Anthony Rendon continued his magical season by driving in good friend Trea Turner twice as the Washington Nationals beat the Philadelphia Phillies 4-1 on Tuesday afternoon, eliminating Bryce Harper and his teammates from postseason consideration.
The win lowered the Nationals’ magic number for a postseason berth to two. Washington (87-69) and Philadelphia (79-77) play the second game of a day-night doubleheader at 7:05 p.m. Tuesday.
If the Nationals win the second game and the Chicago Cubs lose Tuesday night at the Pittsburgh Pirates, Washington secures a spot in the National League wild card game on Oct. 1.
The Nationals broke a 1-1 tie with two runs in the sixth off Phillies reliever Nick Vincent.
Rendon drove in Turner with a sacrifice fly. Turner had reached on an infield single. Ryan Zimmerman added an RBI single for a 3-1 advantage.
Turner finished with three hits and scored two runs. Rendon later scored on a bases-loaded wild pitch by Phillies reliever Edgar Garcia in the eighth to make it 4-1.
Nationals starter Joe Ross allowed one run in four innings before giving way to Erick Fedde. It was Ross’s first outing since Sept. 2.
Fedde pitched a scoreless fifth before turning the ball over to Tanner Rainey (2-3), who also did not allow a run in the sixth and was credited with the win. Fernando Rodney pitched the seventh inning for Washington, Sean Doolittle threw a perfect eighth and Daniel Hudson got the save in the ninth.
None of the Washington relievers allowed a hit and Doolittle had his fastball clocked around 95 mph — encouraging news after he spent time on injured list this summer.
The Phillies took a 1-0 lead in the first as Cesar Hernandez led off with a walk and came around to score on a single by Jean Segura. The Nationals tied the game in the fourth as Turner led off with a double and scored on the first sacrifice fly by Rendon.
Rendon’s second sac fly, this time to Harper in right in the sixth, was his 124th RBI of the season as he makes a late run for National League MVP.
Harper singled once in four trips to the plate.
The series resumes Wednesday night with Anibal Sanchez (10-8, 3.91 ERA) slated to start against the Phillies’ Drew Smyly (4-7, 6.44 ERA).
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