Phillies 3, Nationals 2

[August 26, 2014]  Phillies 3, Nationals 2: A.J. Burnett delivered a terrific performance, striking out a season-high 12 over seven innings as Philadelphia improved to 5-2 on its nine-game homestand.

Burnett (7-14) allowed only one walk and three hits in winning for the first time since July 11 - his final start before the All-Star break. The veteran right-hander overcame a leadoff double in the seventh to preserve a 2-1 lead before Jake Diekman escaped trouble in the eighth and Jonathan Papelbon closed it out after issuing a ninth-inning home run.

Cody Asche and Carlos Ruiz homered for Philadelphia, while Jimmy Rollins and Domonic Brown had two hits apiece. Anthony Rendon's sixth-inning homer and Wilson Ramos' late blast accounted for Washington's offense as the Nationals' lead in the National League East slipped to 7 1/2 games.

Burnett allowed only one hit through the first five-plus innings until Rendon's shot over the left-field wall brought the Nationals within a run. Ruiz's fourth blast of the season pushed the lead to 3-1 in the seventh, and Diekman overcame a leadoff double and a two-out walk in the eighth, inducing a groundout by Adam LaRoche to end the frame.

Papelbon issued a two-out homer to Ramos in the ninth before Nate Schierholtz grounded out with the tying run on first. Brown had an RBI single in the fourth and Asche homered in the fifth against Tanner Roark (12-8), who was charged with two runs and five hits in six innings.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Burnett had not won in his last seven starts, though the Phillies had scored a total of 15 runs in those games. ... No player had more than one hit for the Nationals. ... Papelbon had gone 13 straight appearances without allowing a run.

[© 2014 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved.]

Copyright 2014 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.