Werth burns former team in Nationals extra-innings win

The Washington Nationals prevailed with an 8-7 extra-innings win in a home run-filled game against the Philadelphia Phillies on Monday

The offensive outburst started early with a trio of solo homers and an RBI single locking the NL East rivals in a 2-2 tie through four innings.

In a series highlighted by Jonathan Papelbon's return to Citizens Bank Park, it was another former Phillie causing havoc, as Jayson Werth broke the deadlock in the fifth inning, taking an 0-2 pitch from Aaron Nola yard for his fifth career grand slam.

(Courtesy: MLB.com)

The Phillies fought back to tie the game and send it into extras, where Werth stepped up to the plate again and launched his second home run of the game to give the Nationals a 7-6 lead in the top of the 10th.

It was his first multi-home run game this season and the 12th of his career, allowing Papelbon to enter in the bottom half for a save opportunity - which he blew, much to the Phillies' fans delight, by giving up the game's seventh home run to Freddy Galvis.

Despite his first blown save in a calendar year, it was Papelbon who got the last laugh, recording the win as the Nationals scored another run in the eleventh and Doug Fister closed the game out with the first save of his career.

Werth played four seasons in Philadelphia, where he made the only All-Star game of his career in 2009 before signing a mammoth seven-year, $126-million contract after the 2012 season. Papelbon joined the Phillies in 2012, and was dealt to the Nationals ahead of the July trade deadline.

With the win, the Nationals remain a daunting 9 1/2 games behind the division-leading New York Mets, who won their eighth consecutive game Monday, beating the Miami Marlins 4-3.