Phillies Rookie Aaron Altherr Hits Inside-the-Park Grand Slam vs. Nationals

“I got in a couple jams”, he said.

The game stayed knotted long enough that by the time the outcome was decided after 12 innings and almost four hours, the New York Mets – whose magic number coming into Saturday was one – had already clinched the National League East pennant with a 10-2 win over the Cincinnati Reds.

The Washington Nationals look for a win after splitting their last 10 games.

Gonzalez is 2-1 with a 1.83 ERA in three starts against the Phillies this season and 9-5 with a 2.99 ERA in 15 career starts. “You don’t know what’s going to happen this offseason, so we’ll see what happens”.

Zimmermann did actually receive an ovation on his way from the bullpen to the dugout before the start even began, and it was something he acknowledged he heard and appreciated.

“It was awesome”, he said.

A native of Landstuhl, Germany, Altherr drove in five and capped his first four-hit game with a double in the seventh and a ninth-inning single.

1B Darin Ruf, who hit a home run on Friday, has four homers in 19 games at Nationals Park.

Stephen Strasburg struck out 13 for Washington, NL MVP front-runner Harper had three hits and drew his franchise-record-tying 123rd walk – and, like whatever else went right in 2015 for a team many considered a World Series favorite, none of it mattered. He was pinch hit for with a man on and Washington trailing 6-1 in the fifth. Nationals outfielder Michael Taylor attempted to make a highlight-reel diving catch but failed. “By the time he got to it he had already committed so he dove for it and just missed it”.

Altherr became the first player to clear the bases with an inside-the-park shot since since Tampa Bay’s Randy Winn did it in 1999, and the first for the Phillies since Ted Kazanski did so in 1956, according to STATS. With his tremendous speed, Altherr was able to score, resulting in an inside-the-park grand slam.

“I’m sure I have over 47 years, but I can’t remember”. “But I can’t remember”. I mean that was a big play for us and I feel like I let down the team and Jordan right there.

The only other blemish on Eickhoff’s record was Werth’s solo home run in the sixth, his 12th of the season. He allowed consecutive singles to Harper, Jayson Werth, and Clint Robinson to open the frame and fell behind, two balls and no strikes, to the next batter, Ian Desmond. Nationals Manager Matt Williams said he expects Taylor to be back in the lineup Sunday.