Nationals vs. Phillies: Jayson Werth homers to spark 7-1 rout for Washington

Saturday afternoon, over nine resounding innings, the Washington Nationals made clear they have finished chasing the Philadelphia Phillies. For years, the Nationals played doormat as the Phillies captured pennants. Their meetings felt “like going to a gunfight with a knife,” General Manager Mike Rizzo said. Not anymore, not after the thorough, 7-1 thumping the Nationals delivered at Nationals Park before 39,496, a mixed crowd that, by the end, had been drained of its Philadelphia influence.

Jayson Werth, the former Phillie and favored target of visiting fans, delivered the lodestone hit, a three-run home run with two outs in the fifth inning that gave the Nationals their first runs. Once Werth’s blast landed in the visitors’ bullpen, the levee broke. The Nationals bashed three homers and outhit the Phillies, 15-5, even as Bryce Harper went 0 for 4 with a walk. Grinning, 26-year-old left-hander Gio Gonzalez cruised, allowing one run on four hits and a walk in seven innings while whiffing seven Phillies and hitting a double himself.

More on this Story

• Werth, Nats' offense come to life
• Box score: Nats 7, Phillies 1
• Harper earning respect

Afterward, Werth gave an interview that blared throughout the park. “I’m just excited to send most of the people here home happy,” he said. During Manager Davey Johnson’s postgame news conference, a fan watching from the President’s Club tapped on a glass divider. “What was that?” Johnson asked, breaking into a grin. “A Philly fan?”

“It feels like they have a chip on their shoulder,” Phillies right fielder Hunter Pence said.

The Nationals spoke with reverence for the Phillies, the five-time reigning National League East champs. “It’s their division,” third baseman Ryan Zimmerman said before the game. “Someone has to take it from them.” Gonzalez added, “They’re champions for a reason.”

On the field, the Nationals brought defiance. They have clinched the weekend series and beaten the Phillies, going back to last season, seven consecutive games. Washington, having won four straight to stay in first place, leads the Phillies by 5¹ / ₂ games. It’s not only a fair fight. It’s now a rivalry.

“That’s the beauty of it. Every year is a new year,” reliever Tyler Clippard said. “You’re already seeing it. Even before we played them, they were chasing us. It’s already changed. These first few games have been a good indicator of that.”

The Nationals and Phillies will meet 16 more times over the next five months, and with far different rosters. The Phillies played without Ryan Howard, Chase Utley and Cliff Lee while Zimmerman, Michael Morse and Adam LaRoche watched for the Nationals. Saturday, though, felt like a benchmark.

“I think all we’re doing right now is reaffirming that we can play with them,” Johnson said. “They’re short-handed, we’re short-handed, probably more so than them. But we can still compete with them. I think that’s a good message to send.”

Their latest victory over the Phillies happened because of the meeting’s most divisive figure. By the time Werth came to the plate in the fifth, he had batted during the series with eight total men on base. None of them had scored.