Philadelphia, PA – Kyle Kendrick pitched into the seventh inning, Jimmy Rollins clubbed a two-run single and the Philadelphia Phillies held off the Washington Nationals, 4-2, in the opener of a three-game set Friday at Citizens Bank Park.
Kendrick (7-9), who carried a 15-inning scoreless streak into the start, was charged for two runs on four hits and two walks with three strikeouts to earn his third consecutive victory.
"When you get focused on what you're doing and you apply yourself and you stay at it, good things can happen to you," Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said of his starter. "Kendrick's always been capable of pitching good games."
Jonathan Papelbon worked around a leadoff single in the ninth to nail down his 28th save of the season.
Rollins finished with two hits and scored a run on Chase Utley's single in the first inning as the Phillies won for the second straight night.
Edwin Jackson (7-9) struck out eight over six strong frames, but was tagged with the loss after giving up three runs on seven hits and two walks.
Tyler Moore accounted for the offense with a pinch-hit, two-run homer in the seventh, but the Nationals dropped their second straight game on the heels of a three-game winning streak.
The Phillies struck first in their first at-bat, as Rollins singled, Kevin Frandsen walked and Utley followed with a base hit down the first-base line to plate Rollins for a 1-0 lead.
Philadelphia added a pair of two-out runs in the fourth as John Mayberry singled and Laynce Nix walked to start the frame.
Erik Kratz then fanned and Kendrick advanced both runners with a bunt before Rollins slapped a single the opposite way into left field, scoring Mayberry and Nix for a 3-0 advantage.
Kendrick held the Nationals down over the first six frames and stretched his scoreless-innings streak to 21 innings before running into trouble in the seventh.
The right-hander retired the first two batters, but issued a two-out walk to Kurt Suzuki before Moore launched a sinker into the right-field seats to bring the Nationals within 3-2.
"The first pitch he threw to me was a pretty sharp sinker," Moore said of Kendrick. "He's a good pitcher, he's effective."
Jeremy Horst entered and got Steve Lombardozzi to fly out to left field to end the seventh before Antonio Bastardo fanned Bryce Harper to start the eighth.
Josh Lindblom then walked the only batter he faced before Raul Valdes came on and served up a single to Roger Bernadina.
Valdes then struck out Adam LaRoche and B.J. Rosenberg fanned Jayson Werth to close out the eighth with the Phillies clinging to a one-run lead.
Philadelphia tacked on an insurance run in the eighth as Utley worked a leadoff walk, stole second and then scored when Ryan Howard ripped a single through the right side of the infield to press the edge to 4-2.
In the ninth, Papelbon served up a leadoff single to Danny Espinosa, who was promptly thrown out trying to steal second.
Papelbon then struck out Suzuki and pinch-hitter Chad Tracy to close out the victory.
Game Notes
Nationals outfielder Michael Morse was diagnosed with a right hand contusion after he left the game in the first inning when he was hit by a pitch ... Jackson dropped to 0-4 in four career starts against Philadelphia ... The Nationals had won 20 straight games when they hit at least one home run ... Before the game the Phillies placed catcher Brian Schneider on the 15-day disabled list and recalled catcher Steven Lerud from Double-A Reading.
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