Nicked in the first inning Dawson Knox Jersey , Aaron Nola figured he’d be fine if could find his form.

He did, and the Philadelphia Phillies took advantage.


”The way (we’ve) been swinging lately, I just felt like if I kept putting up zeros and battling out there they were going to come through and score some more runs,” Nola said.

With the Phillies leading 3-2 in the eighth, Santana sent a drive into the Philadelphia bullpen in left-center field off Kelvin Herrera for his 13th homer of the season and second in two games. Franco later added an RBI single.

Philadelphia’s Odubel Herrera, who had homered in five straight games, went 0 for 4.

The Phillies have won five of six while the Nationals have lost three of four, scoring a total of nine runs. Anthony Rendon homered for Washington.

”Look, I’ve got all the confidence in the world we’re going to start hitting Brian Burns Jersey ,” manager Dave Martinez said. ”We’ll start scoring some runs. Right now the bullpen is a little beat up. We’ve got to get them going again.”

Nola (9-2) stiffened after giving up two runs in the first inning. He didn’t allow a hit after the second and left following the sixth. He also hit an RBI single.

Seranthony Dominguez worked the ninth for his fourth save.

Erick Fedde (0-3) allowed three runs on eight hits in six-plus innings.

”They have a lot of patient hitters,” Fedde said. ”I think that’s what makes it tough. Guys aren’t swinging at bunch of junk, so you have to attack them.”

With the score 2-all, Franco doubled leading off the seventh and moved to third on a groundout. Pinch-hitter Jesmuel Valentin lifted a fly to right, Franco tagged and just beat Adam Eaton’s throw home with the safe call surviving a replay challenge.

”That was just a tremendous all-around baseball game,” Phillies manager Gabe Kapler said of Franco’s day.

Daniel Murphy’s two-run single in the first inning gave Washington the early lead, but the Phillies strung together four two-out singles – the last by Nola – in the second to tie it.

BUNTER’S CHANCE

For the second consecutive game, Harper tried to beat the shift with a first-inning bunt. Friday night, he bunted foul before striking out and Saturday he was thrown out by Nola.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Phillies: RHP Jerad Eickhoff (right lat strain) threw a 35-pitch bullpen session and will likely throw another session in a few days.

Nationals: 1B Ryan Zimmerman (right oblique strain) is expected to go on a rehabilitation assignment within the next week, according to Martinez. … RHP Jeremy Hellickson (right hamstring strain) will pitch Sunday for Class A Potomac and is expected to rejoin the rotation after the one rehab start. … RH reliever Brandon Kintzler (right foreman flexor strain) will also pitch at Potomac on Sunday.

UP NEXT

Phillies: RHP Nick Pivetta (4-6 Greg Little Jersey , 4.08), acquired from Washington in the trade for Jonathan Papelbon, pitches the finale. He’s 0-2 with an 11.81 ERA in three starts against the Nationals.

Nationals: RHP Jefry Rodriguez (0-0, 4.66) makes his second big league start.

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP)Baltimore Ravens linebacker C.J. Mosley has no problem discussing the gut-wrenching way his season ended. He’s talked about it with family and friends for nearly a month and openly shared his thoughts with fellow Pro Bowl players this week. At breakfast. In the locker room. On the practice field. He’s also gotten plenty of sympathetic support. After all, the New Orleans Saints, Minnesota Vikings and Jacksonville Jaguars know exactly how Mosley feels. Players from all those teams are still trying to deal with the way they exited the postseason. ”You talk about it because that’s the life of the NFL,” Mosley said Thursday. ”You fight and fight, and it always comes down to the last two minutes or the last play of the game.” The Pro Bowl has become a gathering spot for the brokenhearted, a place to laugh Will Grier Jersey , smile and joke through lingering disappointment. ”When it’s the last game of the season, it definitely sticks with you a lot longer,” Mosley said. ”It was tough, but you’ve got to live and learn from it. It just builds calluses, as Coach (John) Harbaugh says, and you try to redeem yourself next season.” The Ravens looked as if they were headed to the playoffs in the final minute of the final game of the regular season. But Baltimore gave up a crushing, 49-yard touchdown pass with 44 seconds remaining and lost 31-27 loss to Cincinnati. The outcome put Buffalo in the playoffs for the first time since the 1999 season. ”I know they helped us out, but to have pretty much a home playoff game and lose to a team that’s not having a good year, that’s difficult,” Bills guard Richie Incognito said. Incognito and other Pro Bowlers felt as if Baltimore’s stunning setback took a backseat to others in the playoffs. New Orleans was poised to beat Minnesota in an NFC divisional game until Case Keenum completed a last-ditch heave to Stefon Diggs Christian Miller Jersey , who turned it into a 61-yard touchdown reception that gave the Vikings a 29-24 victory. Rookie safety Marcus Williams whiffed trying to tackle Diggs near the sideline. ”That’s tough to go and do that,” Incognito said. ”You’re in and out of it in a game like New Orleans-Minnesota and then you lose it on the last play. That’s just demoralizing. That’s going to be in that kid’s head forever.” It dominated conversation in Minnesota for a week – until the Vikings got thumped at Philadelphia while trying to become the first team in NFL history to make the Super Bowl in its home stadium. ”That’s why you keep doing things like this, try to enjoy the moment, live in the moment and actually try to get that game off your mind,” Vikings cornerback Xavier Rhodes said. ”I can’t tell you how long it’s going to take, but it’ll take very long if people keep asking me questions about the game. But eventually it’ll pass. ”We’ve got to look forward to next year and hopefully we’ll go to the Super Bowl.” Tampa Bay defensive tackle Gerald McCoy said Minnesota’s loss was the toughest to watch in the postseason. ”You have that miracle catch and that happens in the NFC title game,” McCoy said. ”That hurts. I think they just couldn’t get over the fact of how they won and it just didn’t carry over to the next game.” Jacksonville will carry its collapse into next season, too. The Jaguars had a 10-point lead at New England in the fourth quarter in the AFC title game. Tom Brady and the defending Super Bowl champs were so desperate to get back in the game that they turned to trick plays. ”You’ve got the champs on the ropes, everything’s flowing, you feel like you’re going to win the game Jordan Scarlett Jersey , you’re out-physically them and then Tom Brady takes over,” Incognito said. Incognito and several Jaguars defenders talked about the loss during breakfast this week, with Incognito identifying the session as ”telling war stories about Tommy.” All of them – the Jaguars, the Vikings, the Saints and the Ravens – could take solace in knowing it could be worse. The Atlanta Falcons blew a 28-3 lead to the Patriots in the Super Bowl last February. ”It’s takes a while,” Falcons safety Keanu Neal said. ”You’ve got to forget, just get right. It takes a second. It’s going to hurt because the opportunity was there, but time heals everything.” —