Tagged: Jayson Werth

The Phils sweep the Nats by scoring three runs in the top of the ninth, breaking up a scoreless game, beating Washington 3-0.

Philadelphia_PhilliesThe Phils sweep the Nats as they scored three runs in the top of the ninth to break up a 0-0 tie, winning 3-0.

The Phils and the Nats spent the first eight innings involved in a pitchers’ duel between Phils’ starter Aaron Nola and relief pitchers Dalier Hinojosa, who was taken out of the game with an injury, and Elvis Araujo and Nationals’ starter Tanner Roark and relief pitcher Shawn Kelley, in which neither pitching staff would give up a run. The Phils would finally break up the scoreless tie in the top of the ninth as, with the bases loaded, via a lead-off single by Odubel Herrera, a double by Freddy Galvis, with Herrera stopping at third base, and an intentional walk to Maikel Franco, and with one man out, as pinch-hitter Darin Ruf struck out, swinging, for the inning’s first out, Cameron Rupp hits a two-run double, knocking in Herrera and Galvis, giving the Phils a 2-0 lead, while sending Franco over to third base. The Phils added a run two batters later as, with runners still on second and third, and now with two men out, David Lough hits an RBI single, knocking in Franco, giving the Phils a 3-0 lead, while moving Rupp up to third base. That would end up being the final score as Jeanmar Gomez would notch his seventh save of the season by pitching a scoreless ninth, getting Jayson Werth to hit into a 6-4-3 double play, rubbing out at second base Ryan Zimmerman, who had started the inning off with a single, for the inning’s second out, for the game’s final out.

Aaron Nola received a no-decision as he threw seven scoreless innings, giving up two hits and a walk, while striking out seven. Dalier Hinojosa would pitch two-thirds of an inning, before being taken out of the game with an injury to his right hand after being hit by a line drive to the mound, as he gave up a hit and a walk, while striking out a batter. Elvis Araujo (1-0, 2.45) would pick up the win as he pitched a third of an inning, giving up a walk, while striking out a batter. Jeanmar Gomez would receive his seventh save of the season as he pitched a scoreless inning, giving up a hit. Tanner Roark also received a no-decision as he also went seven scoreless innings, giving up just two hits and two walks, while striking out six. Shawn Kelley pitched a 1-2-3 inning, striking out a batter. Felipe Rivero (0-1, 3.86) took the lost as he faced three batters, getting none of them out, as he gave up three runs on two hits and a walk. Jonathan Papelbon pitched an inning, giving up two hits, while striking out one.

The Phils had six hits in the game, a single by Odubel Herrera, a double by Freddy Galvis, a single by Ryan Howard, a double by Cameron Rupp (2 RBIs), a single by Cesar Hernandez and a single by David Lough (RBI). The Phils also had three walks (Herrera, Franco (2)), and a stolen base (Hernandez (2)), in the game, while one runner was caught stealing, (Herrera), while the defense performed a double play.

The Phils (12-10, 3rd NL East) will start a three-game Interleague Play series with the Indians (10-9, 3rd AL Central) tomorrow, starting with a night game. The game will be played at Citizens Bank Park and will start at 7:05 pm EDT. The Phils have yet to announce a starter, while the Indians will send to the mound Corey Kluber (1-3, 4.67), who is coming off a win against the Tigers on April 23, as he went eight strong innings, giving up a run on two hits, while striking out ten, in the Indians’ 10-1 blow-out. He will be trying to get his second victory of the season. The Phils will be trying to increase their winning streak to four games, while hoping to start off Interleague Play on a good foot.

The Phils take the weekend series from the Nats, after losing the series opener, 5-3, by taking the next two games by the scores of 7-2 and 1-0.

Philadelphia_PhilliesAfter losing the series opener, 5-3, the Phils come back to take the weekend series from the Nats, winning by the scores of 7-2 and 1-0.

On Friday night, the Phils took a quick 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first as, with two men on, and with two men out, Marlon Byrd, after right fielder Jayson Werth had committed a fielding error on his foul pop in the right field foul area, hits a three-run home run, his fourth home run of the season, knowing in Chase Utley, who had earlier singled, and Ryan Howard, who had just singled, sending Utley to third base. The Nats would get a run back in the top of the third as Tyler Moore hits a lead-off home run, his second home run of the year, making it a 3-1 Phils’ lead. The Nats would cut the Phils’ lead down to 3-2 in the top of the fifth as, with runners on second and third, and with one man out, Denard Span hits an RBI ground out, 4-3, scoring Moore, who had started the inning off with a single, reached second base on second baseman Utley’s force attempt fielding error of Jose Lobaton’s grounder, and then moved up to third base on Stephen Strasburg’s sacrifice bunt, 1-4, while moving Lobaton, who had earlier reached base on Utley’s error, then moved up to second base on Strasburg’s bunt, up to third base. The Nats would tie the game up at three-all in the top of the eighth as, with a runner on third and with nobody out, Anthony Rendon hits an RBI single, knocking in Span, who had started the inning off with a double, then stole third base. The Nats then took the lead two batters later, after Werth had hit a single, moving Rendon up to second base, and with still nobody out, as Adam LaRoche hits an RBI single, knocking in Rendon, giving the Nats a 4-3 lead, which sending Werth up to second base. The Nats then took a 5-3 lead as Ian Desmond followed with an RBI double, knocking in Werth, while sending LaRoche on to third base. That would end up being the final score as Rafael Soriano collected his sixth save of the season as he threw a scoreless ninth, getting pinch-hitter Freddy Galvis to pop up to the third baseman for the game’s final out.

Cliff Lee received a no-decision as he pitched seven innings, giving up two runs, only one of which was earned, on four hits and two walks, while he struck out five. Mike Adam blew his second save of the season before taking the lost (1-1, 8.31) as he pitched to three batters, giving up three runs on three hits. Jake Diekman pitched an inning, giving up two hits and a walk, while striking out three. Antonio Bastardo pitched an inning, giving up a hit and a walk, while striking out a batter. Stephen Strasburg also received a no-decision as he went six innings, giving up three unearned runs on six hits, a walk and a wild pitch, while striking out five. Aaron Barrett pitched a third of an inning, as he gave up a hit. Jerry Blevins (2-1, 3.38) got the win as he pitched two-thirds of an inning, getting out both men whom he would face. Tyler Clippard collected his sixth hold of the season as he threw a scoreless inning, giving up a hit and a walk, while striking out two. Rafael Soriano collected his sixth save of the year as he pitched a scoreless ninth, giving up a walk.

The Phils had eight hits in the game, with Chase Utley (Singles), Marlon Byrd (Single, Home Run, 3 RBIs) and Cody Asche (Single, Double), all leading the team with two hits each. Ryan Howard and Carlos Ruiz had the other two Phils’ hits, both singles. The Phils also had three walks (Jimmy Rollins (2), Ruiz) in the game, while the defense performed a doubleplay.

In Saturday night’s game, the Phils, like on Friday, took a quick 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first as, with two men on, and with one man out, Ryan Howard hits a three-run home run, his sixth home run of the season, knocking in Jimmy Rollins, who had earlier singled, then stole second base, and Chase Utley, who had just walked. The Phils then added to their lead in the bottom of the second as, with one man out, Cody Asche hits a solo home run, his second home run of the season, giving the Phils a 4-0 lead. The Phils then made it a 5-0 lead in the bottom of the fourth as, with a runner on second, and with one man out, Ruiz hits an RBI double, knocking in Dom Brown, who had just doubled. The Phile then made it a 7-0 lead as, with the bases loaded, via a lead-off single by Tony Gwynn, Junior, a single by Rollins, sending Gwynn over to third base, and a walk to Utley, moving Rollins up a base, and with one man out, Marlon Byrd hits a two-run single, knocking in Gwynn and Rollins, while moving Utley up to second base. The Nats would get on the scoreboard in the top of the sixth as, with one man out, Adam LaRoche hits a solo home run, his fifth home run of the season, making it a 7-1 Phils’ lead. The Nats would make it a 7-2 Phils’ lead in the top of the seventh as, with two men out, pinch-hitter Zach Walters hits a solo home run, his third home run of the season. That would end up being the final score as Antonio Bastardo pitched a scoreless ninth as he got Sandy Leon to strike out, swinging, to end the ball game.

A.J. Burnett (2-1, 2.06) got the win as he pitched six innings, giving up a run on three hits, two walks and a hit batter, while striking out seven. Mario Hollands pitched an inning, giving up a run on a hit, while striking out one. Mike Adams and Antonio Bastardo combined for two scoreless innings, striking out five (Adams (2), Bastardo (3)) between them. Tanner Roark (2-1, 4.17) took the lost as he went four innings plus two batters, as he gave up seven runs on seven hits and a walk, while striking out five. Ryan Mattheus pitched two innings, giving up three hits and a walk, while striking out one. Craig Stammen pitched two scoreless innings, as he gave up two hits, while striking out a batter.

The Phils collected twelve hits in the game, with Jimmy Rollins leading the team with four hits, all singles, followed by Tony Gwynn, Jr. (Singles) and Marlon Byrd (Single, Double, 2 RBIs) with two hits each. Ryan Howard (Home Run, 3 RBIs), Dom Brown (Double), Carlos Ruiz (Double, RBI) and Cody Asche (Single, RBI) had the other four Phils’ hits. The Phils also had three walks (Gwynn (1), Chase Utley (2)) and a stolen base (Rollins (5)), while the defense committed an error (Asche).

Yesterday afternoon, the Phils took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first as, with a runner on third, and with one man out, Chase Utley hits an RBI single, knocking in Jimmy Rollins, who had just tripled. That would end up being all the runs the Phils would need as starter Roberto Hernandez would throw seven and a third scoreless innings, giving up just four hits, a single to Jayson Werth in the top of the first, with a man on first, via a one-out walk to Kevin Frandsen, who is thrown out at third base, trying to go from first to third as the ball was deflected off of third baseman Jayson Nix into left field, 7-5, as John Mayberry, Jr. threw him out, as Werth moved up to second base on the throw, a lead-0ff infield single to Ian Desmond in the top of the second, a lead-off single to Denard Span in the top of the third and a lead-off single to Span in the top of the eighth, followed by a sacrifice bunt by Frandsen, 1-4, for the inning’s first out, moving Span up to second base. After a pitching change, Mike Adams gets Werth to ground out, 3-unassisted, for the inning’s second out, the Phils get out of trouble after another pitching change, as Bastardo, after walking LaRoche, who is then replaced at first base by pinch-runner Steven Souza, Jr., putting runners on the corners, gets out of the inning by striking out Anthony Rendon, swinging. Jonathan Papelbon would then come in and collect his ninth save of the season as he pitched a scoreless ninth, striking out pinch-hitter Zach Walters, swinging, for the game’s final out.

Roberto Hernandez (2-1, 4.50) got the win as he pitched seven and a third scoreless innings, giving up four hits and three walks, while striking out three. Mike Adams collected his second hold of the season as he pitched a third of an inning, getting out the only man whom he would face. Antonio Bastardo recorded his fourth hold of the season as he pitched a third of an inning, giving up a walk, while striking out a batter. Jonathan Papelbon received his ninth save of the year as he threw a scoreless inning, giving up a hit, while striking out a batter. Gio Gonzalez (3-2, 2.91) took the lost as he pitched seven and a third innings, giving up a run on four hits and two walks, while striking out seven. Jerry Blevins pitched two-thirds of an inning, giving up a walk, while striking out a batter.

The Phils had just four hits in the game, a triple by Ben Revere, a triple by Jimmy Rollins, an RBI single by Chase Utley and a single by Jayson Nix. The Phils also had three walks (Rollins, John Mayberry, Jr., Nix) and two sacrifice bunts (Roberto Hernandez, Tony Gwynn, Jr.) in the game, while the defense committed an error (Utley) and an outfield assist (Mayberry)

The Phils (15-14, 4th NL East) starts a home-home interleague games series with the Blue Jays (14-17, 5th AL East), beginning the first of two home games, already in progress.

Phils’ catcher Carlos Ruiz is named last week’s National League Player of the Week.

Philadelphia_PhilliesYesterday, Major League Baseball announced that Phils’ catcher Carlos Ruiz was named the National League Player of the Week for last week. Ruiz, during last week, batted 11 for 22 for a .500 average, and a .593 on-base percentage, while he lead the NL with seven  RBIs and was tied for first with 20 total bases. He was also ranked second among NL catchers with eight runs scored and a .909 slugging percentage, and was tied for second with eleven hits. He also went five for six with runners in scoring position.

In the Dodgers series, Ruiz would go 7 for 14 with four doubles, a triple, a home run and six RBIs, with his six extra base hits in the four-game series being the most by a Major Leaguer since Jayson Werth had done it, reaching the same total from Sept. 28-31, 2008. He also helped the Phils in their victory over the D-backs this past Saturday night, as he went 3 for 4 with an RBI, and being a major part of the Phils four-run eighth inning rally.

This is Ruiz’s first weekly award, as he is presently ranked second among NL catchers with eight doubles, and is third in batting average with a .296 average.

Congratulations on winning the award, Carlos.

The Phils hold on to win the opener of their four-game series with the Nats, winning 3-2.

Philadelphia_PhilliesJohn Lannan threw eight scoreless inning against his old club, before the Phils hang on in the ninth to defeat the Nats, 3-2.

The Phils took the lead in the bottom of the first as, with two men on, and with one man out, Dom Brown hits an RBI infield single, on a ball that was deflected to first baseman Adam LaRoche by starting pitcher Dan Haren, knocking in Ben Revere, who had started the inning off with a single, moved up to second base on Jimmy Rollins’ single, then was the leader in a double steal, reaching third base, giving the Phils a 1-0 lead, while moving Rollins, who had earlier singled, then stole second base as the back end of a double steal, up to third base. The Phils then increased their lead later in the inning as, with the bases loaded, after Brown had moved up to second base on Haren’s wild pitch, and then Michael Young walked, and with two men out, Darin Ruf forced in a run with a walk, forcing in Rollins, making it a 2-0 Phils’ lead, while moving up a base both Brown and M. Young. The Phils added an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth as, with a man on second, and with two men out, Rollins hits an RBI single, scoring Revere, who had just doubled, giving the Phils a 3-0 lead. The Nats finally got on the scoreboard in the top of the ninth as, with two men on, and with nobody out, Jayson Werth hits a sacrifice fly to center, knocking in Bryce Harper, who had started the inning off with a single, then stopped at third base on Ryan Zimmerman’s double, making it a 3-1 Phils’ lead, while sending Zimmerman, who had just doubled, up to third base. The Nats then made it a 3-2 Phils’ lead one batter later as LaRoche hits a sacrifice fly to center, scoring Zimmerman. That would end up being the final score as Jonathan Papelbon would finally record his nineteenth save of the season as he got pinch-hitter Chad Tracy to fly out to center for the game’s final out.

John Lannan (2-3, 4.23) got the win as he threw eight shut-out innings, giving up just four hits and two walks, while striking out four. Jonathan Papelbon collected his nineteenth save of the season as he went an inning, giving up two runs on two hits. Dan Haren took the lost (4-10, 6.00) as he pitched five innings, giving up two runs on seven hits, three walks, and a wild pitch, while striking out seven. Fernando Abad pitched an inning, giving up a run on two hits, while striking out a batter. Ross Ohlendorf threw two scoreless innings, giving up a hit, while striking out three.

The Phils had ten hits in the game, with Ben Revere (2 Singles, Double) leading the team with three hits, followed by Jimmy Rollins (Singles, RBI) and Michael Young (Singles), with two hits each. Dom Brown (RBI), Delmon Young and Darin Ruf (RBI) had the other three Phils’ hits, all singles. The Phils also had three walks (Brown, M. Young, Ruf) and two stolen bases (Revere (21), Rollins (9)) in the ballgame.

The Phils (44-46, 3rd) continue their series with the Nats (46-43) with a game tonight, already in progress.

The Phils take the series from the Nats as they defeat Washington, 4-2.

Philadelphia_PhilliesThe Phils gain a tie for second place in the NL East with Washington, as they defeat the Nats, 4-2.

The Nats took the lead in the top of the fourth as, with two men out, Jayson Werth hits a solo home run, his seventh home run of the year, giving the Nats a 1-0 lead. The Phils tied it up at one-all in their half of the fourth as, with a runner on third, and with one man out, Ryan Howard hits a sacrifice fly, scoring Michael Young, who had started the inning of with a double, then went to third on Jimmy Rollins’ sacrifice bunt, 1-3. The Phils tried to take the lead in the bottom of the fifth as, with a runner on second, and with two men out, Cliff Lee tried to help his on cause with a single to center, as Delmon Young, who had started the inning off by being hit by a pitch, then moved up to second base on Kevin Frandsen’s ground out, 5-3, tried to score. but is gunned down at the plate by a strong throw home by center fielder Denard Span, 8-2, with catcher Kurt Suzuki applying the tag before D. Young could cross the plate, for the inning’s final out. The Phils took the lead in the bottom of the sixth as, with one man on, and with nobody out, M. Young hits an RBI double, knocking in Ben Revere, who had started the inning off with a single, giving the Phils a 2-1 lead. Five batters later, the Phils made it a 4-1 lead as, with the bases loaded, via a single by Rollins, sending M. Young to third base, and Howard being hit by a pitch, sending Rollins up to second base, and with two men out, Frandsen hits a two-run single, knocking in M. Young and Rollins, while sending Howard up to second base. The Nats got a run back in the top of the eighth as, with one man out, pinch-hitter Jeff Kobernus hits a solo home run, his first home run of the year, making it a 4-2 Phils’ lead. That would end up being the final score as Jonathan Papelbon collected his fourteenth save of the season as he threw a scoreless ninth.

Cliff Lee (9-2, 2.53) got the win as he pitched eight strong innings, giving up two runs on five hits, while striking out nine. Jonathan Papelbon received his fourteenth save of the year as he pitched a scoreless ninth, giving up a hit. Ross Detwiler (2-5, 3.34) took the lost as he went six innings, giving up four runs on seven hits and two hit batters, while striking out four. Craig Stammen and Drew Storen combined for two scoreless innings, giving up two hits (one hit each) between them, while striking out three (Stammen (2), Storen (1)).

The Phils had nine hits in the game, with Michael Young (RBI) leading the team with three hits, all doubles. Ben Revere (Single), Jimmy Rollins (Single), Ryan Howard (Triple, RBI), Kevin Frandsen (Single, 2 RBIs), Carlos Ruiz (Single) and Cliff Lee (Single), had the other six Phils’ hits. The Phils also had two hit batters (Delmon Young, Howard) in the game.

The Phils (34-37, T-2nd) will conclude their series with the Nats (34-35, T-2nd) with a ballgame tonight, looking for the sweep.

The Phils defeat the Nats in walk-off fashion with a run in the bottom of the ninth, winning 5-4.

Philadelphia_PhilliesThe Phils defeat the Nats in the bottom of the ninth with a walk-off single, winning 5-4.

The Nats took the lead in the top of the first as, with two men on, and with one man out, Jayson Werth hits an RBI single, scoring Anthony Rendon, who had earlier walked, then moved up to second base as Ryan Zimmerman is hit by a pitch, giving the Nats a 1-0 lead. The Phils tied it up at one-all in the bottom of the second as Ryan Howard hits a lead-off home run, his eighth home run of the year. The Phils took the lead in the bottom of the third as, with the bases loaded, via a triple by Michael Young, a walk by Jimmy Rollins, who then stole second base, and a walk by Howard, and with two men out, Delmon Young hits a two-run double to right, knocking in M. Young and Rollins, giving the Phils a 3-2 lead, before Howard is thrown out at the plate, 9-4-5, for the inning’s third out. The Nats got a run back in the top of the fourth as, with a runner on second, and with one man out, Steve Lombardozzi hits an RBI double, knocking in Kurt Suzuki, who had just doubled, making it a 3-2 Phils’ lead. The Phils added to their lead in the bottom of the fifth as, with a runner on second base, and with two men out, Howard hits an RBI single, knocking in Ben Revere, who had started the inning off with a single, then stole second base, making it a 4-2 Phils’ lead. The Nats cut the Phils’ lead in the top of the eighth as, with a man on third, and with two men out, Ian Desmond hits an RBI single, scoring Zimmerman, who had earlier doubled, then went to third on Werth’s ground out, 6-3, making it a 4-3 Phils’ lead. The Nats tied the game up at four-all in the top of the ninth as, with two men out, Chad Tracy hits a solo home run, his third home run of the season. The Phils won the game in their half of the ninth as, with runners on second and third, and with two men out, Dom Brown hits an RBI single, knocking in Revere, who had started the inning off with a single, then moved up to third base on Rollins’ single, before Rollins moved up to second base on defensive indifference, to give the Phils a 5-4 walk-off win.

John Lannan received a no-decision as he threw five innings in his first start since his injury back in April, giving up two runs on six hits, a walk and a hit batter, while striking out four. Michael Stutes collected his second hold of the season as he pitched two 1-2-3 innings. Mike Adams collected his eighth hold of the year as he pitched two-thirds of an inning, giving up a run on two hits. Antonio Bastardo collected his eighth hold of the season as he went a third of an inning, getting out the only batter that he would face. Jonathan Papelbon committed his first blown save of the season, before getting the win (1-0, 1.75) as he pitched an inning, giving up a run on a hit, while striking out a batter. Dan Haren also received a no-decision as he went six innings, giving up four runs on seven hits and three walks, while striking out three. Ian Krol and Tyler Clippard combined for two scoreless innings, giving up two hits (Clippard) and a hit batter (Clippard) between them, while striking out two (Clippard). Fernando Abad (0-2, 1.69) took the lost as he went two-thirds of an inning, giving up a run on three hits, while striking out a batter.

The Phils had twelve hits in the game, with Ryan Howard (2 Singles, Home Run, 2 RBIs) leading the team with three hits, followed by Ben Revere (Singles) and Domonic Brown (Singles, RBI) with two hits each. Michael Young (Triple), Jimmy Rollins (Single), Delmon Young (Double, 2 RBIs), Kevin Frandsen (Single) and Humberto Qunitero (Single) had the other five Phils’ hits. The Phils also had three walks (Rollins, Howard, Brown), two stolen bases (Rollins (7), Revere (17)) and a hit batter (Qunitero) in the game.

The Phils (34-37, 3rd) will continue their series with the Nats (34-35, 2nd), with a game that is presently being delayed by rain.

The Phils are one-step closer to not making the playoffs as they lose their final home game to the Nats, 7-3.

The Phils are closer to being eliminated as they lose their final home game to the Nats, 7-3.

The Nats took the lead in the first as, with one man out, Bryce Harper hits a solo home run, his twenty-first home run of the season, giving the Nats a 1-0 lead. The Phils took the lead in their half of the first as, with the bases loaded, via a single by Chase Utley, who then stole second base, then walks to Ryan Howard and John Mayberry, Jr., with both Utley and Howard moving up a base on Mayberry’s walk, and with two men out, Darin Ruf hits a bases-clearing double, knocking in Utley, Howard and Mayberry, giving the Phils a 3-1 lead. The Nats cut the Phils’ lead down to 3-2 in the second as Michael Morse hits a lead-off home run, his fifteenth home run of the season. The Nats tied the game up at three-all in the fourth as, with a man on third, and with one man out, Morse hits an RBI ground out, 6-3, knocking in Ryan Zimmerman, who had started the inning off with a double, then stopped at third base on Adam LaRoche’s fly out to center. The Nats retook the lead in the fifth as, with two men on, and with two men out, Harper hits an RBI single, knocking in Danny Espinosa, who had started the inning off with a walk, then moved up to second base on Gio Gonzalez’s sacrifice bunt, 1-4, giving the Nats a 4-3 lead, while sending Jayson Werth, who had just walked, over to third base. The Nats increased their lead in the sixth as, with a runner on second, and with nobody out, Morse hits a two-run home run, his sixteenth home run of the year, and his second home run of the ballgame, knocking in LaRoche, who had started the inning off with a double, giving the Nats a 6-3 lead. The Nats then made it a 7-3 lead as, with the bases loaded, via a single by pinch hitter Mark DeRosa, who is then pinch runned for by Eury Perez, a stolen base by Perez, and then walks by Werth and Harper, with Perez and Werth moving up a base on Harper’s walk, and with nobody out, Perez would score as pitcher Jeremy Horst threw a wild pitch on a strikeout of Zimmerman, while both Werth and Harper would move up a base. The Nats tried to make it an 8-3 lead as the next batter, LaRoche hits a grounder to second baseman Utley, who threw a strike to home plate, cutting down Werth, who is tagged out by Kratz for the inning’s second out, as Harper moved up to third base, while LaRoche would be safe at first on the fielder’s choice force out. That would be it for the scoring as Drew Storen ended the game by pitching a 1-2-3 ninth.

Tyler Cloyd (2-2, 4.91) took the lost as he pitched five innings, plus two batters, giving up six runs on six hits and two walks, while striking out four. Jeremy Horst pitched one and two-thirds innings, giving up a run on a hit, two walks and a wild pitch, while striking out three. Phillippe Aumont pitched an inning and a third, giving up a hit, while striking out a batter. Jake Diekman pitched a scoreless inning, giving up a hit, while striking out one. Gio Gonzalez (21-8, 2.89) got the win as he pitched six innings, giving up three runs on six hits and three walks, while striking out six. Sean Burnett, Tyler Clippard and Drew Storen combined for three scoreless innings, giving up a hit (Burnett) between them, while striking out two (Clippard).

The Phils had seven hits in the game, with Kevin Frandsen (Single, Double) and Darin Ruf (Single, Double, 3 RBIs) both leading the team with two hits each. Jimmy Rollins (Single), Chase Utley (Single) and Dom Brown (Double) had the other three Phils’ hits. The Phils also had three walks and a stolen base (Utley (10)) in the game.

The Phils (78-78, 3rd) with start their next to last series of the season with the Marlins (66-90, 5th), starting with a night game tonight. The game will be played at Marlins Park and is to start at 7:10 pm EDT. The Phils will send to the mound Cliff Lee (6-8, 3.18), who is coming off a lost against the Braves on September 23, as he went eight innings, giving up two run, only one of which was earned, on nine hits, as he struck out eleven, in the Phils’ 2-1 lost. He will be trying for his seventh winning start. The Marlins will counter with Mark Buehrle (13-13, 3.84), who is coming off a lost against the Mets on September 22, as he went six innings, giving up four runs on five hits and three walks, while striking out three, in the Marlins’ 4-3 win. He will be trying to see if he can dominate the Phils again. The Phils will be trying to see if they can end the season with a winning record.

The Phils are brought closer to elimination as they drop one to the Nats, 8-4.

The Phils are hurt early by the long ball as they lose to the Nats, 8-4.

The Nats took the lead in the first as, with one man on, and with nobody out, Bryce Harper hits a two-run home run, his twentieth home run of the season, knocking in Jayson Werth, who had started the game off with a walk, giving the Nats a 2-0 lead. The Nats made it a 3-0 lead in the second as Ian Desmond hits a lead-off home run, his twenty-fifth home run of the year. The Nats added to their lead two batters later as, with one man on, and with still nobody out, Kurt Suzuki hits a two-run home run, his sixth home run of the season, scoring Steve Lombardozzi, who had earlier reached base on second baseman Chase Utley’s fielding error, giving the Nats a 5-0 lead. The Phils got a run back in the thrid as, with a runner on second, and with nobody out, Kevin Frandsen, who had started the inning off with a double, would move up to third base on B.J. Rosenberg’s sacrifice bunt attempt, before scoring as catcher Suzuki committed as throwing error allowing Rosenberg to reach first base, making it a 5-1 Nats’ lead. The Phils then made it a 5-2 Nats’ lead in the fourth as, with a man on third, and with two men out, Rosenberg hits an RBI single, his first career hit as he knocked in his first career RBI. The Phils cut the Nats’ lead down to 5-3 in the seventh as, with two men out, Jimmy Rollins hits a solo home run, his twenty-third home run of the season. The Phils then made it a 5-4 Nats’ lead in the eighth as, with runners on the corners, and with one man out, Dom Brown hits a sacrifice fly, scoring Utley, who had started the inning off with a double, then moved up to third on pitcher Tyler Clippard’s wild pitch. The Nats increased their lead in the ninth as, with runners on second and third, and with two men out, Werth hits a two-run single, scoring Desmond, who had started the inning off with a walk, stole second base, then stopped at third base on Suzuki’s single, and Suzuki, who had earlier singled, then stole second base, giving the Nats a 7-4 lead. The Nats then added to their lead as Harper hits an RBI triple, knocking in Werth, giving the Nats an 8-4 lead. That would end up being the final score as Drew Storen threw a 1-2-3 ninth.

Kye Kendrick (10-12, 4.08) took the lost as he pitched just two innings, plus two batters, as he gave up five runs, only four of which were earned, on five hits and two walks, while he struck out a batter. B.J. Rosenberg pitched three innings, giving up a walk, while striking out three. Josh Lindblom and Jeremy Horst combined for three scoreless innings, giving up a hit (Horst) between them, while striking out three (Lindblom (2), Horst (1)). Justin De Fratus pitched two-thirds of an inning, giving up three runs on two hits and a walk, while striking out a batter. Antonio Bastardo pitched a third of an inning, giving up a hit, while striking out a batter. John Lannan (4-0, 4.23) got the win as he went five and a third innings, giving up two runs on five hits and a walk, while striking out three. Ryan Mattheus collected his sixteenth hold of the season as he pitched one and two-thirds innings, giving up a run on a hit, while striking out a batter. Tyler Clippard collected his eleventh hold of the year as he gave up a run on two hits, a walk and a wild pitch, while striking out two. Drew Storen pitched a 1-2-3 inning, striking out a batter.

The Phils had eight hits in the ballgame, with Chase Utley (Single, Double) and Kevin Frandsen (Double, Triple) both leading the team with two hits apiece. Jimmy Rollins (Home Run, RBI), John Mayberry, Jr. (Single), Darin Ruf (Single) and B.J. Rosenberg (Single, RBI) had the other four Phils’ hits. Dom Brown knocked in the third Phil’s run with a sacrifice fly, while the final one came in on a Nats’ error. The Phils also had two walks in the game.

The Phils (78-77, 3rd) will conclude their last home series with the Nats (94-61, 1st) with a night game tonight. The game will be played at Citizens Bank Park and will start at 7:05 pm EDT. The Phils will send to the mound Tyler Cloyd (2-1, 3.86), who is coming off a win against the Mets on September 20, as he pitched eight strong innings, giving up a run on three hits and two walks, while striking out six, in the Phils’ 16-1 rout. He will be trying to give the Phils the series win. The Nats will counter with Gio Gonzalez (20-8, 2.84), who is coming off a win against the Brewers on September 22, as he went seven scoreless innings, giving up three hits and a walk, while striking out five, in the Nats’ 10-4 win. He will be trying to put the Nats closer to winning the NL East crown. The Phils will be planning to end the season at home on a high note.

Cliff Lee finally wins his first start at home as the Phils complete the sweep of the Nats, 4-1.

The Phils finish the sweep of the Nats as Cliff Lee wins his first start at the Bank as the Phils defeat the Nationals, 4-1.

The Phils finally broke a 0-0 tie in the fifth as, with a runner on second, and with one man out, Cliff Lee helps his own cause by hitting an RBI double to center, knocking in Kevin Frandsen, who had started the inning off with a single, then reached second base on catcher Jesus Flores’ passed ball, giving the Phils a 1-0 lead. The Phils then took a 3-0 lead as Jimmy Rollins hits a two-run home run, his fifteenth home run of the year, knocking in Lee. The Phils then made it a 4-0 lead in the sixth as Laynce Nix hits a lead-off home run, his third home run of the season. The Nats tried to get onto the scoreboard in the seventh as, with a man on second as Jayson Werth reaches base on an infield single, before going on to second base on Lee’s throwing error to first, and with nobody out, Adam LaRoche hits a deep fly ball to right field that left the park, but then hits the top railing and bounces back into the ballpark, as the umpire declares that it was still in play. Werth stops, then goes back to third base, leaving LaRoche caught between second and third, as center fielder John Mayberry, Jr. threw the ball home to catcher Erik Kratz, who then threw it to the shortstop Rollins, who runs LaRoche towards third base, before finally tagging him out, for the inning’s first out, and then Werth, just in case. The umpires then reviewed the play and upheld the call, crediting LaRoche with a double, while Werth stays at third base. The Nats would then make it a 4-1 Phils’ lead as Tyler Moore hits an RBI double, scoring Werth. That would end up being the final score as Josh Lindblom threw a five-out save, his first save of the year, and of his career, as he got Moore to strikeout, swinging, for the game’s final out.

Cliff Lee (3-7, 3.67) got the win as he pitched seven innings, giving up a run on seven hits, as he struck out five. Jeremy Horst collected his third hold of the season as he pitched a third of an inning, giving up a hit. Josh Lindblom collected his first save of the season, and of his career, as he pitched an inning and two-thirds, striking out three. Jordan Zimmermann (9-8, 2.63) took the lost as he pitched five innings, giving up three runs on five hits, three walks and a passed ball, as he struck out three. Tom Gorzelanny pitched two innings,  giving up a run on three hits, while striking out two. Drew Storen pitched a 1-2-3 inning, striking out a batter.

The Phils had eight hits in the ballgame, with Jimmy Rollins (Single, Home Run, 2 RBIs) and Kevin Frandsen (Singles) both leading the ballclub with two hits each. Juan Pierre (Single), John Mayberry, Jr. (Single), Laynce Nix (Home Run, RBI) and Cliff Lee (Double, RBI) had the other four Phils’ hits. The Phils also had three walks and a stolen base (Pierre (32)) in the game.

The Phils (61-67, 3rd) have the day off.

The Phils are unable to complete the sweep as they are blanked by the Nats, 3-0.

The Phils are prevented from completing the sweep as they get blanked by the Nats, 3-0.

The Phils tried to take the lead in the second as, with two men on, and with one man out, John Mayberry, Jr., who had earlier reached base on a force out, 5-4, as Ty Wigginton, who had lead-off the inning reaching base on third baseman Ryan Zimmerman’s fielding error, is wiped out at second base for the inning’s first out, then moved up to second base on Dom Brown’s walk, is sent home on Michael Martinez’s single to right, but is instead thrown out at the plate by a strong throw from right fielder Bryce Harper, as catcher Sandy Leon applies the tag for the inning’s second out, while Brown, who had just walked, would stop at second base on the play. The Nats took the lead in their half of the second as Adam LaRoche hits a lead-off home run, his twentieth home run of the season, giving the Nats a 1-0 lead. The Nats increased their lead in the third as, with two men on, and with one man out, LaRoche hits an RBI single, knocking in Zimmerman, who had earlier reached base on an infield single, then stopped at second base on Michael Morse’s single, giving the Nats a 2-0 lead, while sending Morse, who had just singled, up to third base, before moving up to second base on the throw to the plate. The Nats then took a 3-0 lead as Jayson Werth hits an RBI ground out, 4-3, scoring Morse, while moving Zimmerman up to third base. That would end up being the final score as Tyler Clippard recorded his twenty-first save of the season by striking out Ryan Howard on a third called strike, with two men on base, for the final out.

Cole Hamels (11-6, 3.34) took the lost as he went seven innings, giving up three runs on eight hits and a walk, while striking out nine. Michael Schwimer pitched a scoreless inning, giving up two walks, while striking out two. Ross Detwiler (6-4, 3.02) got the win as he pitched seven shutout innings, giving up just three hits and two walks, while striking out three. Sean Burnett collected his twenty-fourth hold of the year as he pitched a 1-2-3 inning. Tyler Clippard received his twenty-first save of the year as he pitched a scoreless inning, walking two batters, while striking out one.

The Phils had only three hits in the game, singles by Kevin Frandsen, Chase Utley and Michael Martinez, as they kept on helping the Nats’ pitching staff by going after bad pitches. They also had four walks in ballgame.

The Phils (47-58, 5th East) will come home to start a three-game series with the D-backs (54-51, 3rd West) starting with a night game tonight. The game will be played at Citizens Bank Park, and is to start at 7:05 pm EDT. The Phils will send to the mound Joe Blanton (8-9, 4.59), who is coming off a lost to the Braves on July 28, as he went seven innings, giving up two runs on fours hits and a walk, while striking out seven, in the Phils’ 2-1 lost. He will be trying to once again even up his record. The D-backs plan to counter with Ian Kennedy (9-8, 4.20), who is coming off a win against the Mets on July 28, as he went six and a third innings, giving up three runs on seven hits and a walk, while striking out nine, in the D-backs’ 6-3 win. He will be going for win no. 10. The Phils will be trying to start off the new homestand on a winning note.