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Phillies beat Nationals in 10th as Papelbon blows save

In the season's first two weeks, the Phillies received more production from the No. 9 spot in the lineup than what their leadoff hitters mustered. The manager batted Freddy Galvis first on Sunday "for lack of a better option" and, naturally, Galvis stood at the plate in the most decisive moment of a 3-2 comeback win over Washington.

Phillies shortstop Freddy Galvis (center) is mobbed by his teammates
after hitting a walk-off double to drive in the winning run.
Phillies shortstop Freddy Galvis (center) is mobbed by his teammates after hitting a walk-off double to drive in the winning run.Read more(Michael Bryant/Staff Photographer)

In the season's first two weeks, the Phillies received more production from the No. 9 spot in the lineup than what their leadoff hitters mustered. The manager batted Freddy Galvis first on Sunday "for lack of a better option" and, naturally, Galvis stood at the plate in the most decisive moment of a 3-2 comeback win over Washington.

He was the perfect hitter to oppose Jonathan Papelbon. The diminutive but aggressive shortstop swung at a fastball, high and outside. The ball sailed over Jayson Werth's head in left. It landed as a game-winning double in the 10th inning, and boos for Papelbon morphed into gleeful cheers at his expense.

"I played behind him for three years," Galvis said. "I know the way he pitches and a little about what the ball will do. I know he likes to throw the fastball and it was something to be aware of in this occasion. He threw me four or five fastballs, so I was ready for it."

The Phillies could not rally until a Philadelphia villain stepped onto the field. Papelbon has made two appearances at Citizens Bank Park since a trade last summer sent him to the rival Washington Nationals.

He has two blown saves.

Galvis was at the center of both. Last September, six weeks after the trade, Galvis crushed a Papelbon pitch for a game-tying, solo homer. Two weeks later, he drew a key walk to start another big inning against the former crotch-grabbing Phillies closer.

The Phillies have faced Papelbon four times since the trade on July 28, 2015. They have scored against Papelbon in three of those outings.

"All of them suck," Papelbon said, when asked if it was worse to blow a save in South Philadelphia. "Your job is to go out there and preserve the win. When you don't do your job, you have to learn how to turn the page and move on. . . . I've blown plenty of these in the past. I know how to handle them."

Phillies manager Pete Mackanin echoed Galvis; the intimate knowledge of Papelbon as a former teammate has helped Phillies hitters beat him.

"I think we're comfortable with him," Mackanin said. "Not that we're going to beat him all the time. I'm not saying that. He still knows how to pitch. He's a heck of a pitcher."

Neither the manager nor the players would say victory was sweeter because of that. That sentiment, at least, is reserved for Phillies fans. The clubhouse was just happy to salvage a win in the third game of a forgettable weekend series against the first-place Nationals.

Galvis' hit was the first in 20 at-bats for the Phillies' leadoff hitters. Not since last Wednesday, when Cesar Hernandez singled in the first inning, had the leadoff batters reached base. They do not have a walk from their leadoff hitters yet. It is a festering problem without a solution.

Mackanin hopes Sunday's 10th inning is a panacea.

"Hits like that can do wonders for confidence," Mackanin said.

The little things brought Galvis to the plate with a chance to win it. Peter Bourjos, who began the day as a .152 hitter, lashed a one-out double to left. Andres Blanco, the team's best pinch-hitter, tied the game with a hard single to left. Bourjos barely beat Werth's throw home.

"I don't think anybody else would have scored," Mackanin said.

"That ball was smoked to left and I just tried to get a good jump and run as fast as I can," Bourjos said. "Hopefully there's a lot more situations like that."

The Phillies have scored three or fewer runs in seven straight games. They have 34 runs in 13 games. On Sunday, three runs were enough.

Bryce Harper created the need for a comeback with a 10th-inning homer. He, too, is hated. But no one is the villain like Papelbon, who lowered his head and sauntered toward the visiting dugout while Galvis raised his right arm.

mgelb@philly.com

@MattGelb