Football
Associated Press 17y

Branyan's pinch-hit homer rallies Phillies past Nationals 3-2

WASHINGTON -- It hasn't been Russell Branyan's year. But
Tuesday night was definitely his night.

In his first at-bat with the Phillies, Branyan drilled a Jon
Rauch fastball into the mezzanine for a pinch-hit, two-run homer
that gave Philadelphia a 3-2 win over the Washington Nationals.

It was a nice turnaround for a guy who was released by one team
and traded by another. His season had an inauspicious start when,
in spring training, his truck was stolen and his refrigerator
stopped working.

"It's been a long year," Branyan said.

With the win, the Phillies kept the heat on the New York Mets in
the NL East. The Phillies remained three games behind the Mets, who
beat Pittsburgh 5-4.

Trailing 2-0 entering the eighth, Jayson Werth hit a one-out
grounder to third which Ryan Zimmerman threw away for a two-base
error. Carlos Ruiz followed with a single off Rauch (8-3) to score
Werth. Branyan lined a 1-0 pitch into the mezzanine in right field
for his eighth home run of the year.

Branyan started the season with San Diego, batted .197 in 61
games before being released on July 28. He signed with Cleveland as
a free agent on Aug. 7 and played one game with their top minor
league affiliate in Buffalo the next day -- striking out three times
-- before the Phillies acquired him on Aug. 9.

"The most rewarding three strikeouts have been to me all
year," Branyan said.

Now, he's reunited with Charlie Manuel, who was his first
hitting coach with Cleveland in 1998. Nine years and six teams
later, he's delighted to be back with Manuel and in a pennant race.

"I've still got a big league uniform on my back, and we're in
contention for the National League East. I'm on a good ballclub,"
Branyan said.

Manuel said he didn't care that Branyan had but one previous
pinch-hit homer in his career.

"I don't care if he doesn't have any. The way he swings, he's
dangerous," Manuel said.

Said Rauch: "It was a very bad mistake. A hitter like that who
has been around a while and knows the game, obviously he's going to
capitalize on a mistake pitch."

Branyan was batting for Antonio Alfonseca (4-1), who got the win
after he retired the only batter he faced in the seventh. Tom
Gordon allowed one hit in the eighth. Brett Myers struck out the
side in the ninth for his 10th save.

Through seven innings, the Phillies had been held to just one
hit, a leadoff single by Aaron Rowand in the fifth off Washington
starter Shawn Hill. In his first start since missing more than
three months because of a sprained right elbow, Hill pitched six
innings, threw 80 pitches and struck out a career-high seven. He
walked one.

"It took me a couple of innings to kind of settle down, to get
to where I was sharp," Hill said. "It turned out well. It turned
out better than I would have expected, to be honest."

Hill had a streak of 10 hitless innings, thanks to the five
no-hit innings he threw against Florida on May 11 before leaving
with his elbow injury, four more Tuesday to begin the game, and the
final inning of his May 6 start.

"God, it would be nice to have this guy 35 times a year going
out there and giving you the effort he gives you every five days,"
Nationals manager Manny Acta said.

The Nationals took a 2-0 lead in the seventh on a two-run,
pinch-hit double by Tony Batista. Ryan Church led off with a a
single off Philadelphia starter Kyle Lohse. One out later, Logan
lined a soft single off second baseman Tadahito Iguchi's glove.
Batista followed with his two-run double.

Lohse, in his third start since being acquired from Cincinnati
on July 30, was nearly as good as Hill. In his first six innings,
he allowed just two hits, singles in the second to Church, and in
the sixth to Felipe Lopez.

Game notes
...Nationals 1B Dmitri Young returned to the starting
lineup after missing four games because of tightness in his left
hamstring. He was hitless in three at-bats. ... Nationals 2B Ronnie
Belliard is 1-for-21 in his last six games. ... Washington signed
the 31st pick in June's draft, LHP Josh Smoker. ...Manuel is unsure
about whether RHP Adam Eaton will make Friday's scheduled start. In
his last four starts, he's allowed 16 runs in 12 2-3 innings. ...
In the seventh, Brian Schneider popped up a bunt in foul ground
that catcher Ruiz caught before colliding with third baseman Greg
Dobbs. Ruiz was motionless on the ground for a few moments before
getting up. He stayed in the game and Manuel said he was fine.

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