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Dunn's walkoff homer gives Nationals meaningless win over Phillies

WASHINGTON - Majestic. And, ultimately, irrelevant. That about sums up the monstrous walkoff home run that Adam Dunn slugged off Jose Contreras to lift the Nationals to a 2-1 victory last night.

Roy Oswalt didn't allow an earned run in five innings pitched against the Nationals. (Evan Vucci/AP)
Roy Oswalt didn't allow an earned run in five innings pitched against the Nationals. (Evan Vucci/AP)Read more

WASHINGTON - Majestic. And, ultimately, irrelevant. That about sums up the monstrous walkoff home run that Adam Dunn slugged off Jose Contreras to lift the Nationals to a 2-1 victory last night.

With a division title and homefield advantage throughout the postseason already locked up, the Phillies turned their attention toward playoff preparation. That meant limiting Roy Oswalt to 66 pitches, resting half of the regular starting lineup, and doling out some much-needed repetitions to some potential playoff contributors. It also meant getting star shortstop Jimmy Rollins back into the starting lineup for the first time since he strained his right hamstring on Sept. 8.

Rollins went 1-for-3 before leaving the game in the sixth inning. Joining him in the lineup were regular leftfielder Raul Ibanez, who hit his 16th home run of the season, second baseman Chase Utley and first baseman Ryan Howard. Besides Rollins, each of those regulars should get some time off over the remaining four games.

The rest could be a huge benefit to a team that was racked by injuries this season. Third baseman Placido Polanco, who will likely need offseason surgery to remove a bone chip in his left elbow, was one of the regulars who did not start last night. He will travel to Philadelphia today for an examination by team doctor Michael Ciccotti, which could include a cortisone injection to help reduce pain that has plagued him throughout the season.

"We have to keep our regulars ready and we've go to try to get some of the players who haven't hit ready, too, I guess," manager Charlie Manuel said.

The Phillies still have some logistical decisions to make for the postseason. Oswalt, who allowed one unearned run in five innings, will likely start Game 2 or 3. He said he doesn't expect to make another start before the end of the regular season, although Manuel said he had not yet decided exactly how to handle the veteran righthander.

As for the makeup of the postseason roster, the Phillies have their minds made up on most of the players they will keep.

Barring a shocking move, the shoe-ins are as follows:

Regulars (8): Jimmy Rollins, Placido Polanco, Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, Jayson Werth, Raul Ibanez, Shane Victorino, Carlos Ruiz

Bench (5): Wilson Valdez, Ben Francisco, Ross Gload, Mike Sweeney, Brian Schneider

Starters (3): Roy Halladay, Roy Oswalt, Cole Hamels

Bullpen (6): Brad Lidge, Ryan Madson, Jose Contreras, J.C. Romero, Chad Durbin, Joe Blanton

That leaves three open spots and the following questions:

Will the Phillies keep a second lefty? If so, count rookie Antonio Bastardo in.

Will the extra off day between Games 1 and 2 allow them to be comfortable with 11 pitchers? If so, count an extra bench player in.

Would Kyle Kendrick bring more value than Danys Baez in the bullpen? If so, count him in.

The two leading candidates to fill the final bench spot would appear to be rookie outfielder Domonic Brown, who went 1-for-3 with a walk and a steal last night in his first start since Sept. 6, and third baseman Greg Dobbs, who was charged with a fielding error on a low throw by Rollins and went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts.

If the Phillies keep a second lefty to complement Romero, the most likely option to fill such a role is Bastardo. The 25-year-old made a strong case for himself last night, striking out the side in a scoreless eighth inning. Last postseason, he was on the roster for all three rounds of the postseason and was twice called on to face lefty sluggers in tight spots (he struck out the Rockies' Jason Giambi with the bases loaded in Game 2 of the National League Division Series and allowed a double by the Dodgers' Andre Ethier in Game 1 of the National League Championship Series).

Pitching coach Rich Dubee said before last night's game that he wanted to get both Bastardo and seldom-used lefty Mike Zagurski some work over the next several days while deciding whether to pair another lefty with Romero, who struck out the only batter he faced (Willie Harris to end the seventh).

"I feel good," Bastardo said. "It's an opportunity and a chance to pitch. That's what I need and I'll take it."

Reserve Ben Francisco, who made his first start since Sept. 5, went 2-for-4 in the loss, which dropped the Phillies to 94-64.

"I think it definitely helps," he said. "We've kind of all been sitting there for the past month. The more at-bats you see, the more pitches you see, the more prepared you are."

For more Phillies coverage and opinion, read David Murphy's blog, High Cheese, at http://go.philly.com/highcheese. Follow him on Twitter at

http://twitter.com/HighCheese.