Kyle Kendrick delivered another outstanding start last night, throwing seven scoreless innings as the Phils topped the Nats 2-0. Ruf provided all of the offense the Phils would need in the game with two-run triple in the top of the second.

The Phillies had one base-runner after the fourth inning, which came on a two-out walk by Mayberry in the fifth.

After the game, Manuel suggested the Kendrick was in the rotation for 2013, barring some major acquisition.

The Nationals clinched the NL East during the game. Pittsburgh’s 2-1 win over Atlanta went final shortly after Brown grounded to second to end the top of the ninth.

The Phillies are 81-79 on the year after beating the Washington Nationals 2-0 last night. They are in the third place in the NL East, 15 games behind the first place Nats and have two games left to play. They have won three in a row.

Kendrick got the start for the Phillies and went seven shutout innings, allowing four hits and a walk. One of the hits went for extra-bases, a double. He struck out four and dropped his ERA on the year to 3.90.

Kendrick ended June with a 5.35 ERA for the season. From the start of July to the end of the year, he made 20 appearances (13 starts) in which he threw to a 2.64 ERA over 85 1/3 innings. Opponents hit just .215 against him in those outings.

He set the Nats down in order in the bottom of the first.

He started the second up 2-0. Michael Morse and Ian Desmond singled back-to-back with one out, putting men on first and second for Danny Espinosa. Espinosa went down on a soft ground ball to first for the second out, moving the runners up to second and third. Kendrick walked righty Kurt Suzuki to pitch to the pitcher John Lannan with the bases loaded. Lannan grounded to short to end the inning.

Washington went in order in the third and again in the fourth.

Suzuki singled to center with one out in the fifth. Lefty Roger Bernadina hit for Lannan and flew to center for the second out. With Jayson Werth at the plate, a wild pickoff attempt by Kendrick went for an error that allowed Bernadina to move up to third. Kendrick got Werth looking 2-2 to end the inning.

Kendrick’s throw to first wasn’t that bad. It looked like Wigginton got a little tangled up with the runner and had trouble trying to get to it.

Bryce Harper doubled to center to start the sixth. Ryan Zimmerman was next and hit a popup into shallow right field. Utley ran it down with his back to third, which allowed Harper to move up to third with one out. Adam LaRoche was next and Kendrick got the lefty on a popup to Martinez at short for the second out. Harper held third and was left there when Kendrick struck Morse out looking 3-2.

Kendrick gets out of one out, a man on third and the lefty LaRoche at the plate. He made a beautiful pitch to Morse that tailed in to catch the outside of the plate to end the inning.

Second time in two innings that Kendrick strikes out a good hitter with runners on for the third inning.

Kendrick threw a 1-2-3 seventh.

De Fratus started the eighth. Switch-hitter Steve Lombardozzi hit for the pitcher Ryan Mattheus and flew to left for the first out. Werth followed with a single to left and moved up to second when Harper walked behind him. Zimmerman flew to center for the second out on a nice diving play by Mayberry. Horst came in to face the lefty LaRoche and struck LaRoche out swinging to leave the runners stranded.

Mayberry saves the day and keeps the Nats off the board with the diving catch.

De Fratus faces four batters. He got two outs, one on a line drive to left and the other on a diving play by Mayberry that easily could have gone for a hit. The other two batters reached on a single and a walk. He hasn’t throw a full inning in any of his last four outings.

Horst strikes out the only batter he faces in the game, dropping his ERA on the year to 1.19. Lefties are hitting 178/260/200 against him for the season.

Aumont set righties Morse and Desmond down to start the ninth and got the switch-hitter Espinosa on a ground ball to second to end the game.

Aumont earned career save number two with the 1-2-3 frame.

Overall the pen goes two scoreless innings, allowing a hit and a walk while striking out two. De Fratus threw 15 pitches and Horst and Aumont were both under ten. Nobody has thrown more than one day in a row.

The Phillies lineup against lefty John Lannan went (1) Frandsen (2) Mayberry (3) Utley (4) Ruiz (5) Wigginton (6) Brown (7) Ruf (8) Martinez. Wow. That’s lacking some of the elements you would hope to see in a starting lineup (example: major league players). Rollins on the bench with Martinez at short. Wigginton at first for the sidelined Howard. Ruf in left. Frandsen leads off against the lefty with Mayberry hitting second.

Frandsen singled to left to start the top of the first, but Mayberry hit into a double-play behind him. Utley flew to left for the third out.

Ruiz started the second with a walk. Utley popped out for the first out before Brown moved Ruiz up to second with a single to center. It brought Ruf to the plate with two men on and he blasted a ball to left-center, just out of the reach of Harper as Harper crashed into the wall. It went for a triple and both runners scored to put the Phils up 2-0. Martinez grounded to second with Ruf holding for the second out. Kendrick struck out swinging for the third.

Another big hit for Ruf. Martinez can’t bring the runner home from third with one out.

Frandsen singled again to start the third and again Mayberry grounded into a double-play behind him. Utley fouled out to Zimmerman at third for the third out.

Mayberry hits into his second double-play in two at-bats, erasing Frandsen’s single for the second time.

Wigginton singled with one out in the fourth. Brown followed with a triple that put runners on second and third with one out for Ruf. The lefty Lannan walked the already-tripled righty Ruf, loading the bases for Martinez. Martinez grounded to first. LaRoche fielded, tagged first for the second out and threw home to get Wigginton to complete the double-play.

Martinez again can’t get it done with a runner on third and less than two outs. If he doesn’t watch out he’s going to get a reputation as someone who’s not a great offensive player.

Brown 2-for-2 with a double in two at-bats against the lefty through four innings. He ends the day at 191/291/340 against lefties for the year in 55 plate appearances.

Mayberry walked with two outs in the fifth. Utley struck out to leave him at first.

Righty Craig Stammen started the sixth and struck out Ruiz, Wigginton and Brown in order.

He was back for the seventh and struck out Ruf, Martinez and Kendrick in order.

Stammen faces six batters in the game and strikes out all six.

Righty Ryan Mattheus set the Phils down in order in the eighth.

Righty Drew Storen set the Phillies down in order in the ninth.

Frandsen was 2-for-4 with two singles that were followed by Mayberry bouncing into a double-play. He is still hammering away at left-handed pitching. 403/431/548 for the year (in 65 plate appearances).

Mayberry 0-for-3 with a walk and hit into two double-plays. 3-for-his-last-31 with 11 strikeouts.

Utley 0-for-4. Made a very nice play on the popup for the first out in the bottom of the sixth, which changed the inning. 3-for-his-last-15 with three singles. 317/440/413 over his last 83 plate appearances. Prior to his 3-for-his-last-15 he had hit 354/493/479 over his last 67 plate appearances.

Ruiz 0-for-3 with a walk. Came into the game 5-for-his-last-9. 10-for-his-last-32 with two doubles and two home runs.

Wigginton 1-for-4. 211/281/349 over his last 196 plate appearances.

Brown 2-for-4 with a double. He’s 5-for-his-last-29 (.172).

Ruf 1-for-4 with a two-run triple and a walk. Career walk number one is intentional. 9-for-27 on the year with two doubles, a triple and a home run. 5-for-12 against lefties with a walk, three extra-base hits and seven RBI.

Martinez 0-for-3. He’s 7-for-his-last-24 (.292) and hitting .168 for the season.

BJ Rosenberg (1-2, 6.86) gets career start number one in a bullpen game tonight against lefty Gio Gonzalez (21-8, 2.89). Got ‘em right where we want ‘em. Rosenberg threw three innings his last time out, which was his longest outing of the year. Six of his 20 appearances at Triple-A this season came as a starter. Righty Tyson Brummett is on the active roster for the Phillies as of Sunday — Brummett made 44 appearances this year between Reading and Lehigh Valley, eight of which were starts. Righties are hitting .199 against Gonzalez for the year. It will be his fifth start against the Phils this season — 3-1 with a 2.52 ERA and a 1.08 ratio so far.

Update: Lefty Tom Gorzelanny and not Gonzalez tonight.