Box Score (From ESPN.com)
By Nick Tricome
After taking two of three from the Atlanta Braves to start a crucial 10-game homestand, the Phillies began a four-game series against the Washington Nationals on Monday night.
It was a close game at the end, but the Phillies, behind John Lannan, got the series started off right with a 3-2 win over their division rivals.
Lannan pitched a gem against his former team, pitching eight innings of shutout ball. The Nationals only managed four hits and two walks off Lannan.
The Phillies offense wasted no time getting Lannan an early lead either.
After Ben Revere and Jimmy Rollins reached base on back-to-back singles, the two of them executed a double steal with Chase Utley at-bat, putting themselves in scoring position.
Utley struck out, but all-star Domonic Brown singled in the next at-bat by deflecting a ground ball off the shin of Nationals' starting pitcher Dan Haren. Rollins scored on the play and Revere moved up to third.
Brown moved up to second after a wild pitch got by catcher Wilson Ramos in Michael Young's at-bat, but Revere was held up at third.
Haren walked Young to load the bases, then walked Darin Ruf to bring in a run after striking out Delmon Young.
Carlos Ruiz flew out to rightfield to end a sloppy first inning for Washington and their starting pitcher.
However, the Phillies had a 2-0 advantage and with the way Lannan was pitching, the Nationals never got a chance to recover.
The Phillies tacked on an insurance run in the sixth to make it 3-0. Revere hit a two-out double off Washington reliever Fernando Abad, then Rollins brought Revere home with an RBI single to right.
The Nationals didn't generate any offense with Lannan on the mound, but they got something going when the Phillies brought in Jonathan Papelbon for the ninth.
Papelbon gave up a single to Bryce Harper and a double to Ryan Zimmerman, which moved Harper up to third.
Papelbon got outs in the next two at-bats, but they were sacrifice flies by Werth and Adam LaRoche that cut the Phillies' lead to one.
Pinch-hitter Chad Tracy represented the tying run at the plate, but he flew out to center to end the game.
Papelbon, after giving fans a scare by giving up two runs, earned his 19th save of the season and the Phillies got the win to start the series off on a high-note.
The Phillies will go back at it on Tuesday night for game two of four. Cole Hamels (3-11, 4.38 ERA) will get the start against Washington's Taylor Jordan (0-1, 2.70 ERA).
Hamels has had a rough season, but he is coming off a win against Pittsburgh, when he allowed only two runs in seven innings.
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