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Phillies rest regulars and close season with a win

Sep 28, 2008 - 11:26 PM By Vince DiGregorio PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

PHILADELPHIA (Ticker) -- The Philadelphia Phillies allowed their bench players to take center stage on Sunday.

Lou Marson hit his first major league home run and So Taguchi had a two-run single and an RBI triple as the Phillies closed out the regular season with an 8-3 victory over the Washington Nationals.

One day after clinching their second consecutive National League East title, the Phillies rested all of their regular players.

"I guess that takes care of the (regular) season," Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said. "I think all the credit should go the players."

Ryan Howard made a pinch hitting appearance in the sixth inning and singled and scored on Taguchi's triple. Howard became the only Phillies player to appear in all 162 games this season.

Philadelphia (92-70) will face the Milwaukee Brewers (90-72) in the best-of-five NL Division Series beginning at Citizens Bank Park on Wednesday.

Marson, a rookie catcher from Class AA Reading, was making his first-ever major league appearance and start.

"I was definitely excited to get my first big league start," Marson said. "I was excited when I came in today and saw my name up on that board. I just wanted to make the most of it."

Marson was also a member of the United States baseball team that competed in the Summer Olympics in China this summer.

"The Olympics was a great opportunity for me and to get called up in September, it's awesome," Marson said. "It was great to be around the guys and see how they go about their business in a pennant race. Just watching guys play helps me a lot."

The Phillies were trailing 3-1 in the fourth when they used a two-out rally against Odalis Perez (7-12) to take the lead. Taguchi tied the game with a two-run single before scoring on Eric Bruntlett's double to make it, 4-3.

Perez left the game after Bruntlett's hit because of nausea and lightheadedness. The lefthander allowed four runs - three earned - on eight hits.

Taguchi increased the margin to 5-3 with his triple in the sixth.

Marson connected on a two-run homer in the eighth. Pinch hitter Matt Stairs made it back-to-back home runs on the next pitch to complete the scoring.

"I never imagined to hit a home run for the first time," Marson said. "I got a good pitch to hit. I tried to (keep my swing) short."

Les Walrond (1-1) got the win in relief of starter Kyle Kendrick, who went four innings and gave up three runs on four hits.

"You still want to end the season on a positive note, so the guys can have that momentum going into the playoffs," Walrond said.

After the Phillies took a 1-0 lead on a wild pitch in the first, the Nationals tied it in the third when Luke Montz led off with his first career home run. Washington went up 3-1 in the fourth on an RBI double by Kory Casto and a run-scoring single by Alberto Gonzalez.

Washington (59-102) suffered its first 100-loss season since the franchise moved from Montreal and fielded a starting lineup that had a combined total of just six home runs.

"It was a poor season regardless of whatever happened," Nationals manager Manny Acta said. "I think we do need to make some improvement here, it's not a secret. Hopefully, we can get better next year."

Nationals general manager Jim Bowden met with reporters during the game and announced that all of Acta's coaches were being replaced except for pitching coach Randy St. Claire.