Phils hold on against Nats and repeat as NL East champs

Baseball Betting Lines

09/28/2008 - Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jamie Moyer turned in another masterful performance on the hill, and the Philadelphia Phillies survived a late Washington rally to defeat the Nationals, 4-3, and clinch their second straight NL East title.

The 45-year-old Moyer (16-7) found himself in a similar position. On the final day of the 2007 campaign, the Sellersville, Pennsylvania, native pitched brilliantly to help the Phillies secure their first division crown since 1993. The veteran left-hander delivered again, allowing one run on six hits over six innings of work.

Brad Lidge overcame a rocky ninth inning to notch his 41st save in as many opportunities.

Shane Victorino collected three hits and scored a run for Philadelphia, which earned consecutive playoff berths for the first time since 1980 and '81 and won back-to-back full-season division titles for the first time since taking three in a row from 1976-78. Jimmy Rollins had only one hit, but the reigning NL MVP made a couple of outstanding defensive plays late in the game.

"This year, we were able to control our destiny a little bit coming into the last week. It's completely different, but it's always the same," Rollins said. "We're definitely more experienced...We kind of know how (the playoffs are) run and how to get ourselves prepared."

Anderson Hernandez finished 3-for-5 with two RBI for the Nationals, who have dropped three straight and eight of nine overall. John Lannan (9-15) gave up three runs on seven hits in five innings to take the loss.

Washington made it a one-run affair in the eighth. Ryan Madson took over on the mound and promptly served up a single and a double to the first two batters. Rollins then made an incredible over-the-head catch on Lastings Milledge's shallow pop up and managed to hold on despite a nasty collision with Victorino. Cristian Guzman scored on the play, but Madson retired Elijah Dukes and Aaron Boone to preserve the 3-2 lead.

The Phillies picked up a much-needed insurance run in the home-half on Pedro Feliz's two-out RBI double, and Lidge came on in the ninth to close the door.

The All-Star closer fanned Emilio Bonifacio to open the frame, then gave up a single to Roger Bernadina and walked pinch-hitter Ryan Langerhans before Hernandez's bloop single chased home Bernadina. Guzman followed with a sharp single to center, bringing up Ryan Zimmerman with the bases loaded. The Nationals third baseman, who sat out the last two games because of the flu, slapped a grounder up the middle. Rollins made a diving stop, flipped the ball to Chase Utley, whose relay throw to Ryan Howard completed the double play for the win.

"Right now we're going to enjoy this," Howard said. "We're not going to try to look forward to the World Series. We're just going to take it one game at a time."

The Phillies will wrap up the regular season on Sunday and open the playoffs next week against either the Milwaukee Brewers or the Los Angeles Dodgers. Last season, the Phillies were swept in the NLDS by the Colorado Rockies.

Philadelphia plated two runs in the fourth. Utley had a leadoff single, advanced to third on a Howard base hit and scurried home on Pat Burrell's sacrifice fly. Victorino continued the hit parade and Feliz drew a four-pitch walk, loading the bases for Carlos Ruiz, whose fly ball allowed the burly Howard to lumber home.

The Nationals trimmed the deficit in their next turn at the plate. Bernadina lined a one-out single and Lannan laid down a sacrifice bunt before Hernandez ripped an RBI double that went off the webbing of Jayson Werth's glove in right.

Werth quickly atoned for the miscue, leading off the bottom of the fifth with his 24th home run of the season.

Game Notes

With the victory, Moyer became just the second pitcher in baseball history, 45 years or older, to win 16 games in a season. Phil Niekro won 16 games for the New York Yankees in 1984 and 1985 at 45 and 46, respectively...Moyer has allowed more than three earned runs only twice over his last 21 starts and improved to 14-2 when pitching at least six innings...The Nationals left nine men on base, while Philadelphia stranded seven.