Jayson Werth providing powerful messages on and off field during stretch run

PHILADELPHIA - If the Nationals come up short - which is likely - in their bid to overtake the Mets the for the division crown, they will eventually sit back, probably cursing, and wonder why so many important players were repeatedly struck by the injury bug this year.

Jayson Werth missed the first six games of the year rehabbing from offseason shoulder surgery. Just when it seemed he was turning the corner, an errant fastball fractured his wrist in San Diego in mid-May, robbing the 13-year veteran of another 61 games in the middle of the season.

Werth battled timing issues for the first three weeks after coming off the disabled list, but his bat then came alive. The 36-year-old launched two booming homers in last night's 12-2 thumping of the Phillies. It was the second time in the last three nights that Werth crushed two home runs in a game after blasting a grand slam and a solo shot in Monday's series-opening win.

Over his last 28 games, Werth is hitting .304 with eight homers, nine doubles, one triple, 20 RBIs and 23 runs scored. The Nationals are 17-11 during Werth's hot stretch.

Werth's season resurgence came after manager Matt Williams inserted him the leadoff spot on Aug. 18 in Colorado. He thrived there, immediately providing the Nationals a boost at the top of the order with Denard Span out of the lineup. But with Ryan Zimmerman sidelined by an oblique strain, Williams slid Werth down into the cleanup spot, behind on-base machine Bryce Harper, five games ago to take advantage of his resurgent power stroke.

"I love him hitting behind me, I'll tell you that," said Harper, who also bombed four homers in the series. "Being able to have a guy like that hitting behind me and being able to get on base and score whenever I can for him and do the things I can to help his numbers get up (is big)."

While Werth has been back to Philadelphia many times since leaving the Phillies for the Nationals in 2010, he's put on a power show in a series like he did over the last three days. But the thin crowds at Citizens Bank Park left Werth reflecting on the raucous, good times when he won a World Series with the Phillies in 2008.

"It's definitely different now," Werth said. "There's a lot more empty seats. Actually, I didn't even know the seats were blue. It's kind of sad, really."

Harper appreciated Werth's artillery show.

"It's very special to see him come into Philly and do that," Harper said. "I love seeing him do that here, especially because they boo him and things like that. He's one of my best friends in here. He's like a brother to me, so being able to see him doing what he's doing right now is fun."

The Nationals undoubtedly will lean on Werth during the stretch run for his leadership and experience in the pennant race, especially considering Werth was part of the historic Phillies comeback in 2007, when they erased a seven-game Mets lead in the final 17 games of the season.

"He's unbelievable inside the clubhouse and unbelievable out on the field," Harper said. "He brings a lot to the table. I'm very thankful to have him."