It must be tough having to drive all the way back to Philadelphia after losing a game to the Nationals — but that’s what Phillies’ fans had to do on Friday night, as Ryan Zimmerman and his teammates stunned baseball’s best team in a come-from-behind victory that was capped with a 9th inning walk-off grand slam home run. The 8-4 Washington victory was perhaps the most dramatic of the season for the Nationals, who trailed the Phillies going into the ninth, 4-2.

The evening started inauspiciously: a two hour twenty-two minute rain delay threatened to end the contest, and Livan Hernandez could not get untracked, giving up four runs on seven hits in four innings of work. But the Nationals bullpen (Tom Gorzelanny, Sean Burnett and Todd Coffey), held the Phillies to one hit in five innings. The Nationals came back to score one in the third and one in the fifth, but the game seemed over by the time the Nationals took their last at bats. That’s when the fun started.

Jayson Werth led off the ninth with a nose-in-the-dirt single off closer Ryan Madson. Danny Espinosa and Jonny Gomes then singled. Gomes’ seeing-eye grounder scored Werth. Wilson Ramos followed with a bunt that was nearly nabbed on the fly by Madson, that moved two runners into scoring position. Madson then walked pinch hitter Jesus Flores, before Ian Desmond’s bleeder into right field scored Danny Espinosa with the tying run.

The bases were jammed when Rick Ankiel struck out, which brought Zimmerman to the plate. Zimmerman battled Madson before putting his 3-2 offering into the left field seats for the walk-off grand slam. “For me to even get up to the plate to have that at-bat in that inning was unbelievable,” Zimmerman said following the victory. “Jayson had that great at-bat. Jonny had a great at-bat. Ian had a great at-bat.”

The Wisdom of Section 1-2-9: In the run-up to Friday night’s game, the Nationals put their best face on — with a scoreboard “Dick and Jane” ditty about how to behave “when you’re at the ballpark.” They do this at Fenway too, but they wait until the 7th inning, when most fans are so blitzed they can’t even see the scoreboard. “They have that up there because Phillies’ fans are here,” a Nats booster noted last night. “What they need to do is run it in Philadelphia . . . ”

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From time to time, our friends at NL East Chatter post the latest, best exchange between NL East rivals — with questions posed by bloggers for each team. This week, to mark the Phillies-Nats toe-to-toe match-up here at Nationals Park, I asked my colleague over at (the newly redesigned and ujpgraded) Phillies Phandom five questions about the ponies. He came back with what I thought were some pretty good, and interesting, answers. As those lovable Phuzzies are in town, I thought it might be useful to reprint the Q and A for the benefit of our worldwide audience.

Q: This question has been asked a thousand times, but needs to be asked again: if Brad Lidge can’t hold down the end of a game, who can? And can the Phillies survive the post-season without him?

A: Lidge is toast. He’s finished. I don’t know who can do the job, but my top choice is Brett Myers, who showed he could do it two years ago. Myers looks good so far working in late innings, but that doesn’t make him a surefire bet to be a great closer (See Ryan Madson). Chan Ho Park is another option, but he’s too valuable in the sixth and seventh innings. I hope to see J.C. Romero back before the end of the season because I think he has the mindset to close. But… all those options have question marks. This will be an issue from now until October.
 
Q: Cole Hamels seems to have found his stride: which is great news for the Phils in the playoffs — but is J.A. Happ now a better pitcher, and do you pitch him ahead of Hamels the rest of the way? And maybe Lee, Martinez, and Happ are your one-two-three-four in the playoffs. With Blanton there, Hamels sits. Who woulda thunk it.

A: This has been a great debate for weeks now. Here’s my 1-through-4 right now: Hamels, Lee, Blanton, Happ. Hamels, even though he’s been sub-par most of the year, is a proven winner in the playoffs. Lee, while he’s probably the better pitcher, doesn’t have two MVPs. Give Hamels the benefit of the doubt. Let him pitch Game 1 in a series, especially if he continues to pitch very well… Blanton is No. 3 because he’s been the team’s most consistent starter since May… Happ over Pedro at No. 4 because Pedro would be a valuable contributor out of the bullpen – a shutdown guy in the seventh inning perhaps (a la Randy Johnson years and years ago for the D-Backs). That’s the way the roations should set up, regardless of how each inidividual performs from now to the end of the regular season.
 
Q: The Phillies just got swept by the Astros in Houston and Charlie the Man said that his team looked complacent. With a six game lead in the East that’s what it looks like. What or who is going to get them going. And when?

I don’t know. They all feed off each other. Typically, it’s J-Roll that lights the fire, but in all honesty…Raul Ibanez is the big piece here. The guy is starting to turn the corner and get back on track. He was our best clutch performer for the first three months of the season. I think it will be a different-guy-a-night thing before the rollercoaster hits full stride. I’m concerned about the lack of hitting in key situations, but something tells me the Phillies will keep finding ways to win when it matters most. They are an all-or-nothing team and nothing will really change that. You just hope the ON switch is, uh, on come playoff time.
 
Q:  That bullpen sure is shaky: Chan Ho Park? Jamie Moyer? Too late now, you’ve got what you’ve got. But it’s going to take some management. Who can the Phillies count on in those vital middle innings?

I disagree. The bullpen is very strong (albeit banged up injury-wise) except for Brad Lidge. The Phillies’ pitching, in general, has been excellent since the All-Star break. The elephant in the room is Lidge and only Lidge. The rest of the guys are doing a good-to-great job. Hopefully, all of our walking wounded (Madson, Clay Condrey, Romero) will get 100 percent healthy before the postseason.

Q: If you had to do it all over, would you trade Michael Bourn for Brad Lidge?

Yes. I know Lidge has been absolutely dreadul this year, but nothing beats a World Series championship. And without Lidge, the greatest October in my lifetime would never have happened.