October 2, 2005: Phillies win regular-season finale but fall short of playoffs

On the morning of October 2, 2005, the Philadelphia Phillies still had a chance at their first playoff berth since they won the National League pennant in 1993. Philadelphia trailed the Houston Astros by one game in the wild-card standings entering the final day of the regular-season schedule. A Phillies win in Washington, coupled with an Astros loss at home to the Chicago Cubs, would force a one-game playoff in Philadelphia on Monday, October 3.

Warm and sunny weather greeted the 36,491 fans who flocked to Robert F. Kennedy Stadium in Washington to witness the Sunday afternoon clash pitting the hometown Nationals against the playoff-hopeful Phillies. The Nationals were completing a successful first season in Washington after relocating from Montreal. Even though the Phillies had won the first two games of the series, the Nationals were guaranteed no worse than a .500 record, a 14-game improvement over their last season in Montreal. And Sunday’s crowd swelled the season attendance past 2.7 million. As the Nationals took the field in the top of the first, the supportive fans gave their team a standing ovation.1

Héctor Carrasco was pegged by the Nationals to start his fifth game of the season. The 35-year-old Carrasco, almost exclusively a reliever in what turned out to be a 12-season big-league career,2 was thrust into a starting role late in the season after appearing in 59 games in relief. In his prior three starts, he struck out 17 batters in 17 2/3 scoreless innings, and gained the win over the Florida Marlins on September 26 with six innings of two-hit pitching. Sunday’s contest was his second start at home.

The Phillies lineup facing Carrasco had experienced two major changes since Opening Day. In his third major-league season, 26-year-old Chase Utley had seized the everyday second-baseman position after Plácido Polanco was traded to the Detroit Tigers on June 8, and in early July Ryan Howard was recalled from the minors to play first base in place of the injured Jim Thome. The 25-year-old Howard had connected on 22 home runs in just 87 games, including homers in the first two games of the series.

Carrasco breezed through the first three innings without allowing a baserunner. He struck out Utley to end the first inning and opposing starter Jon Lieber to end the third.

Lieber, whose 16 wins so far in 2005 included an Opening Day victory over the Nationals, was starting his 35th game for the Phillies. The 35-year-old righty allowed three baserunners in the first two innings but Washington could not push across any runs. Jamey Carroll stroked a one-out single in the first and moved to second on a wild pitch, but was stranded when Lieber struck out José Guillén and Nick Johnson looking. In the second, rookie third baseman Ryan Zimmerman, appearing in his 20th big-league game four days after his 21st birthday, doubled down the left-field line and advanced to third on a groundout. Gary Bennett was intentionally walked but Carrasco struck out swinging.

Jimmy Rollins led off the Phillies’ fourth with a groundball single to right, extending his franchise-record hitting streak to 36 games. The hit, one of two in the game for Rollins, added to the run that began on August 23 with a ninth-inning double against San Francisco Giants reliever Brian Cooper. “It was something that fell upon me,” Rollins said. “It was a blessing to be part of.”3 The two-year streak reached 38 before ending, and as of 2025 stood as the eighth longest hitting streak in major-league history.

Rollins advanced to second on Kenny Lofton’s grounder. Utley struck out but reached first on a wild pitch as Rollins scooted to third. Cleanup hitter Bobby Abreu hit a fly ball to center and Rollins raced home for a 1-0 lead. 

Philadelphia expanded its lead in the fifth. Backup catcher Todd Pratt, playing in place of regular Mike Lieberthal, slapped a two-out single past Zimmerman. Lieber walked on five pitches, then Rollins hammered a double to right that scored Pratt and sent Lieber to third. Lofton followed with a double to center that plated two, making the score 4-0.

Lieber continued to throw shutout ball through the fifth. He walked Zimmerman in the fourth and surrendered a two-out double to Brad Wilkerson in the fifth, but both runners were stranded.

Travis Hughes replaced Carrasco in the sixth and yielded the Phillies’ fifth run. Pat Burrell walked and Howard punched a single to left-center. David Bell’s grounder to first forced Howard at second. Pratt singled to left, Burrell scored, and Bell went to second. Lieber’s sacrifice advanced the runners and Rollins was intentionally walked to load the bases. Jon Rauch relieved Hughes and retired Lofton on a foul pop.

Washington broke through in the bottom of the sixth to narrow the score to 5-3. Guillén doubled to left and Johnson walked. Zimmerman struck out, then center fielder Ryan Church drove a 1-and-0 pitch into the upper deck in right field.4 Deivi Cruz singled, but Bennett bounced into a double play.5

Neither team scored in the seventh. While the Washington fans were supporting their team, the Philadelphia fans in attendance were keeping one eye on the scoreboard for information on the game in Houston. When the screen flashed an update showing that Chicago had taken a lead in the sixth, they broke into a “Let’s go, Cubs” cheer.6

Ugueth Urbina, who joined the Phillies in the Polanco trade, replaced Lieber on the mound in the eighth. Guillén drove a 2-and-0 pitch to left for a double and Johnson smashed the first pitch he saw to left-center, sending Guillén to third. Zimmerman struck out swinging, then with lefty-swinging Church due up, manager Charlie Manuel summoned closer Billy Wagner for a four-out save.7

Philadelphia had acquired Wagner from Houston after the 2003 season. The southpaw was pleased when informed of the trade. “I’m excited about coming to Philadelphia. … I think it’s a good fit,” he said.8 Several nagging injuries limited Wagner to 21 saves in 2004, but he rebounded in 2005, finishing 70 of the 75 games in which he appeared. The 34-year-old Wagner was due to hit free agency after the season, and Phillies general manager Ed Wade stressed his desire to retain him. “A huge priority,” he said.9

Nationals manager Frank Robinson sent Marlon Byrd in to pinch-hit for Church. Byrd, who played his first three years in Philadelphia and was traded to Washington in May, struck out swinging on a blistering fastball from Wagner.10

Gary Majewski had pitched a scoreless eighth for the Nationals, but ran into trouble in the top of the ninth. Utley and Abreu stroked back-to-back doubles and Burrell walked. Howard followed with a line-drive single to right, plating Abreu with the seventh run and sending pinch-runner Endy Chávez to third.

Darrell Rasner replaced Majewski and plunked Bell with his second pitch, loading the bases. Pratt and Wagner fanned, then Robinson summoned closer Chad Cordero. Cordero worked the count to 2-and-2 before hitting Rollins with a pitch, forcing in the eighth run. On the next pitch, Lofton singled to drive in Howard. Joey Eischen – the fourth Nationals’ pitcher of the inning and seventh of the game – replaced Cordero and struck out Utley to end the inning.

Wagner retired the Nationals in order in the bottom of the ninth to close out the 9-3 win and post his 38th save. It was the Phillies’ 88th win of the season, their most since they won 97 in 1993. But it turned out to be Wagner’s last game with the Phillies. While Philadelphia made a valiant effort to keep him, Wagner elected free agency and eventually signed a four-year contract with the New York Mets.

Nationals players and coaches gathered in front of the dugout after the game for hugs and handshakes to celebrate the season. Afterward, they tossed their gloves and hats into the stands as the appreciative fans rose for one last standing ovation. “It gave me goosebumps,” Cordero said.11

The Philadelphia players quickly retreated to the clubhouse to watch the end of the game in Houston. Trailing 4-3 in the sixth, the Astros scored three runs against Greg Maddux to go ahead to stay. Future Phillies closer Brad Lidge saved future Phillies starter Roy Oswalt’s 20th win. Astros second baseman Eric Bruntlett – another future Phil – hauled in a line drive for the game’s final out.

Once they received the disappointing news that they were officially eliminated from the playoffs, the Phillies’ clubhouse went mostly silent.

Later, Rollins spoke for the disheartened Philadelphia team. “You’re always going to look back and say, ‘We were one game short,’” he said.12

Acknowledgments

This article was fact-checked by Troy Olszewski and copy-edited by Len Levin.

Photo credit: Jimmy Rollins, Trading Card Database.

Sources

In addition to the sources cited in the Notes, the author consulted Baseball Reference.com and Retrosheet.org for information including the box score and play-by-play.

https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/WAS/WAS200510020.shtml

https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/2005/B10020WAS2005.htm

Notes

1 Associated Press, “Phillies Do Their Part, but Learn Unhappy Fate,” Easton (Maryland) Star-Democrat, October 3, 2005: B3.

2 Of Carrasco’s 647 career appearances, only 10 were starts.

3 Jonny Heller, “Remembering Jimmy Rollins’ Unbelievable 38-Game Hitting Streak,” www.philliesnation.com, November 10, 2020, https://www.philliesnation.com/2020/11/remembering-jimmy-rollins-unbelievable-38-game-hitting-streak/.

4 Associated Press, “Phillies Do Their Part, but Learn Unhappy Fate.”

5 It was the final game of Cruz’s nine-season major-league career.

6 “Phillies Do Their Part, but Learn Unhappy Fate.”

7 It was the final game of Urbina’s 11-season major-league career. On November 7, he was arrested in his native Venezuela for attempted murder. He was convicted in 2007 and sentenced to 14 years and 7 months in prison. He was released from prison in 2012.

8 Todd Zolecki, “Phillies Close Deal for a Bullpen Ace,” Philadelphia Inquirer, November 4, 2003: F1.

9 Paul Hagen, “Phillies Facing Decisions on Wagner and at First Base,” Philadelphia Daily News, October 3, 2005: 124.

10 “Phillies Do Their Part, but Learn Unhappy Fate.”

11 “Phillies Do Their Part, but Learn Unhappy Fate.”

12 Marcus Hayes, “Near in the Headlights,” Philadelphia Daily News, October 3, 2005: 126.