Jonathan Papelbon brushes off first blown save

PHILADELPHIA - Recently acquired Nationals closer Jonathan Papelbon gave the few thousand Phillies fans left in the 10th inning last night exactly what they came to Citizens Bank Park to see.

Tasked with locking down a 7-6 lead, Papelbon surrendered a leadoff homer to Phillies shortstop Freddy Galvis. Until the game-tying leadoff blast, Papelbon had been the lone remaining closer in the majors this season without a blown save. In fact, the last time he coughed up a lead was exactly one year prior on Sept. 14, 2014.

"Really? I don't keep track of any of that," Papelbon said later.

The adventures in the 10th didn't end there for Papelbon. A hit batter and an error by Ian Desmond left the Phillies with runners at first and second and only one out with Papelbon's old buddy Jeff Francoeur stepping to the plate.

The two exchanged some words as Francoeur's at-bat began.

"I was just pretty much letting him know -- and I think he knew when he was up there -- that, you know, I'm throwing him all heaters," Papelbon recalled. "You're going to have to hit my heater to beat me. I think he knew that, too."

Francoeur nearly did, sending a drive deep down the right field line that looked like definite trouble until Bryce Harper came flying in for a sensational game-saving sliding catch, forcing the runners to retreat.

"Phenomenal catch," Papelbon said. "That's a hard position to play. Right there in that situation, every out's huge."

Papelbon induced an inning-ending groundout from Cody Asche to escape the jam. Danny Espinosa scored in the 11th and then right-hander Doug Fister came on to earn the first save of his career.

Papelbon blew his first save, but actually picked up the win.

"I've done that plenty of times in my career," Papelbon said. "I'm very familiar with that situation. But at the end of the day, you play to win the game. And regardless of how it unfolds, you win the game, it's a good day at the office."

Papelbon is now 6-for-7 in save opportunities since joining the Nationals on July 28. He was tagged for the eventual game-winning homer by Mets outfielder Kirk Nieuwenhuis in the eighth-inning last Tuesday. The following night he yielded a big run in the ninth, padding the Mets' lead as they went on to sweep the Nats.

So last night's homer means Papelbon has allowed runs in three straight appearances. He is 2-1 with a 2.84 ERA in 17 outings with Washington.

"I've been through a lot in my career," Papelbon said. "I've had many things come up, adversity overcome. I've been in just about every situation you can imagine. Even (last night), I've been through that situation so many times before. It is what it is. When I take the mound, you're talking to a different individual than you are right now. Two different people."

Asked if it bothered him more to blow a save in Philadelphia, Papelbon leaned back in his chair.

"No. No, no, no, no, no," Papelbon joked. "Now, the save doesn't bother me. If someone like Frenchy would've beaten me, that would've bothered me."