Read More: Jayson Werth (RF – WAS), Anibal Sanchez (P – FLA), Rick Ankiel (CF – WAS), Vinny Rottino (1B – FLA), Ian Desmond (SS – WAS), Wilson Ramos (C – WAS), Danny Espinosa (2B – WAS), Washington Nationals, New York Mets, Florida Marlins

The Washington Nationals and Florida Marlins are tied 3-3 going into the seventh inning. The Nationals are trying to get a win tonight to clinch third place in the NL East over the New York Mets, but are having trouble pulling away from the Fish.

Amid a night where several Nats have donned new haircuts (Danny Espinosa, Jayson Werth) and others wearing strange pants (Ian Desmond), the Nats first cracked Anibal Sanchez in the third when Rick Ankiel grounded out, but scored Desmond to tie the game 1-1. The Nats lead briefly in the fourth inning when Desmond hit a RBI double to score Wilson Ramos and Desmond scored when Ankiel hit a single that deflected off a Marlins player to make the score 3-2.

The Marlins tied the game up in the fifth after reliever Craig Stammen threw a wild pitch with bases loaded and Vinny Rottino scored to put the game at 3-3.

WASHINGTON (AP) – Michael Morse and the Washington Nationals put together one powerful start Monday.

Morse hit two of Washington’s four homers and John Lannan pitched into the sixth inning to lead the Nationals to a 7-2 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Morse, Ian Desmond and Jayson Werth all went deep in the first inning as Washington grabbed a 4-1 lead. The Nationals had dropped 10 of 12, while the Dodgers came in winners of 11 of 13.

All four homers — Morse hit No. 26 in the sixth inning — came against Hiroki Kuroda (11-15), who entered with a career-high four-game winning streak. The right-hander had a season-high nine strikeouts, but gave up five runs and eight hits in six innings.

Lannan (9-11), who had lost his previous four starts, allowed one run and five hits in 5 1/3 innings. Collin Balester, Tom Gorzelanny, Tyler Clippard and Sean Burnett combined for the final 3 2/3 innings.

Morse drove in three runs and was one of five Nationals with two hits. The first baseman-outfielder leads the team in home runs, average (.315) and RBI (82).

“Over the course of my career I’ve hit behind some pretty good hitters. Mike is having a big year,” said Werth, who often followed Ryan Howard and Chase Utley in Philadelphia’s lineup before signing with the Nationals last winter.

“When I signed here he was one of the guys I really liked and thought he had a chance to be a really good player. He’s really done a good job this year and turned himself into a force to be reckoned with and a guy going forward who’s going to be a pillar in this organization.”

Kuroda had never allowed three or more home runs in the same game, let alone the same inning. The four-year veteran threw 114 pitches.

“Usually, when you don’t pitch good, it’s that first inning,” Los Angeles manager Don Mattingly said. “[Kuroda] got himself into a groove and pitched well after that. He gave us some chances to kind of creep back in.”

Lack of run support was a factor in Lannan’s skid as the Nationals scored a combined five runs in that stretch. They nearly generated that output in the first inning against Los Angeles.

Jamey Carroll and Matt Kemp hit consecutive doubles in the first to give the Dodgers the lead, but Desmond led off the bottom half with a drive to left-center on a 1-2 slider.

“They kind of had the momentum right there in the first inning,” said Desmond, who has two leadoff home runs in the last three games. “It was nice for us to answer back and then continue to keep it going the rest of the game. That’s something we haven’t done this year.”

After Rick Ankiel singled and Ryan Zimmerman’s fly ball was caught at the wall, Morse’s drive cleared the fence in left. Werth followed with another shot to left, also on a slider, for the fourth set of back-to-back home runs by the Nationals this season.

“I didn’t have my slider in the first inning, or throughout the game,” Kuroda said through an interpreter.

Los Angeles put two on with no outs in the fourth inning but Russ Mitchell grounded into a double play that nearly was a triple play, and Tony Gwynn Jr. flied out to left to end the inning.

Lannan was removed after Juan Rivera’s single in the sixth and James Loney singled against Balester with two down. Gorzelanny entered to face lefty batter Gwynn, who struck out on a foul tip.

“I felt pretty good. A little hiccup there in the first, but I settled down after they scored,” said Lannan, who threw 27 of his 94 pitches in the first inning. “It’s always a little bit of a comfort when you can go out there and just try and get ahead knowing that you have a lead.”

Justin Sellers hit an RBI double in the ninth for Los Angeles.

Ankiel doubled in Desmond in the seventh, and Wilson Ramos had an RBI single in the eighth.

Notes

The Dodgers entered having won four consecutive series.
Rain is forecast throughout the day on Tuesday, potentially interfering with Stephen Strasburg’s season debut. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2009 draft is returning to the majors after undergoing Tommy John surgery last fall. “If [Strasburg] warms up and it rains, we’ll probably have to do it another day,” Washington manager Davey Johnson said.
Johnson acknowledged a wave of minor leaguers are expected to be called up on Tuesday. Eastern League Pitcher of the Year Brad Peacock and second baseman Stephen Lombardozzi are the expected headliners.

Morse, Ian Desmond and Jayson Werth all went deep in the first inning as Washington grabbed a 4-1 lead. The Nationals had dropped 10 of 12, while the Dodgers came in winners of 11 of 13.

All four homers — Morse hit No. 26 in the sixth inning — came against Hiroki Kuroda (11-15), who entered with a career-high four-game winning streak. The right-hander had a season-high nine strikeouts, but gave up five runs and eight hits in six innings.

Lannan (9-11), who had lost his previous four starts, allowed one run and five hits in 5 1-3 innings. Collin Balester, Tom Gorzelanny, Tyler Clippard and Sean Burnett combined for the final 3 2-3 innings.

Morse drove in three runs and was one of five Nationals with two hits. The first baseman-outfielder leads the team in home runs, average (.315) and RBIs (82).

“Over the course of my career I’ve hit behind some pretty good hitters. Mike is having a big year,” said Werth, who often followed Ryan Howard and Chase Utley in Philadelphia’s lineup before signing with the Nationals last winter.

“When I signed here he was one of the guys I really liked and thought he had a chance to be a really good player. He’s really done a good job this year and turned himself into a force to be reckoned with and a guy going forward who’s going to be a pillar in this organization.”

Kuroda had never allowed three or more home runs in the same game, let alone the same inning. The four-year veteran threw 114 pitches.

“Usually, when you don’t pitch good, it’s that first inning,” Los Angeles manager Don Mattingly said. “(Kuroda) got himself into a groove and pitched well after that. He gave us some chances to kind of creep back in.”

Lack of run support was a factor in Lannan’s skid as the Nationals scored a combined five runs in that stretch. They nearly generated that output in the first inning against Los Angeles.

Jamey Carroll and Matt Kemp hit consecutive doubles in the first to give the Dodgers the lead, but Desmond led off the bottom half with a drive to left-center on a 1-2 slider.

“They kind of had the momentum right there in the first inning,” said Desmond, who has two leadoff home runs in the last three games. “It was nice for us to answer back and then continue to keep it going the rest of the game. That’s something we haven’t done this year.”

After Rick Ankiel singled and Ryan Zimmerman’s fly ball was caught at the wall, Morse’s drive cleared the fence in left. Werth followed with another shot to left, also on a slider, for the fourth set of back-to-back home runs by the Nationals this season.

“I didn’t have my slider in the first inning, or throughout the game,” Kuroda said through an interpreter.

Los Angeles put two on with no outs in the fourth inning but Russ Mitchell grounded into a double play that nearly was a triple play, and Tony Gwynn Jr. flied out to left to end the inning.

Lannan was removed after Juan Rivera’s single in the sixth and James Loney singled against Balester with two down. Gorzelanny entered to face lefty batter Gwynn, who struck out on a foul tip.

“I felt pretty good. A little hiccup there in the first, but I settled down after they scored,” said Lannan, who threw 27 of his 94 pitches in the first inning. “It’s always a little bit of a comfort when you can go out there and just try and get ahead knowing that you have a lead.”

Justin Sellers hit an RBI double in the ninth for Los Angeles.

Ankiel doubled in Desmond in the seventh, and Wilson Ramos had an RBI single in the eighth.

NOTES: The Dodgers entered having won four consecutive series. … Rain is forecast throughout the day on Tuesday, potentially interfering with Stephen Strasburg’s season debut. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2009 draft is returning to the majors after undergoing Tommy John surgery last fall. “If (Strasburg) warms up and it rains, we’ll probably have to do it another day,” Washington manager Davey Johnson said. … Johnson acknowledged a wave of minor leaguers are expected to be called up on Tuesday. Eastern League Pitcher of the Year Brad Peacock and second baseman Stephen Lombardozzi are the expected headliners.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Michael Morse and the Washington Nationals put together one powerful start Monday.

Morse hit two of Washington’s four homers and John Lannan pitched into the sixth inning to lead the Nationals to a 7-2 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Morse, Ian Desmond and Jayson Werth all went deep in the first inning as Washington grabbed a 4-1 lead. The Nationals had dropped 10 of 12, while the Dodgers came in winners of 11 of 13.

All four homers — Morse hit No. 26 in the sixth inning — came against Hiroki Kuroda (11-15), who entered with a career-high four-game winning streak. The right-hander had a season-high nine strikeouts, but gave up five runs and eight hits in six innings.

Lannan (9-11), who had lost his previous four starts, allowed one run and five hits in 5 1-3 innings. Collin Balester, Tom Gorzelanny, Tyler Clippard and Sean Burnett combined for the final 3 2-3 innings.

Morse drove in three runs and was one of five Nationals with two hits. The first baseman-outfielder leads the team in home runs, average (.315) and RBIs (82).

“Over the course of my career I’ve hit behind some pretty good hitters. Mike is having a big year,” said Werth, who often followed Ryan Howard and Chase Utley in Philadelphia’s lineup before signing with the Nationals last winter.

“When I signed here he was one of the guys I really liked and thought he had a chance to be a really good player. He’s really done a good job this year and turned himself into a force to be reckoned with and a guy going forward who’s going to be a pillar in this organization.”

Kuroda had never allowed three or more home runs in the same game, let alone the same inning. The four-year veteran threw 114 pitches.

“Usually, when you don’t pitch good, it’s that first inning,” Los Angeles manager Don Mattingly said. “(Kuroda) got himself into a groove and pitched well after that. He gave us some chances to kind of creep back in.”

Lack of run support was a factor in Lannan’s skid as the Nationals scored a combined five runs in that stretch. They nearly generated that output in the first inning against Los Angeles.

Jamey Carroll and Matt Kemp hit consecutive doubles in the first to give the Dodgers the lead, but Desmond led off the bottom half with a drive to left-center on a 1-2 slider.

“They kind of had the momentum right there in the first inning,” said Desmond, who has two leadoff home runs in the last three games. “It was nice for us to answer back and then continue to keep it going the rest of the game. That’s something we haven’t done this year.”

After Rick Ankiel singled and Ryan Zimmerman’s fly ball was caught at the wall, Morse’s drive cleared the fence in left. Werth followed with another shot to left, also on a slider, for the fourth set of back-to-back home runs by the Nationals this season.

“I didn’t have my slider in the first inning, or throughout the game,” Kuroda said through an interpreter.

Los Angeles put two on with no outs in the fourth inning but Russ Mitchell grounded into a double play that nearly was a triple play, and Tony Gwynn Jr. flied out to left to end the inning.

Lannan was removed after Juan Rivera’s single in the sixth and James Loney singled against Balester with two down. Gorzelanny entered to face lefty batter Gwynn, who struck out on a foul tip.

“I felt pretty good. A little hiccup there in the first, but I settled down after they scored,” said Lannan, who threw 27 of his 94 pitches in the first inning. “It’s always a little bit of a comfort when you can go out there and just try and get ahead knowing that you have a lead.”

Justin Sellers hit an RBI double in the ninth for Los Angeles.

Ankiel doubled in Desmond in the seventh, and Wilson Ramos had an RBI single in the eighth.

NOTES: The Dodgers entered having won four consecutive series. … Rain is forecast throughout the day on Tuesday, potentially interfering with Stephen Strasburg’s season debut. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2009 draft is returning to the majors after undergoing Tommy John surgery last fall. “If (Strasburg) warms up and it rains, we’ll probably have to do it another day,” Washington manager Davey Johnson said. … Johnson acknowledged a wave of minor leaguers are expected to be called up on Tuesday. Eastern League Pitcher of the Year Brad Peacock and second baseman Stephen Lombardozzi are the expected headliners.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Avoiding a close pitch led to the Washington Nationals tying the game in the bottom of the ninth. Getting plunked an inning later propelled them past the Philadelphia Phillies.

Ian Desmond hit a tying homer with two outs in the ninth inning, then Jonny Gomes was nicked by a pitch from Brad Lidge with the bases loaded in the 10th, giving the Nationals an unlikely 5-4 win on a rainy Sunday.

It was the second improbable victory in three games for the Nationals. They beat the Phillies, who have the best record in the majors, with a six-run rally in the ninth Friday night.

“Any time you can beat what I consider probably the best team in baseball it’s a plus,” Washington manager Davey Johnson said. “There’s just no give up in this ballclub. It’s always fun to beat the best.”

Desmond was feeling like anything but the best after Saturday’s game, when his two-out error led to the Phillies’ first two runs in a 5-0 win.

Less than 24 hours later, an RBI single by Michael Martinez put the Phillies ahead 4-3 in the ninth. With two outs, Desmond was down to his final strike when he instinctively avoided being hit by a slider from Antonio Bastardo, who pitched the ninth with regular closer Ryan Madson given the day off.

On the next pitch, Desmond sent a soaring drive into the stands for his fifth home run of the season. The shot quieted the pro-Phillies crowd at Nationals Park and had Desmond shooting his arm into the air.

“Last night was a hard night’s sleep for me,” Desmond said. “I told myself today I’m going to come out and try to put that behind me. When I touched first base and put my hand up I was, ‘Yes, that’s how you come back.”

Ryan Zimmerman, who hit a game-ending grand slam on Friday night, started the 10th with a leadoff double against Lidge (0-1). Michael Morse was walked intentionally and Jayson Werth, after striking out three times, singled to load the bases.

Danny Espinosa fanned for the first out. A 1-0 slider from Lidge veered inside — and Gomes didn’t budge.

“I’m definitely hanging in. It comes all the way back to my junior college days. it was hard-nosed, dirtbag baseball,” Gomes said.

“Normally, that’s a pitch for me when I release it — I know what it’s going to do,” Lidge said. “It didn’t go where I thought it was going to go.”

Gomes was happy it didn’t.

“Getting hit was last on my to-do list that at bat, but it worked out,” Gomes said.

Sean Burnett (4-5), the sixth Washington pitcher, pitched a scoreless 10th.

The win broke a streak of eight straight winning road series by the Phillies.

The Nationals got off to a 2-0 lead in the first off Roy Halladay. Desmond’s leadoff double set up Zimmerman’s sacrifice fly and Espinosa’s run-scoring single, his first RBI since July 17.

Carlos Ruiz homered off Chien-Ming Wang in the second, tying it at 2. Chase Utley’s ninth home run put the Phillies ahead 3-2 in the third.

With two outs in the top of the sixth, lightning and heavy rain caused a delay of 1 hour, 11 minutes.

When play resumed, Tom Gorzelanny replaced Wang and faced one batter.

On track for his NL-leading 16th win and fourth this year against Washington before the rain came, Halladay allowed two runs and seven hits in five innings, striking out five and hitting a batter.

After the delay, Halladay was replaced by Michael Schwimer, who made his major league debut. He allowed a home run to Espinosa on the second pitch he threw.

Schwimer pitched three innings and struck out four.

In his fifth start since missing more than two years after shoulder surgery, Wang allowed three runs and five hits. He struck out four and walked one.

NOTES: Phillies SS Jimmy Rollins left in the third inning with a strained right groin. He’ll have an MRI exam Monday night. … Espinosa had three hits … Zimmerman has reached base in 27 straight games. … It was the third rain delay in the last four games for the Nationals. Friday’s game was stopped for 2 hours, 22 minutes, and the start of Thursday’s Reds-Nationals game was also delayed by 30 minutes. … LHP Ross Detwiler (1-3) will start Monday for Washington. LHP Joe Saunders (8-10) is scheduled for Arizona.

Avoiding a close pitch led to the Washington Nationals tying the game in the bottom of the ninth. Getting plunked an inning later propelled them past the Philadelphia Phillies.

Ian Desmond hit a tying homer with two outs in the ninth inning, then Jonny Gomes was nicked by a pitch from Brad Lidge with the bases loaded in the 10th, giving the Nationals an unlikely 5-4 win on a rainy Sunday.

It was the second improbable victory in three games for the Nationals. They beat the Phillies, who have the best record in the majors, with a six-run rally in the ninth Friday night.

“Any time you can beat what I consider probably the best team in baseball it’s a plus,” Washington manager Davey Johnson said. “There’s just no give up in this ballclub. It’s always fun to beat the best.”

Elsewhere in the NL it was: Milwaukee 6 New York 2; Atlanta 1 Arizona 0; Cincinnati 5 Pittsburgh 4; San Francisco 6 Houston 4 (11 innings); Colorado 5 Los Angeles 3; San Diego 4 Florida 3; and St. Louis 6 Chicago 2.

At Washington, Desmond was feeling like anything but the best after Saturday’s game, when his two-out error led to the Phillies’ first two runs in a 5-0 win.

Less than 24 hours later, an RBI single by Michael Martinez put the Phillies ahead 4-3 in the ninth. With two outs, Desmond was down to his final strike when he instinctively avoided being hit by a slider from Antonio Bastardo, who pitched the ninth with regular closer Ryan Madson given the day off.

On the next pitch, Desmond sent a soaring drive into the stands for his fifth home run of the season. The shot quieted the pro-Phillies crowd at Nationals Park and had Desmond shooting his arm into the air.

“Last night was a hard night’s sleep for me,” Desmond said. “I told myself today I’m going to come out and try to put that behind me. When I touched first base and put my hand up I was, ‘Yes, that’s how you come back.”

Ryan Zimmerman, who hit a game-ending grand slam on Friday night, started the 10th with a leadoff double against Lidge (0-1). Michael Morse was walked intentionally and Jayson Werth, after striking out three times, singled to load the bases.

Danny Espinosa fanned for the first out. A 1-0 slider from Lidge veered inside — and Gomes didn’t budge.

“I’m definitely hanging in. It comes all the way back to my junior college days. it was hard-nosed, dirtbag baseball,” Gomes said.

“Normally, that’s a pitch for me when I release it — I know what it’s going to do,” Lidge said. “It didn’t go where I thought it was going to go.”

Gomes was happy it didn’t.

“Getting hit was last on my to-do list that at bat, but it worked out,” Gomes said.

Sean Burnett (4-5), the sixth Washington pitcher, pitched a scoreless 10th.

The win broke a streak of eight straight winning road series by the Phillies.

The Nationals got off to a 2-0 lead in the first off Roy Halladay. Desmond’s leadoff double set up Zimmerman’s sacrifice fly and Espinosa’s run-scoring single, his first RBI since July 17.

Carlos Ruiz homered off Chien-Ming Wang in the second, tying it at 2. Chase Utley’s ninth home run put the Phillies ahead 3-2 in the third.

With two outs in the top of the sixth, lightning and heavy rain caused a delay of one hour 11 minutes.

When play resumed, Tom Gorzelanny replaced Wang and faced one batter.

On track for his NL-leading 16th win and fourth this year against Washington before the rain came, Halladay allowed two runs and seven hits in five innings, striking out five and hitting a batter.

After the delay, Halladay was replaced by Michael Schwimer, who made his major league debut. He allowed a home run to Espinosa on the second pitch he threw.

Schwimer pitched three innings and struck out four.

In his fifth start since missing more than two years after shoulder surgery, Wang allowed three runs and five hits. He struck out four and walked one.

Brewers 6 Mets 2

At New York, Prince Fielder drove in the go-ahead run on a botched potential double-play grounder in the eighth and Yovani Gallardo shut down the Mets for seven innings, leading Milwaukee to a sweep of the Mets.

—

Braves 1 Diamondbacks 0

At Atlanta, Tim Hudson combined with two relievers on a five-hit shutout, Alex Gonzalez homered and the Braves completed a three-game sweep of slumping Arizona.

—

Reds 5 Pirates 4

At Pittsburgh, Cincinnati scored twice in the ninth inning to hand All-Star closer Joel Hanrahan his second loss in three days and take two of three from the Pirates.

—

Giants 6 Astros 4 (11 innings)

At Houston, Pablo Sandoval hit a tie-breaking two-run homer with two out in the 11th inning to propel San Francisco over the Astros.

—

Rockies 5 Dodgers 3

At Denver, Kevin Millwood pitched seven strong innings for his first big league win in nearly a year and Seth Smith hit a go-ahead two-run homer in the seventh, leading Colorado to snap a string of 17 straight Sunday losses.

—

Padres 4 Marlins 3

At San Diego, Nick Hundley tripled leading off the bottom of the ninth and scored on Will Venable’s bases-loaded single to give the Padres a four-game sweep of Florida.

—

Cardinals 6 Cubs 2

At Chicago, Albert Pujols hit his 31st home run and Yadier Molina homered twice as St. Louis beat the Cubs.

WASHINGTON (AP) – Avoiding a close pitch led to the Washington Nationals tying the game in the bottom of the ninth. Getting plunked an inning later propelled them past the Philadelphia Phillies.

Ian Desmond hit a tying homer with two outs in the ninth inning, then Jonny Gomes was nicked by a pitch from Brad Lidge with the bases loaded in the 10th, giving the Nationals an unlikely 5-4 win on a rainy Sunday.

It was the second improbable victory in three games for the Nationals. They beat the Phillies, who have the best record in the majors, with a six-run rally in the ninth Friday night.

“Any time you can beat what I consider probably the best team in baseball it’s a plus,” Washington manager Davey Johnson said. “There’s just no give up in this ballclub. It’s always fun to beat the best.”

Desmond was feeling like anything but the best after Saturday’s game, when his two-out error led to the Phillies’ first two runs in a 5-0 win.

Less than 24 hours later, an RBI single by Michael Martinez put the Phillies ahead 4-3 in the ninth. With two outs, Desmond was down to his final strike when he instinctively avoided being hit by a slider from Antonio Bastardo, who pitched the ninth with regular closer Ryan Madson given the day off.

On the next pitch, Desmond sent a soaring drive into the stands for his fifth home run of the season. The shot quieted the pro-Phillies crowd at Nationals Park and had Desmond shooting his arm into the air.

“Last night was a hard night’s sleep for me,” Desmond said. “I told myself today I’m going to come out and try to put that behind me. When I touched first base and put my hand up I was, ‘Yes, that’s how you come back.”

Ryan Zimmerman, who hit a game-ending grand slam on Friday night, started the 10th with a leadoff double against Lidge (0-1). Michael Morse was walked intentionally and Jayson Werth, after striking out three times, singled to load the bases.

Danny Espinosa fanned for the first out. A 1-0 slider from Lidge veered inside – and Gomes didn’t budge.

“I’m definitely hanging in. It comes all the way back to my junior college days. it was hard-nosed, dirtbag baseball,” Gomes said.

“Normally, that’s a pitch for me when I release it – I know what it’s going to do,” Lidge said. “It didn’t go where I thought it was going to go.”

Gomes was happy it didn’t.

“Getting hit was last on my to-do list that at bat, but it worked out,” Gomes said.

Sean Burnett (4-5), the sixth Washington pitcher, pitched a scoreless 10th.

The win broke a streak of eight straight winning road series by the Phillies.

The Nationals got off to a 2-0 lead in the first off Roy Halladay. Desmond’s leadoff double set up Zimmerman’s sacrifice fly and Espinosa’s run-scoring single, his first RBI since July 17.

Carlos Ruiz homered off Chien-Ming Wang in the second, tying it at 2. Chase Utley’s ninth home run put the Phillies ahead 3-2 in the third.

With two outs in the top of the sixth, lightning and heavy rain caused a delay of 1 hour, 11 minutes.

When play resumed, Tom Gorzelanny replaced Wang and faced one batter.

On track for his NL-leading 16th win and fourth this year against Washington before the rain came, Halladay allowed two runs and seven hits in five innings, striking out five and hitting a batter.

After the delay, Halladay was replaced by Michael Schwimer, who made his major league debut. He allowed a home run to Espinosa on the second pitch he threw.

Schwimer pitched three innings and struck out four.

In his fifth start since missing more than two years after shoulder surgery, Wang allowed three runs and five hits. He struck out four and walked one.

NOTES: Phillies SS Jimmy Rollins left in the third inning with a strained right groin. He’ll have an MRI exam Monday night. … Espinosa had three hits … Zimmerman has reached base in 27 straight games. … It was the third rain delay in the last four games for the Nationals. Friday’s game was stopped for 2 hours, 22 minutes, and the start of Thursday’s Reds-Nationals game was also delayed by 30 minutes. … LHP Ross Detwiler (1-3) will start Monday for Washington. LHP Joe Saunders (8-10) is scheduled for Arizona.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

WASHINGTON —

Avoiding a close pitch led to the Washington Nationals tying the game in the bottom of the ninth. Getting plunked an inning later propelled them past the Philadelphia Phillies.

Ian Desmond hit a tying homer with two outs in the ninth inning, then Jonny Gomes was nicked by a pitch from Brad Lidge with the bases loaded in the 10th, giving the Nationals an unlikely 5-4 win on a rainy Sunday.

It was the second improbable victory in three games for the Nationals. They beat the Phillies, who have the best record in the majors, with a six-run rally in the ninth Friday night.

“Any time you can beat what I consider probably the best team in baseball it’s a plus,” Washington manager Davey Johnson said. “There’s just no give up in this ballclub. It’s always fun to beat the best.”

Desmond was feeling like anything but the best after Saturday’s game, when his two-out error led to the Phillies’ first two runs in a 5-0 win.

Less than 24 hours later, an RBI single by Michael Martinez put the Phillies ahead 4-3 in the ninth. With two outs, Desmond was down to his final strike when he instinctively avoided being hit by a slider from Antonio Bastardo, who pitched the ninth with regular closer Ryan Madson given the day off.

On the next pitch, Desmond sent a soaring drive into the stands for his fifth home run of the season. The shot quieted the pro-Phillies crowd at Nationals Park and had Desmond shooting his arm into the air.

“Last night was a hard night’s sleep for me,” Desmond said. “I told myself today I’m going to come out and try to put that behind me. When I touched first base and put my hand up I was, ‘Yes, that’s how you come back.”

Ryan Zimmerman, who hit a game-ending grand slam on Friday night, started the 10th with a leadoff double against Lidge (0-1). Michael Morse was walked intentionally and Jayson Werth, after striking out three times, singled to load the bases.

Danny Espinosa fanned for the first out. A 1-0 slider from Lidge veered inside – and Gomes didn’t budge.

“I’m definitely hanging in. It comes all the way back to my junior college days. it was hard-nosed, dirtbag baseball,” Gomes said.

“Normally, that’s a pitch for me when I release it – I know what it’s going to do,” Lidge said. “It didn’t go where I thought it was going to go.”

Gomes was happy it didn’t.

“Getting hit was last on my to-do list that at bat, but it worked out,” Gomes said.

Sean Burnett (4-5), the sixth Washington pitcher, pitched a scoreless 10th.

The win broke a streak of eight straight winning road series by the Phillies.

The Nationals got off to a 2-0 lead in the first off Roy Halladay. Desmond’s leadoff double set up Zimmerman’s sacrifice fly and Espinosa’s run-scoring single, his first RBI since July 17.

Carlos Ruiz homered off Chien-Ming Wang in the second, tying it at 2. Chase Utley’s ninth home run put the Phillies ahead 3-2 in the third.

With two outs in the top of the sixth, lightning and heavy rain caused a delay of 1 hour, 11 minutes.

When play resumed, Tom Gorzelanny replaced Wang and faced one batter.

On track for his NL-leading 16th win and fourth this year against Washington before the rain came, Halladay allowed two runs and seven hits in five innings, striking out five and hitting a batter.

After the delay, Halladay was replaced by Michael Schwimer, who made his major league debut. He allowed a home run to Espinosa on the second pitch he threw.

Schwimer pitched three innings and struck out four.

In his fifth start since missing more than two years after shoulder surgery, Wang allowed three runs and five hits. He struck out four and walked one.

NOTES: Phillies SS Jimmy Rollins left in the third inning with a strained right groin. He’ll have an MRI exam Monday night. … Espinosa had three hits … Zimmerman has reached base in 27 straight games. … It was the third rain delay in the last four games for the Nationals. Friday’s game was stopped for 2 hours, 22 minutes, and the start of Thursday’s Reds-Nationals game was also delayed by 30 minutes. … LHP Ross Detwiler (1-3) will start Monday for Washington. LHP Joe Saunders (8-10) is scheduled for Arizona.

It was the second improbable victory in three games for the Nationals. They beat the Phillies, who have the best record in the majors, with a six-run rally in the ninth Friday night.

“Any time you can beat what I consider probably the best team in baseball it’s a plus,” Washington manager Davey Johnson said. “There’s just no give up in this ballclub. It’s always fun to beat the best.”

Desmond was feeling like anything but the best after Saturday’s game, when his two-out error led to the Phillies’ first two runs in a 5-0 win.

Less than 24 hours later, an RBI single by Michael Martinez put the Phillies ahead 4-3 in the ninth. With two outs, Desmond was down to his final strike when he instinctively avoided being hit by a slider from Antonio Bastardo, who pitched the ninth with regular closer Ryan Madson given the day off.

On the next pitch, Desmond sent a soaring drive into the stands for his fifth home run of the season. The shot quieted the pro-Phillies crowd at Nationals Park and had Desmond shooting his arm into the air.

“Last night was a hard night’s sleep for me,” Desmond said. “I told myself today I’m going to come out and try to put that behind me. When I touched first base and put my hand up I was, ‘Yes, that’s how you come back.”

Ryan Zimmerman, who hit a game-ending grand slam on Friday night, started the 10th with a leadoff double against Lidge (0-1). Michael Morse was walked intentionally and Jayson Werth, after striking out three times, singled to load the bases.

Danny Espinosa fanned for the first out. A 1-0 slider from Lidge veered inside — and Gomes didn’t budge.

“I’m definitely hanging in. It comes all the way back to my junior college days. it was hard-nosed, dirtbag baseball,” Gomes said.

“Normally, that’s a pitch for me when I release it — I know what it’s going to do,” Lidge said. “It didn’t go where I thought it was going to go.”

Gomes was happy it didn’t.

“Getting hit was last on my to-do list that at bat, but it worked out,” Gomes said.

Sean Burnett (4-5), the sixth Washington pitcher, pitched a scoreless 10th.

The win broke a streak of eight straight winning road series by the Phillies.

The Nationals got off to a 2-0 lead in the first off Roy Halladay. Desmond’s leadoff double set up Zimmerman’s sacrifice fly and Espinosa’s run-scoring single, his first RBI since July 17.

Carlos Ruiz homered off Chien-Ming Wang in the second, tying it at 2. Chase Utley’s ninth home run put the Phillies ahead 3-2 in the third.

With two outs in the top of the sixth, lightning and heavy rain caused a delay of 1 hour, 11 minutes.

When play resumed, Tom Gorzelanny replaced Wang and faced one batter.

On track for his NL-leading 16th win and fourth this year against Washington before the rain came, Halladay allowed two runs and seven hits in five innings, striking out five and hitting a batter.

After the delay, Halladay was replaced by Michael Schwimer, who made his major league debut. He allowed a home run to Espinosa on the second pitch he threw.

Schwimer pitched three innings and struck out four.

In his fifth start since missing more than two years after shoulder surgery, Wang allowed three runs and five hits. He struck out four and walked one.

NOTES: Phillies SS Jimmy Rollins left in the third inning with a strained right groin. He’ll have an MRI exam Monday night. … Espinosa had three hits … Zimmerman has reached base in 27 straight games. … It was the third rain delay in the last four games for the Nationals. Friday’s game was stopped for 2 hours, 22 minutes, and the start of Thursday’s Reds-Nationals game was also delayed by 30 minutes. … LHP Ross Detwiler (1-3) will start Monday for Washington. LHP Joe Saunders (8-10) is scheduled for Arizona.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Read More: Carlos Ruiz (C – PHI), Hunter Pence (RF – PHI), Wilson Valdez (3B – PHI), John Lannan (P – WAS), John Mayberry (CF – PHI), Ian Desmond (SS – WAS), Philadelphia Phillies, Washington Nationals

In front of a record crowd filled with many fans who were rooting for the other team, the Washington Nationals suffered through a mistake-filled 5-0 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies at Nationals Park. The Nationals allowed two unearned runs to score in the top of the fourth inning, then allowed three more in the sixth inning for the final margin.

Things started to go badly in the fourth. The Nationals appeared to catch John Mayberry in a rundown, but Ian Desmond dropped the throw and Mayberry was safe. After a Carlos Ruiz walk, Wilson Valdez tripled to bring in both runs. The Nationals surrendered three more in the sixth inning after a solo home run by Hunter Pence and two more RBIs to bring home runners John Lannan allowed to reach base.

The listed attendance was 44,685, the largest in team history. However, a vast majority of those fans were Phillies fans traveling down from Philadelphia to attend the game.

Read More: Ryan Zimmerman (3B – WAS), Chien-Ming Wang (P – WAS), Michael Morse (1B – WAS), Ian Desmond (SS – WAS), Washington Nationals, Cincinnati Reds

The Washington Nationals have a 6-4 lead over the Cincinnati Reds in the seventh inning thanks to a power surge by the Nationals offense and a settling starting pitcher in Chien-Ming Wang.

Third baseman Ryan Zimmerman and first baseman Michael Morse have both hit home runs while shortstop Ian Desmond hit a crucial first inning two-run single. Morse now has 21 homers on the year and has also hit a RBI double in the game.

This all comes after a shaky first inning from Wang who gave up two runs in the first inning while trying to find his sinker. He then settled and at one point retired 12 straight batters. The Reds touched Wang again for a RBI single in the sixth inning and a RBI double in the seventh.

The Nationals took advantage of a fielding error to score a run, but the Nationals have committed two fielding errors of their own. One came from Zimmerman and another from Desmond.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

WASHINGTON — Since Davey Johnson became the manager of the Washington Nationals, he had been waiting for his team to muscle up. On Tuesday night, they finally did.

Rick Ankiel hit a grand slam and the Nationals had three homers in all while posting a 9-3 victory over the Atlanta Braves for their fourth straight win.

“This is my kind of game. I haven’t had any there in five weeks,” Johnson said. “I’ve been waiting for one like this.”

Ankiel connected in Washington’s five-run fourth inning against Derek Lowe (6-10), giving the Nationals a 6-3 lead. Ankiel also went deep twice Monday night against the Braves and has six homers on the year.

“Ankiel is swinging it pretty good right now,” said Atlanta manager Fredi Gonzalez, whose team has dropped three straight.

“We’re not making pitches and we’re paying for it right now with him at the plate.”

Since Johnson arrived in Washington, he’s been adamant about wanting a team that hits long balls and makes other teams uncomfortable.

“He’s an offensive guy,” Ankiel said. “I know he likes to pound guys and score runs.”

Ian Desmond hit a two-run homer in the fifth that finished Lowe, who has dropped his last three starts. The right-hander gave up eight runs, seven earned, and 10 hits.

“Today was a lot of mistakes over the middle of the plate, and not really quality pitches,” Lowe said.

“It’s been a tough stretch. Long year. But you’ve got to keep fighting, hopefully things will turn around. But it’s definitely one of my longer years in my career.”

Michael Morse hit Washington’s final homer of the night, a solo drive off Cristhian Martinez in the sixth. It was his 18th of the season.

“Davey wants to see the ball get hit out of the ballpark,” Desmond said. “The last time he managed in the big leagues, there were at least two or three every night. A real different ballgame now.”

Desmond drove in three runs.

“This is what this club is capable of doing. Everyone starts getting that fever — that hitting fever — it’s fun,” said Johnson, who became Washington’s manager on June 27. “The talent’s been there.”

Dan Uggla (24 games) and Freddie Freeman (17) extended their hitting streaks for the Braves. Those are the two longest current streaks in the majors.

John Lannan (8-7) struck out a season-high eight and improved to 3-0 against Atlanta this year. He gave up three runs and nine hits in 6 2-3 innings.

Desmond’s sacrifice fly put the Nationals ahead in the second.

Atlanta scored twice in the third on Michael Bourn’s RBI double and Martin Prado’s infield out, and took a 3-1 lead in the fourth on Jorge Constanza’s RBI single.

NOTES: It was Ankiel’s second career slam. … Atlanta 3B Chipper Jones worked out before the game and said he wasn’t ready to start. Jones, who strained his right quad on July 25, has been restricted to pinch-hitting since then. “I need to see what I can and can’t do just to give them feedback and see where I still have pain,” Jones said. He said he hasn’t noticed any improvement since Monday. … Washington RHP Stephen Strasburg, recovering from Tommy John surgery, threw 51 pitches in a simulated game in Viera, Fla. … The Nationals recalled RHP Collin Balester from triple-A Syracuse. … Washington C Ivan Rodriguez (oblique) is close to being ready for a rehab assignment, Johnson said. … Atlanta RHP Brandon Beachy is scheduled to start on Wednesday afternoon against Chien-Ming Wang. Beachy is 4-2 this season and is looking for his second straight victory after not winning his previous four starts. Wang started for the first time in more than two years on July 29 against the New York Mets and allowed six runs — four earned — in four innings. … Nationals 3B Ryan Zimmerman extended his hitting streak to 11 games.

Read More: Ian Desmond (SS – WAS), Washington Nationals, Los Angeles Dodgers

Washington Nationals shortstop Ian Desmond has seen his name come up in a number of MLB trade rumors. At this point, though, there are conflicting reports over whether the Nationals actually want to trade him.

Yahoo! Sports’ lead baseball writer Jeff Passan is reporting that the Nationals are heavily shopping Desmond around, with a few teams interested.

The Nationals are actively shopping SS Ian Desmond, with San Francisco and Boston among the teams showing interest. Good fit for TB, too.

However, Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post reports the exact opposite. Prior to the Nationals’ game against the Dodgers, Kilgore wrote this:

The Nationals have received several inquiries about shortstop Ian Desmond, but they are hesitant to trade the 25-year-old. Desmond is hitting .228/.276/.314 this season. Rizzo considers Desmond part of the Nationals’ future core group, and “we’ve made it pretty clear we’re not moving core pieces,” Rizzo said.

If the Nationals do move Desmond, it would be because they like Steve Lombardozzi, an infielder in AAA. Lombardozzi would play second base and Danny Espinosa would move to shortstop.

Ian Desmond sat at his locker in the clubhouse Sunday evening stone faced and frustrated.

It would be inaccurate to say that the Washington Nationals have taken any of their first 30 losses this season with a sense of complacency or without disappointment, but minutes after a potentially game-saving play by Desmond turned into one where the winning run scored in the ninth inning of the San Diego Padres‘ 5-4 victory, Desmond was the embodiment of those frustrations.

Closer Drew Storen, who was on the mound in a tie game and got the one-out ground ball he was looking for from Padres left fielder Ryan Ludwick with Jorge Cantu on second base, said it was “a heck of an effort,” by Desmond. Veteran infielder Jerry Hairston Jr. called it a “great play.”

And it was all of those things for Desmond, who was playing deep in the hole, to range to his left and even knock the ball down. Instead of sliding into his glove, the ball slipped away. Desmond recovered and threw to the plate, but catcher Wilson Ramos dropped the ball upon impact. Cantu scored, and another brutal loss was on its way.

“I don’t really know why it was great,” Desmond said. “The run scored, and we lost the game. It wasn’t very great to me.”

“It just trickled away,” Nationals manager Jim Riggleman said of the play. “Is that unlucky? We had a chance to have good luck, and we just didn’t take advantage of it when we could get some runs in.”

The winning run did indeed score then – perhaps a bit of bad luck for Storen, who has allowed a run in three straight appearances after a 21-inning scoreless streak. But the game was lost long before Ludwick took a hack at Storen’s 0-1 slider.

It was lost when the Nationals put two runners on base with one out or less five times and they scored in just two of those innings. It was lost when they hit into three inning-ending double plays, and it was lost because of paltry 3-for-13 batting with runners in scoring position. The Nationals had 11 hits, drew three walks and a runner reached on an error. Only four of those runners scored.

“This isn’t going to cut it,” Desmond said. “It’s not luck. We’re not unlucky. We have runners in scoring position, and we can’t score them. It starts with me. I left runners out there. I’ve been leaving runners out there. I’ve got to do something different. We’ve all got to do something different.”

“There’s no other word to say it besides frustrating,” he added. “I don’t know what’s going on… We’ve got to start scoring runs for our pitching staff. They’ve been pitching great, and we can’t score runs for them. We’ve got to find an answer.”

On Sunday, that pitcher was Yunesky Maya, though it’d be a stretch to call Maya’s 4 2/3-inning, four-earned run performance great. But called up from Triple-A on Sunday morning to start in place of injured Tom Gorzelanny, Maya – and the bullpen – kept Washington within striking distance, despite squandering a two-run lead.

Maya zipped through the first three innings, but felled by a hot day and back-to-back two-out walks in the fifth, Maya’s efficiency disappeared. He needed 38 pitches to get the first nine outs but 52 to get the following five.

Yet if the Nationals could plate just two more of their 15 base runners, it’s a moot point.

Whether the Nationals chalked up their 30th loss – and 11th in a one-run game – by bad luck or missed opportunities it was a loss just the same.

“It just kind of leaves a bitter taste in your mouth,” Storen said. “A loss is a loss, but these ones really sting. But, hey, sun’s going to come up tomorrow.”

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Ryan Ludwick thought Ian Desmond made a great play. Desmond didn’t think so at all.
The not-so-great play was a grounder Ludwick hit up the middle that scored the winning run for the San Diego Padres as the Washington Nationals lost their ninth of 11 games, 5-4 to San Diego.
With Drew Storen (4-2) on the mound, Jorge Cantu doubled with one out. After Jason Bartlett grounded to third, Ludwick’s grounder hit off Desmond’s glove, and his throw home was not in time to beat Cantu.
“I knew it was in. I didn’t think he was going to get to it. I thought he did a great job getting a glove on it,” Ludwick said.
Desmond respectfully disagreed.
“I don’t really know why it was great. The guy scored — and we lost the game. It wasn’t very great to me,” Desmond said.
“This isn’t going to cut it.”
The Nationals scored a franchise-record 17 runs against Baltimore on May 20, and since then they’ve gone 1-7 and scored more than four runs just once. Their batting average is a horrifying .229 — second-worst in baseball — and they dropped two of three to the only team with a worse average — .227.
“It’s unbelievable. We have to do something different,” Desmond said.
“There’s no other word to say besides frustrating. I don’t know what’s going on. We’ve got to find what’s in ourselves. We’ve got to do something.”
Washington was just 3-for-13 with runners in scoring position.
“We had some good luck and we just couldn’t take advantage of it,” manager Jim Riggleman said.
It was the first time San Diego scored more than three runs in 11 games.
Luke Gregerson (2-1), the third Padres pitcher, pitched two scoreless innings for the win. Heath Bell worked the ninth for his 12th save in 13 chances.
The first two games of the series featured little offense. Both games ended 2-1, with each team winning one. On Sunday, the teams, which combined for 19 hits in the first two games, had 21.
“I trust our hitters. It’s not like they’re having bad at-bats,” Storen said.
Washington was led by Jayson Werth with three hits. Only Michael Morse, who had two hits — including the game-ending homer on Friday — had multiple hits for the Nationals in any of the weekend’s games.
“It’s not luck. We’re not unlucky. We’ve got runners in scoring position, and we can’t score,” Desmond said.
“It starts with me. I left runners in scoring position. I’ve got to do something different. We all have to do something different.”
In the first, Washington leadoff batter Roger Bernadina reached on an error by Hawpe at first. He stole second and advanced to third on Desmond’s bunt single. Werth singled to right to score Bernadina and Desmond scored on Laynce Nix’s sacrifice fly.
Yunesky Maya, recalled earlier Sunday by the Nationals, allowed just one hit in his first three innings.
In the fourth,the Padres scored when Bartlett led off with a double and scored on Ludwick’s single.
In the fifth, they scored three runs. Logan Forsythe led off with a single, pitcher Moseley bunted him to second, and with two out, Bartlett and Ludwick walked to load the bases. Hawpe singled to score Forsythe and Bartlett. After Slaten replaced Maya, Ludwick scored on Headley’s double.
Maya who is winless in six career starts, pitched 4 2-3 innings, allowing four runs and six hits. He walked two and struck out three.
The Nationals made it 4-3 in the fifth on Rick Ankiel’s single off Moseley and Bernadina’s RBI double.
Moseley pitched five innings, allowing three runs — two earned. He walked one and struck out one.
In the sixth, Washington tied the score at 4 on Morse’s fielders choice that scored Werth.
NOTES: Washington 3B Jerry Hairston was suspended one game and fined for “aggressive actions” toward umpire Ed Hickox on Friday night. Hairston, who was celebrating his 35th birthday on Sunday, is appealing the suspension. … Maya was the sixth starting pitcher used by the Nationals this season. The Nationals are the last major league team to need a sixth starter.

Ryan Ludwick thought Ian Desmond made a great play. Desmond didn’t think so at all.
The not-so-great play was a grounder Ludwick hit up the middle that scored the winning run for the San Diego Padres as the Washington Nationals lost their ninth of 11 games, 5-4 to San Diego.
With Drew Storen (4-2) on the mound, Jorge Cantu doubled with one out. After Jason Bartlett grounded to third, Ludwick’s grounder hit off Desmond’s glove, and his throw home was not in time to beat Cantu.
“I knew it was in. I didn’t think he was going to get to it. I thought he did a great job getting a glove on it,” Ludwick said.
Desmond respectfully disagreed.
“I don’t really know why it was great. The guy scored — and we lost the game. It wasn’t very great to me,” Desmond said.
“This isn’t going to cut it.”
The Nationals scored a franchise-record 17 runs against Baltimore on May 20, and since then they’ve gone 1-7 and scored more than four runs just once. Their batting average is a horrifying .229 — second-worst in baseball — and they dropped two of three to the only team with a worse average — .227.
“It’s unbelievable. We have to do something different,” Desmond said.
“There’s no other word to say besides frustrating. I don’t know what’s going on. We’ve got to find what’s in ourselves. We’ve got to do something.”
Washington was just 3-for-13 with runners in scoring position.
“We had some good luck and we just couldn’t take advantage of it,” manager Jim Riggleman said.
It was the first time San Diego scored more than three runs in 11 games.
Luke Gregerson (2-1), the third Padres pitcher, pitched two scoreless innings for the win. Heath Bell worked the ninth for his 12th save in 13 chances.
The first two games of the series featured little offense. Both games ended 2-1, with each team winning one. On Sunday, the teams, which combined for 19 hits in the first two games, had 21.
“I trust our hitters. It’s not like they’re having bad at-bats,” Storen said.
Washington was led by Jayson Werth with three hits. Only Michael Morse, who had two hits — including the game-ending homer on Friday — had multiple hits for the Nationals in any of the weekend’s games.
“It’s not luck. We’re not unlucky. We’ve got runners in scoring position, and we can’t score,” Desmond said.
“It starts with me. I left runners in scoring position. I’ve got to do something different. We all have to do something different.”
In the first, Washington leadoff batter Roger Bernadina reached on an error by Hawpe at first. He stole second and advanced to third on Desmond’s bunt single. Werth singled to right to score Bernadina and Desmond scored on Laynce Nix’s sacrifice fly.
Yunesky Maya, recalled earlier Sunday by the Nationals, allowed just one hit in his first three innings.
In the fourth,the Padres scored when Bartlett led off with a double and scored on Ludwick’s single.
In the fifth, they scored three runs. Logan Forsythe led off with a single, pitcher Moseley bunted him to second, and with two out, Bartlett and Ludwick walked to load the bases. Hawpe singled to score Forsythe and Bartlett. After Slaten replaced Maya, Ludwick scored on Headley’s double.
Maya who is winless in six career starts, pitched 4 2-3 innings, allowing four runs and six hits. He walked two and struck out three.
The Nationals made it 4-3 in the fifth on Rick Ankiel’s single off Moseley and Bernadina’s RBI double.
Moseley pitched five innings, allowing three runs — two earned. He walked one and struck out one.
In the sixth, Washington tied the score at 4 on Morse’s fielders choice that scored Werth.
NOTES: Washington 3B Jerry Hairston was suspended one game and fined for “aggressive actions” toward umpire Ed Hickox on Friday night. Hairston, who was celebrating his 35th birthday on Sunday, is appealing the suspension. … Maya was the sixth starting pitcher used by the Nationals this season. The Nationals are the last major league team to need a sixth starter.

Ryan Ludwick had three hits and two RBIs, including a go-ahead infield single in the ninth, Brad Hawpe had two hits and two RBIs and the San Diego Padres beat the Washington Nationals 5-4 on Sunday.
With the game tied at 4 in the ninth, pinch-hitter Jorge Cantu broke an 0-for-13 slump with a double to right off Drew Storen (4-2). With two outs, Ludwick grounded a ball up the middle that bounced off shortstop Ian Desmond’s glove for a hit. Cantu barely beat Desmond’s throw home.
It was the first time San Diego scored more than three runs in 11 games, and gave them a series win over Washington.
Luke Gregerson (2-1), the third Padres pitcher, pitched two scoreless innings for the win. Heath Bell worked the ninth for his 12th save in 13 chances.
The first two games of the series featured little offense. Both games ended 2-1, with each team winning one. On Sunday, the teams, which combined for 19 hits in the first two games, had 21.
Washington, losers of nine of 11, were led by Jayson Werth with three hits.
In the first, Washington leadoff batter Roger Bernadina reached on an error by Hawpe at first. He stole second and advanced to third on Desmond’s bunt single. Werth singled to right to score Bernadina and Desmond scored on Laynce Nix’s sacrifice fly.
Yunesky Maya, recalled earlier Sunday by the Nationals, allowed just one hit in his first three innings.
In the fourth,the Padres scored when Jason Bartlett led off with a double and scored on Ludwick’s single.
In the fifth, they scored three runs. Logan Forsythe led off with a single, pitcher Moseley bunted him to second, and with two out, Bartlett and Ludwick walked to load the bases. Hawpe singled to score Forsythe and Bartlett. After Slaten replaced Maya, Ludwick scored on Headley’s double.
Maya who is winless in six career starts, pitched 4 2-3 innings, allowing four runs and six hits. He walked to and struck out three.
The Nationals made it 4-3 in the fifth on Rick Ankiel’s single off Moseley and Bernadina’s RBI double.
Moseley pitched five innings, allowing three runs — two earned. He walked one and struck out one.
In the sixth, Washington tied the score at 4 on Michael Morse’s fielders choice that scored Werth.
NOTES: Washington 3B Jerry Hairston was suspended one game and fined for “aggressive actions” toward umpire Ed Hickox on Friday night. Hairston, who was celebrating his 35th birthday on Sunday, is appealing the suspension. … San Diego OF Cameron Maybin, hitless in his last 10 at-bats, was out of the lineup due to knee soreness. … Maya was the sixth starting pitcher used by the Nationals this season. The Nationals are the last major league team to need a sixth starter.

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Read More: Jerry Hairston Jr. (SS – WAS), Jayson Werth (RF – WAS), John Lannan (P – WAS), Michael Morse (LF – WAS), Laynce Nix (LF – WAS), Roger Bernadina (RF – WAS), Brian Bixler (SS – WAS), Ian Desmond (SS – WAS), Wilson Ramos (C – WAS), Danny Espinosa (2B – WAS), San Diego Padres, Washington Nationals