Phillies 1 - 2 Nationals
Final
  for this game

Nationals top Phillies to take series

Jun 1, 2011 - 11:26 PM Washington, DC (Sports Network) - Laynce Nix homered and made a diving catch to take away a potential go-ahead hit as Washington topped Philadelphia, 2-1, in the rubber match of a three-game series.

Jayson Werth also knocked in a run while John Lannan (3-5) allowed just one run on four hits and three walks in 5 1/3 innings for Washington, which won the final two games in the set. Drew Storen tossed a scoreless ninth to earn his 10th save.

Ryan Howard hit safely twice, while Raul Ibanez and Placido Polanco each added a hit for the Phillies, who have lost three of their last four matchups.

Roy Oswalt (3-3) was charged with the loss after he gave up two runs on six hits and fanned three in five full frames.

Washington moved ahead for good in the third inning after Nix hit a solo home run to right-center, his eighth of the season.

Lannan worked out of trouble in the fifth, stranding runners on first and second with one out by inducing a fielder's choice grounder from John Mayberry Jr. and a fly out from Chase Utley.

The Nationals relied on a fantastic defensive play to retain the lead in the sixth.

Lannan was removed after Philadelphia put two on with one out, and Todd Coffey walked pinch-hitter Jimmy Rollins to load the bases. Doug Slaten then came in and faced pinch-hitter Domonic Brown, who flared a fly ball to left-center field.

Nix raced over from his spot in left to the gap, and extended his body to make a diving grab to turn away Philadelphia's possible go-ahead rally.

"It was hit a long way from me but it was slicing back to me," Nix said. "I knew if I could cut down that distance I had a shot at grabbing it, and fortunately I beat it to the spot."

That was the best chance for the visitors to pick up a run. Tyler Clippard turned in two scoreless frames and Storen worked around a Rollins single in the ninth to close out the narrow win.

"I thought it was going to fall in because I knew Bernadina was shaded over to the pull side," Brown said. "I was watching Laynce (Nix) the whole way, and he had a good read on it."

The Nationals drew first blood, tallying one run in the bottom of the first inning. Roger Bernadina led off with a base hit, advanced to second on an Ian Desmond sacrifice bunt and scored on Werth's single to left.

The Phillies answered back with a run of their own in the second. Howard started off with a double, Ben Francisco walked then Howard came home after Ruiz reached base on an Alex Cora fielding error.

Game Notes

Lannan picked up his first career victory against the Phillies...Nationals first baseman Michael Morse extended his hitting streak to 10 games...With the loss the Phillies fell to 8-1 on the season in games played on Wednesdays...Howard's two-hit performance marks the 17th time this season he has had a multi-hit game.






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