WASHINGTON — Marlon Byrd hit a tiebreaking home run in the sixth inning, Roberto Hernandez pitched eight strong innings and the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Washington Nationals 2-1 Friday night.
Grady Sizemore and Cody Asche had two hits apiece for Philadelphia.
Hernandez (6-8) allowed an unearned run on five singles. He retired the last 10 batters he faced and 17 of the last 18. Over his last four starts, Hernandez is 3-0 with a 1.88 earned run average, including two wins against Washington while allowing no earned runs over 15 1-3 innings.
Jonathan Papelbon pitched the ninth for his 26th save. He allowed a pair of one-out singles before striking out Bryce Harper and Nationals newcomer Asdrubal Cabrera.
NL-East leading Washington has lost four of five.
Doug Fister (10-3) took his first loss since June 15, allowing two runs and six hits in seven innings. He struck out five and walked two, and has allowed three runs or fewer in 13 of his 15 starts.
Byrd struck out his first two times against Fister before sending an 0-1 pitch to the opposite field with two outs in the sixth for his 21st homer.
The Phillies took the lead in the second. Sizemore hit a deep drive to left and Harper raced back, got a glove on it at the warning track, but didn’t make the catch. Sizemore ended up with a double and scored on Asche’s single.
Washington tied it in the bottom of the inning after a Philadelphia error. Adam LaRoche led off and hit an infield pop-up. Hernandez and third baseman Asche had a play on it, but the ball dropped between them.
Asche picked it up and threw wildly to first, allowing LaRoche to go around to third. Ian Desmond then bounced a single up the middle to score LaRoche.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Phillies: Cliff Lee was placed on the 15-day disabled list with an elbow strain and the team recalled left-hander Cesar Jimenez from Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Lee will be examined by the team doctor Saturday. Manager Ryne Sandberg said he was considering starting left-handed hitting outfielder Dominic Brown against righty Fister, but Brown was suffering from a sore throat and fever.
ON DECK:
Nationals: Jordan Zimmermann (6-5, 3.17) makes his fifth try for his 50th career win Saturday. He allowed four runs over 3 1-3 innings in loss at Philadelphia on July 11.
Phillies: A.J. Burnett (6-10, 4.15) looks to rebound from last start, when he allowed seven runs in five innings against the New York Mets on Monday. His last win came July 11 against the Nationals and Zimmermann.
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