It makes him MVP.

The Phillies overcame a terribly sloppy start yesterday to beat the Washington Nationals, 8-7, in 10 innings at Citizens Bank Park. The victory allowed the Phillies to avoid their third 0-3 start in as many seasons and sent them to Cincinnati for a four-game series against the Reds feeling a little better about themselves.

"It's nice to get rid of that goose egg," starting pitcher Jamie Moyer said.

Thank Rollins.

He hit a leadoff single in the 10th inning, and all hell broke loose from there. Shane Victorino followed and dropped a perfect bunt in front of home plate. Third baseman Ryan Zimmerman charged the ball. Catcher Jesus Flores also pursued. But in the end, Zimmerman fielded the ball and threw to Ronnie Belliard to beat Victorino at first base.

"He kind of caught the ball and took a step off the bag, and the next thing you know it's too late," Victorino said of Belliard.

That's because Rollins never stopped running.

Rollins noticed that nobody had bothered to cover third. If he could just beat shortstop Cristian Guzman to the bag - very likely, because he already was running full speed - he could advance from first to third on a ball that rolled just a few feet from home plate.

Belliard's throw arrived late.

Not that anybody was in a great position to take it. Guzman couldn't beat Rollins to the bag, and first baseman Nick Johnson ultimately took the throw. Yes, the first baseman. It typically is the catcher's responsibility to run straight to third when he doesn't field the ball on a bunt.

Flores simply stopped.

"I didn't see anybody there," Johnson said. "I saw [Guzman] running there. I thought it was going to be bang-bang. Jimmy had full speed, and I was just thinking of what could happen. I didn't want to stand there watching, so I just took off."

Righthander Jesus Colome then intentionally walked Chase Utley and Ryan Howard to load the bases for Jayson Werth. Colome walked Werth on four pitches to score Rollins and end the game.

"After he threw the eight straight balls, I wanted to make sure he threw something good to hit," Werth said. "After he threw the first-pitch ball, I was taking. I was going to make him throw a strike."

But it was Rollins' play that had the clubhouse talking.

Rollins? He left the clubhouse without a word.

"I told him, 'I don't know if I've seen that more than five times,' " said Geoff Jenkins, who went 3 for 5 with one RBI. "You have to have the speed first. You have to have instincts. And you have to have guts. If you get thrown out at third there, you're the goat. You have to know you can make it."

He made it. And it helped the Phillies avoid that slow-start talk for at least another day.

See more photos from the game at http://go.philly.com/photos.