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Phillies clinch NL East title with win over Nationals

Sep 28, 2008 - 2:40 AM By Vince DiGregorio PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

PHILADELPHIA (Ticker) -- Jimmy Rollins made a spectacular play in the ninth inning to ensure the Philadelphia Phillies' second straight division title.

Rollins made a diving stop to start a game-ending double play on Saturday as the Phillies clinched the National League East crown by escaping with a 4-3 victory over the Washington Nationals.

Jamie Moyer pitched six solid innings and Jayson Werth hit his 24th home run for the Phillies (91-70), who came into the contest with a magic number of one and needing to win after the New York Mets (89-72) bested the Florida Marlins earlier.

"Like I've been saying the last couple of months, we're in control of our destiny," Moyer said in a champagne-soaked clubhouse. "If we continued to play well and win games, we're gonna win (the division). Today proved that. It's not easy, but it's simple."

Last year, the Phillies trailed by seven games with 17 games to play before surging past the Mets to capture the division crown on the final day of the season.

"Last year, it was a big deal for us to get to the playoffs," Werth said. "This year in spring training, we were all sitting around, talking. Not one person in the clubhouse didn't expect us to get here. This is where we thought we'd be."

Philadelphia had a 4-2 lead entering the ninth inning and brought in Brad Lidge to finish out the game. However, the righthander got into trouble with one out.

Lidge gave up a single to Roger Bernadina before walking pinch hitter Ryan Langerhans. Anderson Hernandez followed with a bloop single to shallow right-center that scored Bernadina and cut the deficit to one. Cristian Guzman then singled to load the bases.

Ryan Zimmerman stepped to the plate and hit a sharp grounder up the middle that appeared headed for center field. Rollins dove to his left to field the ball, flipped it to Chase Utley for the out at second. Utley completed the relay to Ryan Howard at first to end the game and send the sellout crowd into a towel-waving frenzy.

"I knew I had a chance at it," Rollins said. "I was hoping I could get it cleanly and come up and make a good flip. In that situation, you don't think.

"That's a play I'm pretty comfortable with. I've done it all my career? but that was a good time to come up with it. I still wasn't sure if we had enough time to get (Zimmerman) at first."

Rollins' sensational play allowed Lidge to remain a perfect 41-for-41 in converting save opportunities.

An RBI double in the fourth by Hernandez was the only blemish against Moyer (16-7), who allowed six hits and walked one en route to winning his sixth straight decision.

The game was scoreless in the bottom of the fourth when the Phillies took advantage of control problems by Washington starter John Lannan.

Utley and Howard led off with bloop singles to put runners at the corners and Pat Burrell followed with a sacrifice fly to open the scoring. Carlos Ruiz then followed suit to increase the margin to 2-0.

Werth added his blast in the fifth against Lannan (9-15), who allowed three runs and seven hits in five innings.

Lastings Milledge hit a sacrifice fly to shallow center to pull Washington within 3-2, but Ryan Madson escaped further damage by retiring the next two batters.