PHILLIES NEWS

As mentioned, the Phils began a 3 game series with the Nationals tonight. Shawn Hill took the mound for the Nats, while the Phils countered with Kyle Lohse. Together Lohse, and Hill combined for 6 shutout innings to open the game. While Hill left the game after the 6th, Lohse stayed in to pitch the 7th and wound up giving up 2 runs on a 2 out pinch double by Tony Batista. Antonio Alfonseca then came in and bailed him out, by inducing a Felipe Lopez ground out to end the inning. The Phils finally got on the board in the 8th inning. A one out single by Carlos Ruiz scored Jayson Werth to cut the lead to 2-1. Then in his first at bat as a Phil, after being recently acquired off waivers, Russel Branyan slugged a 2 run homer to put the Phils up 3-2. With Tom Gordon, and Brett Myers pitching lights out the rest of the way, that was just enough for a 3-2 Phils victory. Unfortunately, the Mets and Padres both won today as well, so the Phils remain 3 games behind the Mets in the NL East, and 1 game behind the Padres in the wildcard. Still, life remains beautiful.