After the latest meltdown by the Nationals' bullpen, this one perhaps more crushing than any of the late inning losses that preceded it, manager Manny Acta was again left to consider a change among his relievers.
Acta said he and his coaching staff would have "to sit back and think this through" about whether Joel Hanrahan should remain the closer after blowing a two-run lead in the eighth inning and giving up a grand slam to Raul Ibanez that proved to be the decisive blow in the Phillies' 13-11 win. It was Hanrahan's third blown save in five opportunities this season, and while he wasn't the only reliever responsible for the loss (Garrett Mock was charged with three runs in the eighth), he could be in jeopardy of losing the highest-profile spot in the bullpen.
Hanrahan loaded the bases with two walks in the eighth. His ERA is 8.64.
"We're not going to make a decision out of a reaction of tonight. It's not like we have Rollie Fingers or Mariano Rivera back there to make a decision like that," Acta said. "So we're going to sit back and think it through and we're going to come up with a decision."
PHILLIES 13, NATIONALS 11: The Nationals hit five home runs, including two by third baseman Ryan Zimmerman, but that wasn't enough to get the Nationals their fifth win of the year. They blew two four-run leads and gave up two grand slams to the Phillies -- one by Ryan Howard that tied the game in the fifth and the go-ahead blast by Raul Ibanez in the eighth.
