A complete slopfest (Nats win 9-6)

PHILADELPHIA - We're now in game 138 on the Nationals schedule this season. This could qualify as the sloppiest game we've seen all year. Through six innings, we saw four errors, four wild pitches, a balk, a hit-batter and 11 walks surrendered. The Nats held a 7-2 lead. Then they led 7-5. Gio Gonzalez allowed five runs in 5 2/3 innings, only one of which was earned. Errors by Ian Desmond and Bryce Harper in the bottom of the sixth helped three Phillies runs score, and Ryan Mattheus needed to come in to close out the frame. (Quick note: The error that was originally charged to Harper on a throw to the plate was changed to an error on catcher Wilson Ramos, who let the ball get by him.) Mattheus then allowed an RBI single on the first pitch he threw, and then let loose two wild pitches before finally finishing off the inning. This comes after the Phillies allowed two unearned runs in the top of the frame, helping the Nats build a five-run lead. Gonzalez threw a whopping 118 pitches in his 5 2/3 innings. Phillies starter Ethan Martin threw 86 pitches in 4 2/3 innings. Yes, lots of pitches have been thrown tonight. The Phillies have already used four pitchers through seven. The Nats will turn to Drew Storen, their third hurler used tonight, in the bottom of the seventh. He'll have a little larger cushion to work with after Corey Brown crushed a monster solo homer in the top half of the inning. In his first big league at-bat this season, Brown demolished a 2-1 fastball from Luis Garcia into the second deck in right. That's the way to make your presence felt back in the majors. It's 8-5 in a wild one. Update: Yeah, definitely the sloppiest game we've seen all season. The final tally: four errors, five wild pitches (one of which scored a run), a balk, a hit batter and 13 walks. The Nats take this game 9-6, but the Phillies lost it as much as the Nats won it. Nine of those 13 walks tonight were surrendered by Phillies pitching, allowing the Nats free baserunner after free baserunner. The Reds won today, so the Nats' deficit in the National League wild card chase is still 7 1/2 games.