Nationals 9, Phillies 2
WASHINGTON -- Dan Haren continued his second-half resurgence and Anthony Rendon and Ryan Zimmerman hit second-inning homers as the Washington Nationals defeated the Philadelphia Phillies 9-2 Friday night.
Haren (7-11) pitched seven innings and improved to 3-2 with a 2.43 earned run average in six starts since coming off the disabled list July 8. He's won three straight.
Wilson Ramos, Adam LaRoche and Ian Desmond added two hits apiece for the Nationals (55-60), who collected 12 hits to snap a four-game losing streak. They began play 15 1/2 games behind Atlanta in the NL East and nine games behind Cincinnati for the final wild card spot.
After going 3-for-30 with runners in scoring position during the losing streak, Washington hitters went 5-for-7 against Lannan.
Chase Utley, one day after agreeing to a two-year contract extension, had two hits, an RBI and a run scored for the Phillies (52-63), who fell to 4-15 since the All-Star Break.
With the victory, Haren joined San Francisco's Barry Zito and Pittsburgh's A.J. Burnett as the only active pitchers with wins against all 30 current major league teams.
Haren allowed two runs on four hits. He struck out seven with no walks. The right-hander has fanned 39 batters in 37 innings since his return.
Philadelphia starter John Lannan (3-5) lasted just five innings against his former team. He allowed eight runs on nine hits, while striking out three and walking five.
Lannan pitched out of trouble in the first, but then his luck ran out.
Wilson Ramos led off the second inning with a single and Rendon homered on a 2-2 pitch to make it 2-0. Two outs later, Zimmerman connected with a Lannan changeup for his 13th home run of the season, a solo shot to center.
In the third, Desmond doubled and LaRoche -- 0-for-16 in his career against Lannan -- blooped a double off the glove of a diving Michael Martinez in left-center to score Desmond.
Haren didn't allow a hit until Michael Young's one-out double in the fourth. Young scored on a Chase Utley single to make it 4-1.
The Nationals answered in the fifth. Jayson Werth singled, went to third on a LaRoche single and scored on double by Ramos. After an intentional walk to Rendon, Lannan walked Haren to force in Washington's sixth run and Denard Span singled in two more runs.
NOTES: Philadelphia OF Casper Wells, claimed off waivers Thursday from the White Sox, joined the team. To make room, OF Delmon Young was designated for assignment. Young hit .261 with eight homers and 31 RBIs in 80 games. ... Nationals manager Davey Johnson said RHP Ross Ohlendorf (shoulder inflammation) will pitch a rehab game Saturday at Syracuse. ... Cliff Lee (10-5, 4.10) opposes Washington's Taylor Jordan (1-3, 3.76) on Saturday.
