Philadelphia Phillies Sweep Washington Nationals, 4-2 in Philly. Win Season Series 15-3.

(ed. note - "Handing Philadelphia the East does not sit well with me. If the Nationals had put up any kind of a fight there might be a race in the NL East, but instead DC ends the season series with the Phillies 3-15. 3-15. The Nationals drop five of the last six games with the Phillies and are swept out of Citizens Bank Park for the second straight series...")

Lefty vs Lefty...Cole Hamels Has People Thinking...

Both starters, Cole Hamels and Ross Detwiler started with two scoreless, though Hamels dominated, throwing just 23 pitches and retiring six straight, while Detwiler gave up two hits and threw 46, 29 for strikes....Hamels retires the first twelve he faces, with Detwiler not nearly as clean but so far keeping up. 1-2-3 5th for Hamels, who strikes out two of three for 4 K’s through 5.0 scoreless. Detwiler finally fails to hold serve, walking Pedro Feliz to start the bottom of the fifth and giving up a two-out double to Jimmy Rollins to make it 1-0 Philly...Mike Morse breaks up Cole Hamels' no-no in the top of the sixth with a single to left...

Big Blow If It’s Bad...

Wil Nieves rolled a dribbler back to the mound in the third and had to take an odd step to avoid Ryan Howard who backed into Nieves’ path. Nieves pulls up lame holding the back of his knee and when the Nationals retake the field, Josh Bard’s behind the plate. If Nieves is injured the Nationals are going to have to make a quick move...(ed. note - "Later in the game it's identified as a hamstring issue...") 

UPDATE: Nationals acquire C Jamie Burke from Mariners? -MLBTraderumors.com

Updates? After The JUMP...

Phillies win, 4-2. 

• "Game 146: Cole Hamels is no Joe Blanton..." - by Doghouse.

• Miss The Game? The DC Faithful Were Watching...

• Check Out the SB Nation's Philadelphia Phillies Blog: The Good Phight GameThread.

For The Completists, Full Game Report After The JUMP...

Nationals now 50-96.

• Tyler Clippard’s Long Inning...

• Tyler Clippard took over for Ross Detwiler in the sixth and got the first out courtesy of Ryan Zimmerman's over-the-tarp catch of a foul ball featured in the photo above. Clippard then walked Ryan Howard...and Jayson Werth...and gave up a single to Ben Francisco to load the bases with one out and the score just 1-0 Philly. Carlos Ruiz is up next, and Detwiler walks him, throwing a wild pitch on a full-count change...2-0 Phillies. Clippard's lifted for Saul Rivera, who surrenders an RBI single to Cole Hamels...who ends up with the game winner...3-0 Philly after six...

Clippard: 0.2 IP, 1 H, 2 ER, 3 BB...

Dukes gets DC on the board...

After 6.1 scoreless, Cole Hamels finally gave up a run. Hamels saws off Zimmerman and Josh Willingham, but they both power singles to right and left, respectively, in front of Elijah SSSSUPER DUKESSS, who rrrrips a single through short for the Nationals' first run, scoring Zimmerman from second to make it 3-1 Philly...

Bases Loaded Fail in the seventh...

3-1 Phillies after Dukes' RBI single...DC rookie Ian Desmond walks, and it's bases loaded for tonight's first baseman Mike Morse...(ed. note - "Was something wrong with Dunn tonight? No PH? No...Okay, moving on...")...Morse flies out unproductively to right. Josh Bard, forced to come in for the injured Wil Nieves...strikes out looking to strand three...still 3-1 Philly.

A Few More Wild Pitches....

Down 3-1 after six and a half...The Nationals bring Ron Villone out when the Phillies send Raul Ibanez up to hit, and Villone gets his man, striking out Ibanez looking...then Villone walks Chase Utley...and throws a wild pitch to Ryan Howard to move Utley up...Howard's groundout moves Utley to third, Washington brings out Logan Kensing...who uncorks the second wild pitch of the inning to bring Utley in for a 3-run, 4-1 Philly lead...

Oh, Dukes scored the Nationals' second run after tripling with one out in the ninth and scoring to just make Brad Lidge think a little about an otherwise decent outing...Phillies win 4-2. 

GAME REPORT:

Washington Nationals At Philadelphia Phillies. Game 146 Of 162.

Pedro Feliz grabs Justin Maxwell’s one hopper on the infield grass and throws to first to start tonight’s game. Cole Hamels drops an 0-2 change into the top of the zone to get Cristian Guzman looking. Feliz waits for Ryan Zimmerman’s grounder and the throw to first ends the top of the frame...Jimmy Rollins yanks a single to left to start Philly’s first. Josh Willingham tracks a line drive off Shane Victorino’s bat and dives to make the play. Chase Utley rips a single through second. Jimmy Rollins stops at second when Elijah Dukes fields it coming in. DC lefty Ross Detwiler throws a two-strike fastball by Ryan Howard for the second out of the inning. Jayson Werth grounds back to the mound, Detwiler tosses to Mike Morse.

Josh Willingham flies out to Ben Francisco in left. Elijah Dukes goes the other way with a line drive to right, right to Werth. Ian Desmond’s fly gets as far as the track in right center...Ben Francisco chases a high full-count fastball. Pedro Feliz rolls the second out to Morse at first. Carlos Ruiz grounds to Guzman. 

Mike Morse barely connects with a roller back to Hamels. Wil Nieves grounds to the mound and injures himself taking an odd step at first. Ross Detwiler K’s looking...Bard’s behind the plate when Detwiler retakes the mound. Cole Hamels K’s swinging through a fastball. Josh Willingham catches a fly ball from Jimmy Rollins. Shane Victorino grounds out to short. 

Justin Maxwell pops up foul of first for Ryan Howard. Cristian Guzman grounds to Howard at first, Hamels covers. Ryan Zimmerman rips a line drive right into a leaping Raul Ibanez’s glove, four scoreless for Hamels...Ross Detwiler gets Chase Utley swinging through a fastball. Ross Detwiler hits Ryan Howard in the hand with an 0-2 pitch. Jayson Werth powers a shattered bat single over second to put two on for Ben Francisco. Francisco grounds to third, Ryan Zimmerman steps on the bag and throws to first from his hip for the improbable DP.

Cole Hamels drops a 2-2 curve on Josh Willingham to get the thirteenth straight out of the game. Elijah Dukes flies out to center. Ian Desmond takes strike three, but doesn’t like it. 15-straight for Hamels...Pedro Feliz walks to start the bottom of the fifth inning. Carlos Ruiz grounds off Detwiler’s glove, and the lefty recovers to throw out the catcher at first. Detwiler gets Hamels swinging. Jimmy Rollins pulls a high fastball to left for an RBI double, 1-0 Phillies when Feliz scores. Shane Victorino takes a called strike three, he doesn’t like it, but he takes it. 

Mike Morse sends a single screaming to left to bring an abrupt end to Hamels’ chances of a special outing. Josh Bard K’s looking and understands Victorino’s complaint. Jorge Padilla takes strike three, this time it’s a fastball inside. Justin Maxwell has to run it out after he K’s swinging over a change in the dirt....Tyler Clippard takes over for Detwiler in the sixth. Ryan Zimmerman tracks down a foul pop from Utley and leaps over the tarp to make a brilliant catch. Clippard walks Ryan Howard with one down. Werth takes the second straight walk. Ben Francisco singles to center to load the bases for Pedro Feliz. Feliz pops out to the catcher. Carlos Ruiz works the count full and takes ball four on a pitch in the dirt that gets away from Bard. 2-0 Phillies. Cole Hamels will face Saul Rivera. Hamels singles by third, 3-0 Phillies. Jimmy Rollins pops out to center to end the sixth.

Cristian Guzman leads off the seventh with a swinging K. Ryan Zimmerman drops a single over first and into short right. Josh Willingham shatters his bat singling to left to move Zim up to second. Elijah Dukes rrrrips the third straight single through short to score Zimmerman from second, 3-1 Phillies. Ian Desmond walks to load the bases. Mike Morse pops out high over right. Josh Bard takes a 2-2 change inside for a called strike three. Nationals strand three...3-1 Philly...Raul Ibanez comes out to start the Phillies’ seventh, and Jim Riggleman pulls Saul Rivera. Ron Villone vs Ibanez. Lefty vs Lefty. Ibanez takes strike three on the high inside corner. Villone walks Utley. Ryan Howard steps in. Utley takes second on a passed ball wild pitch and takes third on Ryan Howard’s groundout. Logan Kensing replaces Villone. Jayson Werth’s up when Kensing throws another wild pitch. Utley scores, 4-1. Werth lines out to short. 

Alberto Gonzalez starts the eighth with a fly ball to the corner in left, Raul Ibanez leaps at the wall to make an amazing grab. Justin Maxwell hits a one-out double into the left field corner. Maxwell takes third on a groundout by Guzman. Cole Hamels throws a two-strike change by Ryan Zimmerman. 4-1 after seven and a half...Marco Estrada’s going to pitch the eighth for DC. Ben Francisco pops out to first. Pedro Feliz grounds out to Dukes in right. Carlos Ruiz chops out to Zim, and Estrada’s got a quick scoreless frame. 

Brad Lidge vs Josh Willingham. Josh Willingham flies out to center. Elijah Dukes flies to deeeep center, Jayson Werth slides in for it, and almost collides with Ben Francisco as the ball drops to the ground. Desmond grounds out to short to score Dukes. 4-2 Philly. Willie Harris flies out to center to end it. Phillies win, 4-2 final. 

Nationals now 50-96.