Nationals Shut Down Cubs 5-4 In 12th With Walk-Off Single From Jayson Werth

Jayson Werth scored a two-out, walk-off single in the 12th inning to lead the Washington Nationals to a 5-4 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday night in front of a sold-out crowd of 42,000 at Nationals Park.

Nationals Shut Down Cubs 5-4 In 12th With Walk-Off Single From Jayson Werth

“They have a good team,” said Werth. “We have a good team. It was a battle. It was a good series. We played tough games at their place, too. We got swept, but I felt we played good enough to win a couple of those games.”

It also happened to be Nationals manager Dusty Baker’s 67th birthday, and his team gave him an extra reason to celebrate.

Washington trailed 4-3 and got off to a rough start in the 12th when Anthony Rendon struck out looking and was ejected. Then, Danny Espinosa was hit by a pitch, stole second base and scored when Michael Taylor singled to right-center field. Cubs right-hander Adam Warren then replaced reliever Trevor Cahill and two bats later, Werth hit a 1-0 pitch off the fence in right-center to drive in a scoring run by Taylor. This marked Werth’s second game-winning hit in four days: the 37-year-old outfielder also had a walk-off single against the Phillies on Sunday.

“That was one heck of a ballgame. It was a change of emotion about 10 times,” Baker said. “That was one heck of a birthday present, because I think I’ve lost about 10 years in a row on my birthday. It’s not a good record on my birthday. It was one of the best birthdays I’ve ever had.”

Rendon received the first ejection of his career in the 12th after arguing balls and strikes with home-plate umpire Bob Davidson.

The score was still tied at 1 in the eighth inning when pinch-hitter Steve Drew homered to right on a 2-0 pitch from Pedro Strop, his third pinch-hit homer of the season, to give the Nationals the lead.

Washington’s bullpen struggled in the ninth, however. Matt Belisle started the inning for the Nats and immediately allowed a double to Kris Bryant. Baker then replaced Belisle with left-hander Oliver Perez, who also committed a few mistakes. On a 1-1 pitch, Anthony Rizzo homered off Perez into the right-field bleachers to give the Cubs a one-run lead. However, the Nationals tied the game in the bottom half with right-hander Hector Rondon on the mound. Wilson Ramos singled to left to score Bryce Harper, who reached on a leadoff walk to force extra innings.

The Cubs regained the lead in the 12th with right-hander Yusmeiro Petit on the mound for Washington. With one out and a runner on second, Addison Russell singled up the middle, scoring Albert Almora Jr. 

The game began as a pitchers’ duel between Stephen Strasburg and Cubs righty Jason Hammel. Both allowed a run in the first inning, but did not figure in the decision. Cubs second baseman Ben Zobrist led off the game with a home run, then Ben Revere singled and scored on a wild pitch in the bottom half.

Strasburg pitched seven innings, allowing six hits and striking out eight.

Rondon was 11-for-11 in save situations prior to Tuesday’s game, when he blew a save but picked up the win as the Cubs rallied in the ninth.

“They’re not perfect,” Cubs manager Joe Maddon said of his relievers. “They’re ready to play, they’re ready to pitch. I have nothing to bemoan at all. It’s tough on the guys because they feel worse than anybody in the room. If we keep doing that kind of stuff, we’ll win a lot of baseball games.”

The Cubs (44-20, 1st in NL Central) will next begin a three-game home series against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Wrigley Field on Friday, with right-hander Jake Arrieta starting. The Nats, (41-25, 1st in NL East) meanwhile, will visit the San Diego Padres on Thursday night to begin a four-game series. Right-hander Tanner Roark (2.93 ERA) will take the mound.

PHOTO: WASHINGTON, DC – JUNE 15: Jayson Werth #28 of the Washington Nationals hits a walk-off single RBI in the twelfth inning to win 5-4 against the Chicago Cubs at Nationals Park on June 15, 2016 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Matt Hazlett/Getty Images)