Tracy hits another clutch home run, but Nationals come up short

Chad Tracy is "Mr. Clutch" for the Nationals this season. He has only two hits in his last 10 games, but both were home runs to tie games in the late-going. He also hit the first pinch-hit home run of the season in San Diego. Each home run felt, at the time, that it might be one of those hits that could change the season. It felt like that Monday in Philadelphia when, in the top of the ninth, Tracy crushed an 0-2 fastball by Phillies closer Jonathan Papelbon down the right field line and just inside the foul pole to even the game, 4-4. Tracy said on MASN's "Nats Xtra" he knew Papelbon would not make it easy on him during the at-bat. "I told myself to be real short and real compact and try and get as loose as I could and just cut it off," Tracy said. The Nationals were in the position to tie thanks to Ian Desmond's huge hit in the eighth that trimmed the deficit to 4-3. But the Phillies managed to get the walk-off single to win it versus Fernando Abad in the bottom of the ninth and won, 5-4. It was certainly a big moment for the Nationals and Tracy, yet it didn't feel so after it was taken away that quickly with the Phillies getting the last at-bat run to win it. "You tie it up late and everybody's emotions are running high and feeling good, and they come out and put some good at-bats together at the end and steal it right back from you," Tracy said. He said the four runs for the offense was a good step, but says the team believes they can score more than that each game despite recent offensive woes. "We expect to put up runs every time we go up to the plate or every inning," Tracy said. "It may not happen, but I think everybody in here expects to come back even if we are down."