Wilkerson’s cycle sparks Nationals
PHILADELPHIA – A few players drank beers. Others quietly grooved to hip-hop music. Some simply showered and dressed.
The Washington Nationals have their first win. They’re still working on how to celebrate.
Brad Wilkerson hit for the cycle for the second time in his career and Jose Guillen hit a go-ahead, two-run homer in the eighth inning leading the Nationals to a 7-3 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday night. It was Washington’s second game since moving during the off-season after 36 years as the Montreal Expos.
“It’s a special day to get the first victory,” Wilkerson said.
Vinny Castilla was 4 for 5 with two doubles and one RBI for Washington, which hadn’t celebrated a victory by a major league team since the expansion Senators left for Texas following the 1971 season. The Nationals play their home opener at RFK Stadium on April 14 against Arizona.
“It’s nice to win your first game,” Nationals manager Frank Robinson said. “It’s a good feeling.”
Wilkerson was 4 for 4 with a walk and two RBIs, completing his cycle with a ground-rule double in the eighth against Aaron Fultz. Wilkerson homered off Brett Myers in the third, singled off Myers in the fifth and tripled against Rheal Cormier in the seventh. Wilkerson’s first cycle was against Pittsburgh on June 24, 2003.
He said he probably would’ve stopped at second had his double not bounced over the fence.
“I tweaked my ankle going to third on the triple, so I wasn’t thinking about going for three,” Wilkerson said.
Pat Burrell’s two-run homer off Nationals starter Zach Day gave the Phillies a 3-2 lead in the sixth, but Washington rallied against Tim Worrell in the eighth.
Jose Vidro led off with a single and Guillen lined a 0-1 pitch into the right-center field seats to give the Nationals a 4-3 lead. Wilkerson capped the four-run inning with an RBI double.
Joey Eischen pitched a perfect seventh to earn the win for the Nationals.
“When Pat hit the homer, I liked our chances,” Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said. “We just didn’t hold them.”
Day held the Phillies to just two hits before Kenny Lofton singled with one out in the sixth. Lofton moved to second on a groundout and scored on Jim Thome’s RBI single to right to cut the deficit to 2-1.
Burrell followed with a long drive deep into the left-field seats. A notoriously slow starter, Burrell has five hits and four RBIs in the first two games.
Wilkerson gave the Nationals a 1-0 lead in the third with a long homer into the seats in the second deck.
“I put in some extra work in the cage, and I felt like I got some good swings,” Wilkerson said.
Worrell retired just one hitter, allowing four runs and four hits.