PHILADELPHIA -- Jimmy Rollins was just hoping for a chance. When Cesar Hernandez provided that opportunity, he made the most of it. Rollins hit a tying RBI double and scored on Carlos Ruizs single in Philadelphias two-run eighth inning, helping the Phillies edge the Washington Nationals 3-2 on Monday night. Hernandez started the winning rally with a two-out walk against Tyler Clippard (6-3). He came around to score on Rollins double. "I was really hoping (Hernandez got on base) so I could get up there and have a chance to do something," Rollins said. "We put some at-bats together and it worked out." After Chase Utley was walked intentionally, Ruiz drove in Rollins with a single to left. B.J. Rosenberg (1-0) recorded the final out of the eighth for the win and Jonathan Papelbon finished for his 24th save in 30 chances. "That was really a tough one; it really hurt," Nationals manager Davey Johnson said. "It was like a stab in the heart." The Nationals put runners on the corners with one out in the ninth, but Wilson Ramos was called out on strikes and Anthony Rendon struck out swinging to end the game. Ryan Zimmerman homered for Washington, which had won nine of 12. The Nationals fell 7 1/2 games back of Cincinnati for the second NL wild card. "We had opportunities . but we couldnt get it done," Johnson said. The Nationals took a 2-1 lead in the eighth on Scott Hairstons bases-loaded sacrifice fly that scored Rendon. Hernandez, a converted infielder who was playing his first career game in centre, fielded the ball in shallow centre field but his throw went weakly up the third-base line. Philadelphia left-hander Cole Hamels and Washington right-hander Stephen Strasburg each pitched well before turning a tie game over to the bullpens. "It was quite a pitchers battle," Phillies interim manager Ryne Sandberg said. Hamels struck out eight in seven sharp innings, limiting the Nationals to one run and two hits. He threw 87 pitches, 69 for strikes. Hamels has a 1.90 ERA in his last seven starts but has just two wins during that span. The left-handers record stands at 6-13, thanks partly to the fourth-lowest run support (3.44) among all major league starters entering Mondays action. The performance was somewhat surprising considering Hamels struggled to find his rhythm in his pregame bullpen session. "Sometimes later in the year its hard to get loose," he said. But facing Strasburg helped, he said. "Anytime you get to compete against the best, you try to up your game," Hamels said. "You try to throw zeroes just like hes doing. I definitely would take pitching against him more often than not because you feel like you really do have to strive for perfection." Strasburg fanned 10 while giving up an unearned run and two hits in six innings. He threw 100 pitches, 64 for strikes. The right-hander said he struggled maintaining his grip on the ball on a humid evening that began with a gametime temperature of 81 degrees. "I was sweating a lot out there," he said. "It affected me not being able to pitch more innings. Strange circumstances but I have to be able to deal with it. It was tough gripping the ball like I usually do." Zimmerman connected on an 0-2 pitch in the first for his 16th homer. Washington got just two baserunners off Hamels from that point, with Ramos reaching on an error in the fifth and Bryce Harper singling in the sixth. Strasburg was equally stingy. His only blemish was Ruizs broken-bat RBI single in the fourth that scored Rollins, who had walked. It was an unearned run because Rollins reached second when Ramos throw trying to pick him off at first hit Utleys bat and went to the backstop. Strasburgs record, like Hamels, isnt indicative of how well he has pitched. Strasburg has a 2.41 ERA in his last six starts but has just one win during the stretch. The teams combined to use seven relievers after the starters left. NOTES: Johnson said Harper has a sore hip. "He keeps saying, Im fine, Im fine. Hes a tough kid," Johnson said. "Thats the way he is." Harper missed 31 games with a left knee injury earlier this season. ... Hairston entered with a .412 average (14 for 34) and five homers against Hamels, but went 0 for 3 with three strikeouts against the lanky lefty. ... The three-game series continues Tuesday night when Washington LHP Gio Gonzalez (8-6, 3.56 ERA) opposes RHP Ethan Martin (2-3, 6.39 ERA). ... INF Freddy Galvis and RHP Tyler Cloyd were among the six players the Phillies called up from Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Philadelphia also recalled relievers Luis Garcia, Mauricio Robles and Joe Savery, and purchased the contract of C Cameron Rupp from Lehigh Valley. Luis Gonzalez Jersey . He wants to seize that opportunity. 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The Toronto left-hander seemed far removed from his breakout season of 2010, when he posted a team-high 15 wins despite not making the 25-man roster out of camp. Instead, he was fresh off two years of disappointment. Hed bounced back and forth between the Blue Jays and Triple-A, going a combined 6-15 while getting demoted from the rotation. Cecil knew that if he didnt show improvement, his days in Toronto would be numbered. "There was a big discussion before the beginning of spring last year whether he was even going to make the team," Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said Saturday. That doubt forced the 6-foot-1, 215-pound Cecil to make a change. He began throwing a weighted baseball during pitching drills to help strengthen his arm and build velocity. It worked. After several strong outings, Cecil was informed in the final days of camp that hed made the final cut. As a reliever, in fact. Cecil took advantage of that opportunity and went 5-1 with a 2.82 ERA and one save. He was also picked as an American League All-Star for the first time. Cecil pitched in 60 games, striking out 70 in 60 2-3 innings. He signed a one-year, $1.3 million contract in the off-season. The 27-year-old Cecil said last years experience changed his mindset and made him appreciate what he has. "Completely different," he said. "Im fairly certain that I have a spot on the team. Obviously, I have to perform, but its a little bit more pressure taken off not being on the bubble." Though Cecil performed well early on in 2013, he began to wear down during the second half of the season. Extra work with the weighted-ball routine and the added stress of having to continuously prove himself took a toll on his body. In September, soreness developed in his shoulder and prematurely ended his season. "I just needed rest," Cecil said. "It was a combinattion of a different role, different workload and overdoing the ball program a little bit.dddddddddddd" Cecil said he is now completely healthy and understands where his limits are. He said it will be much easier to dial it back when he needs to instead of constantly going full-bore all the time. "I just dont want any red flags to be thrown up, but I am going to be a lot smarter about the time I take throwing," Cecil said. "When I feel like I really need the work, if I feel like I need to take a day, I said Im going to take a day." "(During batting practice on Friday) they told me I had 25 pitches, and I said I dont need 25 pitches, Ill do 20. If I can throw 20, Im sure I can get five more in a game down the road. I dont need that right now. I need 20 or so and that would be it. Right now, its just saving as many bullets as I can for August, September and, hopefully, October." Gibbons agreed and said it will take that approach from Cecil to help the bullpen succeed. "He had a heck of a year," Gibbons said. "Hes found a role, he likes that bullpen role and hes very good at it. The big thing is always going to be durability, because the good ones get used a lot. Hes got to be conscious of that. He can be a hero, but he also has to understand that to be good in this business." NOTES: Gibbons said LHP J.A. Happ will start the Blue Jays exhibition opener on Wednesday in Clearwater against the Philadelphia Phillies. ... RHP Liam Hendriks, claimed off waivers from the Baltimore Orioles on Friday, joined the team. ... Japanese-born SS Munenori Kawasaki said he will cheer for the Canadian mens hockey team during its Olympic gold-medal game against Sweden on Sunday. Kawasaki said he predicts a win for Canada, because his son, Issho, was born in Toronto last year. "I love Canada," Kawasaki said. "I think Canada wins 2-1. Yes, perfect. Sounds good. Lets go, Canada." ' ' '