updated 6:14 p.m. ET Sept. 23, 2007

WASHINGTON - His club lost a game on the field and lost ground in the standings Sunday, yet Philadelphia Phillies manager Charlie Manuel chose to look on the bright side: At least his top relievers got some rest for the stretch run.

The Washington Nationals, meanwhile, were thrilled to benefit from a bullpen blowup and beat the Phillies 5-3, a perfect send-off for the last major league game at RFK Stadium — and another chance to hurt a club fighting to make the playoffs.

“Definitely, our time is running out,” Manuel said. “Today’s game was a big one.”

Philadelphia entered having won nine of 10 games, but its loss, coupled with New York’s 7-6 victory at Florida in 11 innings, dropped the Phillies to 2½ games behind the first-place Mets in the NL East. Philadelphia stayed a half-game behind wild-card leader San Diego, which lost 7-3 to Colorado.

“Every pitch, every inning, every at-bat is important,” Phillies second baseman Chase Utley said.

The Phillies get Monday off, then finish with six games at home, three with the Atlanta Braves and then three with the Nationals.

“The day off is very important — especially to our relief pitchers,” Manuel said.

He finally gave his top three ’pen guys a rest Sunday, but it didn’t quite work out. Closer Brett Myers and setup men Tom Gordon and J.C. Romero all pitched the previous five days, so they were only going to be used if the Phillies led late.

Instead, Antonio Alfonseca and Geoff Geary came in when Cole Hamels was finished, and the Phillies failed to finish off a sweep.

Hamels made only his second start since being on the disabled list with a strained pitching elbow, and he was removed after 74 pitches, with Philadelphia ahead 2-1. He gave up a run on two hits and a walk in the first inning. His line the rest of the way? Four innings, zero runs, zero hits, six strikeouts.

When Hamels was lifted for a pinch-hitter in the sixth, Manuel said the decision was an easy one. No need even to consult the All-Star lefty.

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“We had it set up pretty good,” the manager said.

Hamels’ take?

“I definitely had 10 or 15 more pitches in me,” he said, adding that he didn’t feel it was his place to argue about being removed. “I know my body better than anybody else. That’s the whole point of asking.”

The Nationals went right to work on Alfonseca (5-2).

D’Angelo Jimenez led off with a double and took third when right fielder Jayson Werth failed to pick up the ball cleanly, drawing an error. A walk and an out later, Austin Kearns grounded a single up the middle to tie the game at 2. Alfonseca walked another batter to load the bases, and was lifted in favor of Geary.

How did Geary fare? He hit the first batter he faced, rookie Jesus Flores, to force in a run and put Washington ahead 3-2. Flores left the game with a bruised left elbow and was listed as day to day.

“That’s probably the most beneficial hit-by-pitch he has gotten in his short career,” Nationals manager Manny Acta said.

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