Although the Atlanta Braves lost to the Phils on Monday, they remained 1 game up in the NL Wild Card race on the St. Louis Cardinals who were edged by the Houston Astros in ten innings.   The Braves magic number is 2 (combination of Braves wins or Cards’ losses) as both teams have 2 games left to play.

AP’s game recap for Yahoo sports provides highlights and background on Monday’s game:

The Phillies sure didn’t go easy on the Braves, even though their trip to the playoffs was in the bag weeks ago.

“We went out there and played like we always do,” Manuel said. “I look at our guys, I think we’re ready to win right now.”

Atlanta jumped ahead against Lee, making his final tuneup before the playoffs. Jones drove his 18th homer into the left-field seats, then Matt Diaz and Alex Gonzalez had consecutive doubles in the second.

Lee looked shaky in the beginning, giving up four extra-base hits to the first eight Atlanta hitters. But he settled down after that, retiring the next 12 in a row.

The Braves had not led a game in three days, but they didn’t fare any better playing out front.

“I attribute it more to good pitching than a lack of hitting,” Jones said. “I’ll take that showing. We battled for 27 outs and all nine innings.”

Jones ended Lee’s dominance with one out in the sixth, lining one to the gap in left-center that hopped over the wall for a ground-rule double. But, showing the desperation of a struggling team, Uggla struck out on three pitches—the last one hopping in front of the plate—and Freeman hit a soft liner to shortstop Rollins.

In the fourth, Philadelphia broke through against 21-year-old rookie Randall Delgado, making just his seventh big league start.

Hunter Pence got it started with a one-out single.  Ryan Howard lined another hit to right-center and Shane Victorino walked to loaded the bases. Delgado made a bid to escape the jam, retiring Ibanez on a foul popup, but Placido Polanco followed with a sharp single up the middle to bring home Pence.

The slow-running Howard had to stop at third, and Carlos Ruiz flied out to center with the Braves still leading 2-1. It didn’t last long. Rollins tied it in the fifth, lining his 15th homer over the fence in right field.

Delgado was lifted for a pinch-hitter in the bottom half, having surrendered five hits. The Phillies pulled ahead against the Atlanta bullpen.

With one out in the sixth, Victorino yanked one down the right-field line off Cristhian Martinez (1-3) and sped all the way to third for a triple, just beating the relay throw.   Eric O’Flaherty took over for Martinez, and the Braves pulled in the infield looking to cut off the go-ahead run. But Ibanez grounded one sharply past diving first baseman [Freddie] Freeman, and Victorino trotted home to make it 3-2.

Ibanez added another run-scoring hit in the eighth off Jonny Venters.

The Braves tried to rally at the end, but they couldn’t string together any hits—a familiar theme for a team that has scored only three runs in the last three games. Brad Lidge gave up a walk and a single in the eighth, but Jones grounded one sharply to second baseman Chase Utley, who started the double play that sent many in the announced crowd of 42,597 heading for the exits.

In the ninth, Dan Uggla lined one to left off Ryan Madson that got under the glove of a diving Ibanez. Uggla pulled up at second with a double and that’s where he stayed.  Freeman and Brian McCann struck out swinging before pinch-hitter Jason Heyward grounded out to first to end it. Madson earned his 32nd save.

For all of Monday’s scores and recaps, click here.

The Phils hope to tie their all-time franchise wins record of 101 with a victory on Tuesday as Roy Oswalt is opposed by Derek Lowe for the Braves.  All of MLB’s playoff teams will then have at least 2 days off (Sept. 29 and 30) before the NLDS games begin on Saturday.

PLEASE NOTE:  There will be no Thursday post of Wednesday’s Phillies final regular season game due to the onset of Rosh Hashana — the Jewish New Year.    Wednesday’s game post may only appear on either Saturday night or Sunday.

For all of Tuesday’s scheduled games throughout MLB, click here.

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The Atlanta Braves lost their Sunday game to Washington while the St. Louis Cardinals edged the Chicago Cubs as the Braves’ NL Wild Card lead shrunk to 1 game.   The Braves magic number remained 3 (combination of Braves wins or Cards’ losses) as both teams have 3 games left to play.

It seems that facing the hapless Mike Pelfrey (7-13) was just what the doctor ordered as manager Manuel fielded his full starting lineup.  Pelfrey was clobbered over the 1st four innings as the Phils offense returned to life.   Halladay struck out only 3 while walking 1 but collected 9 ground ball outs while just 4 others flied out in his six inning, 77 pitch gem.  Manuel again pulled his starter in the sixth, although Halladay on 77 pitches, still looked like he had plenty in the tank.   And it really didn’t matter that Bastardo was jumped on for 3 runs in the seventh, and Worley gave up another, because this time the Phils were way out in front and had the game well in tow.  But, after losing 8 straight games with gauge-flat offense and then ringing up 19 hits on Sunday, can the Phils turn their offense back on like a spigot for their final 3 regular season games to be played in Atlanta, and for the playoffs and the World Series?  Time will tell.

AP’s game recap for Yahoo sports provides the highlights and details of Sunday’s game:

Playing their regular lineup for the first time since clinching their fifth straight division title, the Phillies posted their major league-leading 99th victory. Center fielder Shane Victorino closed it out with a nifty running grab for the final out.

“It’s a matter of getting everybody out there and getting the rhythm of the lineup,” star slugger Ryan Howard said. “Everybody kind of exploded today.”

“Hopefully, we can keep it together through October,” he said.

Pence homered during a three-run first inning, each starter had a hit by the third and Carlos Ruiz’s single made it 9-0 in the fourth.

That was plenty for Halladay (19-6). He tuned up for his expected start in Game 1 of the NL playoffs Saturday by throwing six scoreless innings of four-hit ball.  Last year’s unanimous Cy Young Award winner finished this regular season with a career-best 2.35 ERA.

Halladay won his eighth straight start against the Mets and closed his outing by fanning Nick Evans with the bases loaded. It was Halladay’s third strikeout of the game—that was his 220th of the year, one more than his previous high.

“I didn’t want it to feel like a spring training start. Everything was where I wanted it to be,” Halladay said.

The Phillies’ skid was their longest since 2000, and the worst by any big league team after wrapping up first place since the World Series began in 1903, STATS LLC said.

Frustrated by all the losses, manager Charlie Manuel put all his regulars on the field and also tinkered with the lineup, moving Chase Utley into the second slot. And after scoring a total of only 16 runs during the slide, the Phillies responded with 19 hits.

Mike Pelfrey (7-13) was battered from the outset. He was done after three innings, leaving him with only one win in his last 12 starts of the season.

Ruiz went 4 for 4 with a walk. His two-run hit in the fourth drew a mixed response from the crowd, with Phillies fans cheering his “Chooch” nickname and Mets fans simply booing.

Pence also tripled, singled and walked. He made a costly error Saturday night in his first start since missing three games because of a strained knee.

Manuel quickly began pulling his All-Stars.  Ryan Howard came out for a pinch-runner in the fourth and Jimmy Rollins left following the sixth.

For all of Sunday’s scores and recaps, click here.

The Phils then travel to Atlanta to play the final 3 games of the regular season on Monday through Wednesday against the Braves.  The Phils’ 8 game skid set up a situation where these games will be big for both teams.

For the Phils, they will need to build on Sunday’s blow-out win over the Mets to re-establish a team-to-beat mojo before the playoffs, while these games will be crucial for the Braves in order to make the playoffs at all. Lefthander Cliff Lee tries to finish out the season with 17 wins as he faces rookie Randall Delgado for the Braves.  All of MLB’s playoff teams will then have at least 2 days off (Sept. 29 and 30) before the NLDS games begin on Saturday.

For all of Monday’s scheduled games throughout MLB, click here.

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In Friday’s opener, the Cards threatened in the second inning as Worley gave up a single and walked 3, the last walk forcing in a run.  Things could have been much worse with 1 out, but Worley settled down getting a strikeout and coaxing a fielder’s choice grounder to end the inning.  The Phillies answered in their second nearly chasing Garcia on back-to-back doubles and 4 straight hits.  But Worley struck out and Jimmy Rollins popped out to end the inning with the score knotted at 1-1.   The score remained tied until the eighth as Worley settled down going six and reliever David Herndon managed to extricate himself from a bunt single, wild pitch and 2 walk jam unscathed in the seventh.   Antonio Bastardo was not so lucky in the eighth inning.

With 1 out in the eighth, the Cards took a 2-1 lead as catcher Yadier Molina reached Bastardo on a 1-2 pitch driving it out to leftfield.  Brad Lidge pitched the ninth for the Phils and managed to close out the inning after 2 Cards reached with 2 out.  With 2 out in the bottom of the ninth, and reliever Jason Motte in the game, 1st baseman Ryan Howard slammed a 2-2 pitch to rightfield for a double.   Pinch hitter Carlos Ruiz got lucky on a drive to rightfield which was totally misplayed by defensive outfielder replacement Corey Patterson.  Michael Martinez, pinch running for Howard, scored on the play tying the game and Ruiz ended up at 2nd base where he was stranded when pinch hitter Ross Gload struck out as the game went into extra innings.  Closer Ryan Madson made short work of the Cards in the tenth before 2 walks and 3 hits, 2 of them doubles off of rookie reliever Michael Schwimmer, resulted in the 2 winning runs.   Then, rookie Cardinal closer Fernando Salas finished off the Phils in the eleventh for his 24th save.  Starter Kyle McClellan notched his 12th win, this one in relief as he went clean on the Phils in the tenth.   Schwimmer was charged with his 1st MLB loss.     AP’s game recap for Yahoo sports provides highlights of Friday’s game.

The Phillies Nation blog provides these thoughts on Saturday’s Phillies division-clinching game:

The final game score… does not quite tell the tale of the game. Roy Oswalt gave a solid performance striking out seven while walking none and allowing five hits and no runs over seven innings. If this was a playoff audition, he certainly passed the test.

But with a shutout going through the eighth, the Cardinals made it interesting with four consecutive singles off Michael Stutes to close the Phillies lead to 3-2. Brad Lidge rescued the inning and in the bottom frame, the Phils decided to take out some insurance.

With a few singles of their own and Raul Ibanez grand slam BOMB to right-field, the Phillies took a commanding 9-2 lead heading into the ninth. Ryan Madson came in for the save and the champagne started popping.

As… mentioned, this is the Phils 5th division title in as many years – and to be honest, they are getting easier – at least on the nerves. Remember sweating through Jamie Moyer’s starts on the final days, watching Brett Myers close out the game? Today, rather, the club is twelve games from the end of the season and the win was an easy one.

AP’s game recap for Yahoo sports provides additional coverage of Saturday’s division-clinching win.

For all of Friday’s and Saturday’s scores and recaps, click here and here.

On Sunday, lefthander Cole Hamels tries again for his 15th win as he is opposed by Chris Carpenter for the Cardinals.

For all of Sunday’s scheduled games throughout MLB, click here.

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