Boos to cheers for Werth as Nats down Phils, 7-4

At least at the start.

Late in the evening, however, there was a shift of allegiance, the cheers for Werth out-numbering the catcalls as he played the lead role with a home run and a double in the Nationals’ 7-4 victory over their I-95 tormentors.

“Once the game started, it was just business as usual,” Werth said. “I’ve kind of closed that chapter of my life. Just moving on.”

Werth’s lead-off double to left in the fourth inning ignited the decisive three-run rally. His homer just inside the left-field foul pole provided insurance. His walk and steal in the seventh inning was another reminder to Phillies fans of the player who hit 95 home runs, stole 60 bases, and patrolled right field the last four seasons in Philadelphia.

“Was it extra special [coming] against those guys? Probably a little bit,” Werth said of the home run, his second this season. “It was a big win. We’re playing good baseball. We’re .500 now. I feel like our record could be better if we played better early. But we got some things moving in the right direction.”

With a makeshift lineup that was missing No. 3 hitter Ryan Zimmerman (strained abdominal), No. 4 Adam LaRoche (groin pull), and No. 5 Mike Morse (illness), the Nats needed the best stuff of Werth, who entered hitting .200.

Also contributing were catcher Wilson Ramos, who had two hits and knocked in two runs, and left-fielder Laynce Nix, who added a pair of singles.

The Nats (5-5) got clutch work as well from the bottom of the order. Second baseman Danny Espinosa had a sacrifice fly RBI. Winning pitcher Livan Hernandez had a sacrifice bunt RBI. And veterans Jerry Hairston and Alex Cora, who split duty at third base, added run-scoring singles.

“Guys that filled in did some timely hitting,” Werth said. “We played good baseball tonight.”

The Nats caught the Phillies on a fortuitous night, facing Joe Blanton (0-1), the weak link of their dominating rotation which includes Roy Oswalt, Cliff Lee, Cole Hamels, and Roy Halladay. Those five Phillies will earn $67 million this year. The 25 men on the roster for the Nationals Tuesday night will make less than $50 million combined.

The game started as expected, with Howard giving Philadelphia the lead with his third home run. But Washington answered in its half of the second inning on singles by Ramos and Nix, followed by Espinosa’s RBI flyout.

The Nats took the lead for good in the fourth as Werth rifled a drive to the left-field corner for a double, then scored on a double to the wall in right-center by Ramos. A single by Nix and a walk to Espinosa loaded the bases for Hairston, who singled in a run. Then Hernandez followed with his well-placed sacrifice bunt up the first-base line for a 5-1 lead.

It was the 10th sacrifice hit for the Nats, the most this season in baseball.

“Last year I missed five bunts in a row. It never happened to me in my career,” Hernandez said. “I felt so bad. I told everybody, ‘I’m trying. I’m trying, and it’s not happening.’ We’re doing a great job with the bunting.”

Hernandez (1-1) had a stellar outing as he kept Philadelphia off balance, allowing one run on seven hits, no walks, and six strikeouts.

Philadelphia (7-3) got its best chance against Hernandez in the seventh inning, loading the bases with one out. But Hernandez whiffed pinch hitter John Mayberry with a 62 mph curveball, then left the game in favor of Tyler Clippard, who fanned Shane Victorino to get the Nats out of the inning with their 5-1 lead intact.

“That’s the team everyone’s gunning for this year, especially in this division,” Clippard said. “To set the tone early against them, was huge. We definitely showed them tonight we’re a different ball club.”

Lefty Sean Burnett wild pitched a run home in the eighth inning and surrendered another tally in the ninth, but got the final five outs to pick up his third save.

“I never thought I’d be that guy,” Burnett said of his closer role. “I’m just going to run with it and enjoy it as long as I can.”

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