While the Phillies were closing out a seven-game homestand Thursday, Roy Oswalt was aboard a Houston-to-Washington flight so he would be ready to put his talented and expensive right arm on display for his new team Friday against the Nationals.
Oswalt landed on the fastest runway, the one where a hot pursuit of the NL East-leading Atlanta Braves is taking place.
The Phillies extended their winning streak to eight games Thursday with a 3-2 win over Arizona in 11 innings at Citizens Bank Park.
Coupled with Atlanta's loss to Washington earlier, the Phillies pulled to within 21/2 games of the Braves. Last Friday, the Phils were seven games behind Atlanta.
For the second straight game, it was the bottom of the lineup that got the job done for the Phillies, who have won 11 in a row at home. With one out in the 11th inning, Wilson Valdez singled home Cody Ransom with the winning run.
Valdez, who had three hits, also turned two double plays to help starter Kyle Kendrick make it into the seventh inning for his second straight quality start.
"We've been winning close games and that's good because you learn a lot about how to play," manager Charlie Manuel said. "But we can make it a little better."
The Phils certainly could have made it better in the ninth inning, when they squandered a 2-1 lead.
Rather than give inconsistent Brad Lidge the save opportunity, Manuel played the matchup game. It didn't go as planned because Arizona's Justin Upton began the ninth with a double. Manuel then turned to lefty J.C. Romero to face the Diamondbacks' lefty hitters. But Adam LaRoche singled and Upton scored the tying run on a grounder by Miguel Montero.
Valdez, playing shortstop, made a great pivot for an inning-ending double play with the bases loaded.
Afterward, Manuel reiterated that Lidge, who pitched a 1-2-3 10th inning, is his closer.
"I've always said he's our closer and he is," Manuel said. "I don't want to be playing games with him. I kind of like what we did tonight with this matchup stuff, but at the same time I don't plan on doing it a whole lot. More than likely, he's going to be starting the ninth inning. In my mind, when you get right down to it, he's always been our closer."
Kendrick gave the Phils a second straight quality start. He played the part of an escape artist early in the game.
