Lefty John Lannan faces the right-handed hitting Jimmy Rollins who grounds to Ryan Zimmerman at short for the first out of the finale of this three game Phillies’ visit to DC. Lannan hits Shane Victorino on the toe with a low bender. Chase Utley skies a fly ball to short-right that Austin Kearns catches. Ryan Howard lays his bat on an opposite field single. Victorino takes third. Pat Burrell pops out to Zimmerman foul of third for the final out of the frame...Willie Harris pops out on Philly starter Kyle Kendrick’s first pitch. Lastings Milledge swings over a two-strike slider outside. Zimmerman reaches out for a 2-2 slider off the plate and pushes it into right for a two-out single. Austin Kearns doesn’t think it’s a strike the first time and he takes a second fastball inside on a two-strike count and gets called out looking to end the first.
Jayson Werth takes John Lannan deeep to left, over Willie Harris’ head and GONE! for a leadoff HR in the second. 1-0 Phillies. Eric Bruntlett follows with a single, and takes second on a wild pitch/passed ball depending how you see it. Bruntlett moves to third when catcher Carlos Ruiz connects on the third straight hit. Kyle Kendrick gets the sac bunt down. Second and third, one out for Rollins. Zimmerman robs Rollins of a hit, but Bruntlett scores on the play. 2-0 Philly. Zimmerman drops Shane Victorino’s grounder and throws it off Victorino’s helmet and into foul territory. Ruiz scores. 3-0 Philly. Chase Utley takes a two-out walk. Lannan gets Howard to chase some junk to end the frame...92 mph fastball outside and Jesus Flores gets called out looking in the DC second. Kory Casto goes with a slider outside and finds the corner in left for a one-out double. Casto takes third on Belliard’s ground ball to short, and scores from third on a wild pitch to make it 3-1 Philly after two.
Lannan walks Pat Burrell to start the third. Jayson Werth swings through a slow yawner from Lannan. Bruntlett flies out to Willie Harris in left. Lannan gets Philly catcher Carlos Ruiz to swing over a curve for strike three...Ryan Zimmerman’s up with two down in the third, and he takes a fastball on the hand?? Zimmerman stays in the game, taking first. Kearns hits a two-out single. WWJD? Flores lines a single over short, Zimmerman scores. 3-2 Philly after three.
Kyle Kendrick K’s to lead off the fourth, but reaches safely on a throwing error by Jesus Flores, and of course, Jimmy Rollins follows with what’s now a two-run HR to make it 5-2 Philadelphia. Victorino reaches first on a bunt when no one covers first. Victorino steals second without a throw. Lannan gets Utley looking, Howard swinging and Flores throws out a greedy VIctorino, who tries for third and gets nailed...Pete Orr’s on with a one-out single, and Lannan’s bunt moves him into scoring position for Willie Harris. Harris flies out. 5-2 Philly after four.
Pat Burrell patiently takes a leadoff walk in the fifth. Lannan gets Jayson Werth to chase strike three into the dirt. Pete Orr fields Eric Bruntlett’s grounder and throws to second in time for the force. Bruntlett gets thrown out trying to steal second, 5-2 Philly middle of the fifth...Milledge, Ryan Langerhans and Kearns go down in order to end the fifth...Ronnie Belliard throws out Carlos Ruiz. Pete Orr throws out the opposing pitcher. Jimmy Rollins smacks a two-out double to right? Victorino hits a swinging bunt to third, and Belliard’s throw ends up in the basepath, where Casto can’t catch it, Rollins scores. 6-2 Philly. Victorino’s safe. Chase Utley singles through second, Lannan’s lifted for Charlie Manning. Manning vs Howard. Lefty vs Lefty. Howard rips a line-drive to right that scores Victorino. 7-2 Philly. Manning’s out. Garrett Mock vs Pat Burrell. Burrell singles through third. 8-2...Jesus Flores can’t get a grounder by Bruntlett at third. Casto grounds the first pitch to second. Ronnie Belliard takes a curve in the shoulder from Kendrick. Pete Orr pops out to center. 8-2 Phillies after six.
Garrett Mock throws a fastball by Eric Bruntlett for a swinging K. Carlos Ruiz spins a grounder out to Casto at first. Kyle Kendrick stares strike three all the way in, Stand up and stretch...Lastings Milledge’s two-out single keeps Kyle Kendrick from retiring the Nationals in order in the bottom of the seventh. Ryan Langerhans works the count full, and walks to bring up Kearns and chase Kendrick. Kearns takes a two-strike fastball inside from Clay Condrey...and he still doesn’t think it’s a strike...
Jesus “Everyday” Colome issues a leadoff walk to Jimmy Rollins. Victorino grounds to Willie Harris at second to Orr to Casto, double play on two quick runners. Chase Utley takes a fastball off the hip. Ryan Howard grounds out to end the Philly eighth...Jesus Flores grounds out to short. Kory Casto grounds to Howard, who tosses to the pitcher covering first. Ronnie Belliard grounds ou...
...Top of the ninth...Casto has to come off the first base bag to tag Burrell on a hard hit grounder to second. 97 mph heater on the outside edge sits Werth down, and Bruntlett flies out to end Colome’s second scoreless relief inning...Three outs to get six runs...Pete Orr singles and Felipe Lopez doubles and the Nationals have two with no outs in the 9th. Willie Harris grounds out to score Orr. 8-3 Philly. Lastings Milledge grounds out to score Lopez. 8-4 Philly. Langerhans works a two-out walk. Chad Durbin comes on to end it...Austin Kearns flies out. The Phillies sweep the Nationals.
Nationals now 38-70. (Countdown To 100 Losses Stands At...30.)