PHILLIES NEWS

The Phils are a team of destiny now, that is their own destiny, for they now control it after tonight. Cole Hamels got the start tonight as the Phils began their final series of the season, a 3 gamer versus the Nationals at the bank. Hamels rebounded from the early exit in his last start, to go 8 shutout innings, allowing overmatched Washington, just 6 hits, while striking out 13. Meanwhile, the Phils needed 5 innings to get going, but once they did, they never looked back. In the bottom of the 5th, Greg Dobbs singled, Carlos Ruiz, was hit by a pitch, Cole Hamels bunted them over, and the man who would be MVP, Jimmy Rollins, slapped a single to score both. One out later, Chase Utely slammed a double to score Rollins, and finish the scoring in the 5th. Then in the 7th, Ryan Howard crushed a 2 run homer to put it away for good as the Phils led 6-0. Hamels then bowed out after the 8th, and Clay Condrey came in to pitch the 9th, and afer hitting Austin Kearns with a pitch, he retired the side, for a 6-0 Phils win. So the Phils improve to 88-72, and with the Mets losing again, are now 1 game up in the NL East with the 2 to play. Thus, life remains beautiful.