind of offensive spark against an old pal: John Lannan, making his return from the DL and his first career start against the franchise that drafted him. The Nationals had their chances early against the lefty but managed only two runs in five innings against him. That wasn't enough, not with Dan Haren once again laboring (four runs allowed over six innings). So the Nationals needed to mount a late rally against the Phillies bullpen a seemingly daunting task, though one they actually were up to. Ian Desmond delivered a two-out RBI single off Mike Adams in the top of the eighth. Chad Tracy then delivered the biggest blow: a solo homer off Jonathan Papelbon on an 0-2 count with two outs in the ninth, keeping the game alive. Alas, Fernando Abad couldn't get the game into extra innings. The left-hander gave up three hits in the bottom of the ninth, including Domonic Brown's two-out, game-winner up the middle. Thus, the Nationals still wound up losing, dropping their fourth consecutive series opener and falling below .500 once again.

Hitting highlight: It's been a rough season for Tracy, and that's putting it mildly. But perhaps the events of the last three nights will be the spark that turns things around for the veteran pinch-hitter. On Saturday in Cleveland, Tracy launched an 0-2 pitch for a game-tying homer. So, of course he had to do the exact same thing in tonight in Philadelphia. With the Nationals down to their final out, down by a run, Tracy again fell behind in the count 0-2 to Papelbon. He fouled off two pitches, then lofted the next one high down the right-field line. John Mayberry Jr. kept backtracking til there was nowhere left to go. The ball landed several rows up, and Tracy circled the bases with another huge home run, perhaps turning his previously disappointing season around.

Pitching lowlight: This was by no means Haren's worst start of the year, or even close to it. But the right-hander wasn't particularly sharp, either, and in some ways was fortunate to only give up four runs over his six innings. The home run once again plagued him, with Ryan Howard crushing a ball into the second deck in right field, the 18th homer surrendered by Haren this season. We've come to expect those from Haren. We haven't come to expect walks. Yet he issued three free passes tonight, including back-to-back ones in the third that helped prolong the inning an allow two runs to score. Haren somehow managed to slog his way through six innings, using up 115 pitches, but he once again departed in line for the loss, his ninth of the year. Thanks to Tracy's late heroics, Haren was spared a no-decision.

Key stat: The Nationals have caught only 13 percent of basestealers this season, the worst mark in the majors and four points worse than last season's 17 percent rate.

Up next: The series continues at 7:05 p.m. Tuesday when Ross Detwiler makes his second start since returning from the DL. Fellow lefty Cliff Lee gets the nod for the Phillies.