Phillies top Nationals again, have won 12 of 17

WASHINGTON - All of a sudden, the Phillies and Washington Nationals appear as though they have reversed roles.

The Phillies are playing like a team gearing up for the postseason, while the Nationals, at least against the Phillies, haven't resembled the team that began Saturday with the National League's best record.

A.J. Burnett allowed just one run in seven innings, as the Phillies beat the Nationals, 3-1, at Nationals Park.

The Phillies have won 12 of their last 17 games. With Burnett's win, they clinched the season series against the Nationals for the first time since 2010. The Phillies are 10-8, with only Sunday's game left.

This was also the Phillies' fifth consecutive win over the Nationals.

"This is about creating some momentum 21/2 weeks ago and building on that and continuing to build on that," manager Ryne Sandberg said. ". . . It's about character, about pride, and it is all there in the locker room."

The Phillies are 66-75 with 21 games left. So, the natural question is: Where was this kind of performance for much of the season?

"The only thing you can do is stay in the present," said Ryan Howard, whose two-run single in the third inning opened the scoring. "You can't change what happened, and all we can do is build now. That is it."

Burnett has had his ups and downs, but on this day he had a curveball that stayed down and was the difference.

"That is the best movement he has had on the ball this year and the best curveball," Sandberg said.

Burnett, who made his 400th career start, wasn't about to disagree with his manager.

"It was down, it was in the dirt," Burnett said about his curveball. "When it is in the dirt, it is my hook."

Burnett got the Phillies' first hit against starter Tanner Roark, a one-out single to right in the third inning. After Jimmy Rollins and Chase Utley singled to load the bases, Howard smacked a two-run base hit to right field on a 1-0 curveball, giving him 91 RBIs.

"I was looking for something up and basically kind of looking for a strike and put a good swing and was able to kind of hook it out to right field," Howard said.

Anthony Rendon's sacrifice fly to center in the fifth inning cut the lead to 2-1. Domonic Brown got that run back by belting a 3-0 fastball for a homer to right in the sixth, his ninth of the season.

Roark left after six innings. He allowed six hits in addition to the three runs, while striking out eight and walking one.

Burnett, who struck out four and walked two, departed after seven innings.

Ken Giles replaced Burnett and pitched a scoreless eighth inning, lowering his ERA to 1.16.

In the ninth, Nationals shortstop Ian Desmond led off with a single off Jonathan Papelbon. Bryce Harper struck out, and Wilson Ramos grounded into a game-ending double play, earning Papelbon his 35th save.

So, the Phillies are feeling good about themselves, regardless of the fact that it took them most of the season to get in gear.

"Even when we weren't [winning], everybody came here positive, and nobody quit, and that is what you are seeing now," Burnett said. "It is late, but it is good baseball."