PHILADELPHIA -- Phillies manager Gabe Kapler has maintained an everything-is-OK persona the past few weeks as his club slipped below the Braves in the National League East standings.
But the way he managed Wednesday night's 8-6 victory over the Nationals at Citizens Bank Park suggested he knows time is running short on the Phillies' postseason chances, particularly following a few weeks of bad losses. Kapler emptied the bullpen following a three-inning effort by starter Jacob Arrieta to help secure the victory in the series finale, although he said afterward that Thursday's off-day and Saturday's roster expansions had everything to do with his aggressive use of the eight-man bullpen.
"We were playing to win tonight's game," Kapler said. "We figured that we would think about the day after the off-day when we got there."
The victory moved the Phillies within 3 1/2 games of the first-place Braves in the NL East. They are 2 1/2 games back of the Brewers for the second NL Wild Card.

Perhaps it gets them going.
Perhaps it starts a run that puts a few more skeptical fans in the ballpark.
"Really? Really? We've got 30 games," Arrieta said, when told that some outsiders had turned the page on the team's season following a tough loss on Tuesday. "We're trying to win every game; that doesn't mean we're going to. To count us out already just because this team has lost 100 games the past several years, like that's ridiculous. We got plenty of time."
If the Phillies hit like they did on Wednesday, they could turn things around. First baseman Carlos Santana has not performed as expected this season, but he crushed a two-out grand slam to center field in the fifth inning for a 6-5 lead. Jose Bautista, whom the club acquired in a trade on Tuesday, hit a two-out RBI single to center field in the seventh to give the Phils a 7-6 lead.
"We never think negative," Santana said.
"Can't complain about the day," Bautista said. "Got the win, played well. Good day."
The Phillies used seven relievers total and six to get through the final four innings. Right-hander Pat Neshek started the eighth, allowing a single to Wilmer Difo. Left-hander Luis Avilan entered and walked pinch-hitter Bryce Harper.

Kapler then went to right-hander Tommy Hunter, leaving only lefty Adam Morgan in the 'pen. Hunter not only worked out of the jam in the eighth, but he pitched a perfect ninth to pick up his third save.
"You need to win every one," Hunter said. "But a must-win? I can't really tell you it was a must-win game. I think he's been managing like this since April. Every game's a must-win, and I think that's something that a lot of guys have bought into in this clubhouse. He's got a way that he's doing things, and it works. It's been working often, actually."
Little has been working lately, but the Phillies still have time. They have 29 games, actually.
"Sometimes it can be hard to turn the page when you've suffered losses like we have in the past couple weeks," Arrieta said. "It hasn't been fun, but we're still showing up ready to go, and that's exactly what I anticipate for the remainder of the season, for guys to show up with the intent to gain ground in our division with a chance to still win it."
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Finally a Slamtana: Santana hit a two-out grand slam in the fifth inning to hand the Phillies a 6-5 lead. It has been a rough year for Santana, who signed a three-year, $60 million contract in the offseason. He entered the game with the lowest batting average (.220), on-base percentage (.348), OPS (.752), OPS+ (100), fWAR (1.1), wRC+ (104) and wOBA (.328) of his career. Perhaps his third-career slam kick-starts a strong finish.

"I mean I'm happy every day," Santana said. "If you're healthy and you can play, I'm happy every day. I know I've had a little struggle, but I'm focused to finish strong and try to help my team."
Jake doesn't have it: Arrieta singled to score two runs in the second inning, but he allowed four runs in the third to give the Nats a 4-2 lead. Arrieta did not return, tying a May 18 start in St. Louis for his shortest of the season. Arrieta got just one swing and miss on 75 pitches, only the third time in his career he got one whiff in a start. Arrieta has a 6.30 ERA (14 earned runs in 20 innings) in his last four starts.

"The effort I gave tonight wasn't acceptable," Arrieta said. "I expect a lot more as well as my teammates do from my starts. That's frustrating. But winning that game is a relief, especially moving into an off-day with a really good Chicago team coming in here to play this weekend. Reboot tomorrow, enjoy the off-day and be ready for the weekend."
YOU GOTTA SEE THIS
Phillies center fielder Roman Quinn went 3-for-5 with a triple, scoring an insurance run in the eighth inning. He also made a nice catch on the warning track to end the game. Quinn is hitting .520 (13-for-25) in his last eight games. He has five multi-hit games in his last six starts. Quinn's home-to-third time on the triple (10.57 seconds) is the Phillies' fastest since Statcast™ was introduced in 2015. It is the seventh-fastest time overall.

"He's bringing so much to the table right now," Kapler said. "Obviously, we'll examine what the Cubs are bringing to the table and we'll make those decisions, but certainly he has earned a good long look."
SOUND SMART
Phillies right-hander Hector Neris struck out the only two batters he faced in the sixth. He has struck out 18 of 28 batters faced since being recalled from Triple-A Lehigh Valley earlier this month. He has allowed three hits and one walk in eight scoreless innings.

"We make mistakes and we go through tough times, but the guy that we see right now is the guy that's been here for the last two years, three years, four years, whatever it was," Hunter said. "The guy's a stud. I mean, he's a closer."
UP NEXT
After an off-day on Thursday, Phillies right-hander Nick Pivetta (7-10, 4.76 ERA) will start the opener of a three-game series against the Cubs at 7:05 p.m. ET on Friday at Citizens Bank Park. Lefty Jose Quintana (11-9, 4.33 ERA) starts for Chicago in the MLB Network Showcase Game. Pivetta has allowed 11 earned runs in 10 1/3 innings over his previous two starts.