NL East Wrap: Morse's bat leads Nats over Braves

Believe it or not, but the July schedule is on the horizon and Cliff Lee remains winless after the Marlins beat the Phillies on Friday night, 6-2 (see Instant Replay).

Even worse, the Phils are seven games under .500 for the first time since April 20, 2007.

Lee lasted only 4 1/2 innings, allowed 10 hits and gave up six runs to suffer his fifth loss, while his ERA ballooned to 4.13.

Chase Utley played his second game of 2012 and went 1 for 3 with a run scored. Hunter Pence had two hits, with one coming as his 15th home run of the season, but the Phils couldn’t do much against Josh Johnson.

Here’s how the rest of the NL East fared:

Morse, Nats drop Atlanta
ATLANTA -- Michael Morse had four hits, including the go-ahead homer in the eighth inning after Washington had blown a four-run lead, and the Nationals beat the Atlanta Braves 5-4 on Friday night.

Andrelton Simmons' two-run homer off Ross Detwiler capped Atlanta's four-run seventh inning which erased the Nationals' 4-0 lead.

Morse had a quick answer by hitting right-hander Chad Durbin's first pitch over the wall in right field leading off the eighth.

The Nationals, who swept a three-game series in Atlanta on May 25-27, are 5-1 against the Braves this season. NL East-leading Washington is 4 games ahead of Atlanta. The Nationals began the night 3 games ahead of the Mets.

Jesus Flores homered and Ian Desmond had a two-run single for Washington (see full story).

Dickey dominates Dodgers
LOS ANGELES -- R.A. Dickey allowed three hits over eight innings to become the major leagues' first 12-game winner, Daniel Murphy drove in five runs and the New York Mets sent the Los Angeles Dodgers to their season-worst sixth straight loss with an 9-0 victory Saturday night (see full story).
 
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