The Phillies scored three in the ninth inning to take the first game of a day-night doubleheader 4-3. Photo courtesy Philadelphia Phillies/Twitter
WASHINGTON -- Ty Kelly drove in the go-ahead run in a three-run ninth inning as the Philadelphia Phillies rallied to beat the Washington Nationals 4-3 on Sunday in the first game of a day-night doubleheader at Nationals Park.
Washington's Shawn Kelley, who came off the disabled list Friday, started the ninth and gave up a leadoff homer to Aaron Altherr (2-for-3) to make it 3-2. Kelley gave up a double to center to Maikel Franco with one out and Cameron Rupp, who had two hits, tied the score with an RBI double.
Washington reliever Koda Glover then gave up the RBI hit to Kelly.
The winning pitcher was Joaquin Benoit (1-2), who threw a scoreless eighth, and Kelley (3-1) took the loss.
Hector Neris pitched the bottom of the ninth for his fourth save after giving up a leadoff single to Matt Wieters. Neris retired Trea Turner on a grounder for the last out with a runner on base.
Washington's Bryce Harper, who was 2-for-4, homered for the second day in a row with a solo shot in the first to make it 1-0. He crushed his 12th homer of the season off a changeup from starter Jeremy Hellickson into the right-field seats at an exit velocity of 109 mph.
Turner, with just seven hits in his previous 44 at-bats, lined a two-run homer to left off Hellickson in the fifth for a 3-0 lead. He drove in Michael A. Taylor (2-for-4), who led off with a single and went to second on a sacrifice bunt by Washington starter Gio Gonzalez.
Tommy Joseph ended the shutout bid with a solo homer in the seventh off Gonzalez, who gave up just the one run and four hits in 6 2/3 innings.
Hellickson, in his fourth start of the year against Washington and eighth overall, yielded six hits and three runs in five innings.
NOTES: Washington LHP Matt Grace was the 26th man for the Nationals for the day-night doubleheader and RHP Ben Lively was the 26th man for the Phillies. Grace was summoned from Triple-A Syracuse and Lively got the call from Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Both have major league experience this year. ... Washington LF Jayson Werth was not in the starting lineup for the first game. He was taken out in the top of the eighth Saturday night because of a groin injury. ... Phillies OF Odubel Herrera was also not in the starting lineup as he deals with leg tightness, according to manager Pete Mackanin. Herrera singled as a pinch-hitter in the sixth inning but was retired on a double play.
