PHILADELPHIA - The Phillies slipped past a gritty Washington Nationals team, 3-2, on Sunday, clinching the rubber match of the three-game series.

They will head to New York up seven games on the Mets with 32 games to play after the Braves edged the Mets, 4-3, on Sunday. The calendar is in the Phillies’ favor.

Cristopher Sanchez takes the ball in the opener against the Mets’ Kodai Senga.

“They’re all big,” said Phillies manager Rob Thomson. “Every game is big from here on out. The Mets have a good club, and (the Nationals) played us tough. They’ve been playing good baseball, but the Mets have a good club too and we have to go in and pay attention to every detail and play hard.”

The Phillies were notably down seven games with 17 to go in 2007 and ran down the Mets for the division titl

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