Jonathan Ernst / Reuters

Nationals closer Chad Cordero (R) celebrates a save against the Phillies with teammate Brian Schneider.

At least Geary didn’t do any more damage. Pinch-hitter Ryan Church swung at the first pitch, grounding into a 4-6-3 double play to end the inning. Kyle Lohse made his first relief appearance of the season, throwing a perfect seventh, before Kane Davis allowed two more runs in the eighth.

Still, no regrets for Manuel, whose 2005 and 2006 Phillies clubs barely missed the playoffs.

“We couldn’t hold them,” he said. “We’ll bounce back.”

For quite some time, the Nationals’ season has been about more modest goals, such as trying to play .500 ball each month or trying to avoid a fourth consecutive last-place finish.

On Sunday, the goal was a victory to say goodbye to their fans for this season and to this stadium forever.

The ballpark hosted the Senators from 1962-71, and has been the Nationals’ home since they moved from Montreal and brought baseball back to the nation’s capital in 2005. The occasion drew a crowd of 40,519 — the Nationals’ largest this season — who got to cheer the club’s 122nd win over three years at RFK, against 121 losses.

“All these people didn’t show up to every game. Today was a very special day for them, and I could tell. They stuck around for everything,” Acta said.

He was referring to the postgame ceremonies, when fans were given game-worn jerseys, before Acta and team owner Ted Lerner helped dig out home plate, which will be taken a few miles away to what is being called Nationals Park until the naming rights are sold.

And Acta was referring to the game’s tenuous finish, when closer Chad Cordero allowed a run and put two other men on before striking out Werth with the ol’ ballpark’s final pitch to complete his 36th save.

“You don’t want to leave RFK on a bad note,” Cordero said. “To be able to go out there and get this win, it really means a lot to us.”

Notes: Luis Ayala (2-2) earned the win. ... Phillies 1B Ryan Howard tied the major league record for strikeouts in a season, getting rung up for the 195th time in the fourth inning. ... The stadium was originally called D.C. Stadium, but was renamed in honor of Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy in 1969. His daughter, Courtney, attended Sunday’s game.

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