WASHINGTON -- Wasnt all that long ago -- in 2008 and 2009, actually -- that the Washington Nationals were losing 100 games a season and finishing with the worst record in the majors. Look at them now. Already the NL East champions, the Nationals closed the regular season by securing home-field advantage throughout the post-season, beating the Philadelphia Phillies 5-1 Wednesday for their majors-high 98th victory. "Its quite an accomplishment," third baseman Ryan Zimmerman said. "Obviously winning the division was a goal and now weve done that and we have a chance to go do some stuff in the playoffs. This is a great season, a great team, a good group of guys, and we accomplished a lot that we should be proud of." He continued: "But we have a lot more to accomplish, hopefully." Fitted for hats with post-season patches before the game, the Nationals will open the playoffs on the road Sunday at the winner of Fridays wild-card game between Atlanta and St. Louis. Game 2 will also be at the wild-card winners stadium, before the best-of-five series shifts to Washington. A team from the nations capital hasnt participated in Major League Baseball action beyond the regular season since the Senators lost the 1933 World Series. The only downer Wednesday for the Nationals: Manager Davey Johnson missed the end of the game after feeling numbness in his left leg, leaving the dugout to get X-rays and treatment from a team doctor. Johnson -- at 69, the oldest skipper in the majors -- said he does not expect to have any trouble travelling or managing in the playoffs. Asked his level of concern about Johnson, Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo replied: "None." Otherwise, it was a festive day for the announced crowd of 37,075 and the Nationals (98-64), a club that only once had finished as high as third place since moving from Montreal in 2005. This is the first time the Expos/Nationals franchise has won its division in a complete season. Zimmerman hit his 25th homer of the season moments after the Teddy Roosevelt mascot won the fourth-inning Presidents Race at Nationals Park for the first time. Edwin Jackson (10-11) threw 6 2-3 innings to become the fifth member of the rotation with at least 10 wins. Rookie Tyler Moores 10th homer made him the seven player with at least that many. "I like where were sitting headed into the post-season," left fielder Jayson Werth said. He signed with Washington as a $126 million free agent before last season, leaving a Philadelphia club he helped win the 2008 World Series. This years Phillies finished third in the NL East at 81-81, ending a streak of nine consecutive winning seasons and five playoff appearances in a row. After the game, the Phillies announced they fired first base coach Sam Perlozzo, bench coach Pete Mackanin and hitting coach Greg Gross. Expect more switches to come. "Were definitely going to have some changes on our roster," Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said. "How many or what, I dont really know." His shortstop, Jimmy Rollins, praised the Nationals as "a talented team," but added that if the Phillies had been healthy this season, Washington would have been no better than a second-place club. Rollins sat out Wednesday, when Jackson gave up one run and six hits and left to a standing ovation, one of several on a muggy afternoon with the temperature in the 70s. "At this point, its fun facts for the organization," Jackson said about the teams win total. "But at this point, in the post-season, if you lose out, all that gets washed away." Teddys triumph ended a losing streak that drew attention even from the White House press secretary and Sen. John McCain. Teddy had lost more than 500 times since 2006, when the Nationals began holding races among 10-foot-tall foam renderings of Roosevelt, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln at home games. Zimmerman then led off the bottom of the fourth with a solo shot, Washingtons first scoring off Cliff Lee (6-9). Asked whether hed been inspired by the outcome of the mascot race, Zimmerman rolled his eyes. "I am so glad Teddy won, so we can stop talking about Teddy. People get more excited for a mascot race than a game," Zimmerman said, before adding in a voice drenched with sarcasm: "Yes, Im excited Teddy won. Im ecstatic." The next hitter, Michael Morse, doubled and eventually scored. In the eighth, Morse added his 18th homer, a two-run shot off reliever Jonathan Papelbon that drew a curtain call. Morse got treatment after the game for a sore left hamstring, which bothered him on his home run trot. Lee, who finished with a losing record for the first time since 2007, departed after the sixth. He allowed eight hits and three runs, didnt walk a batter and struck out seven. In the eighth, Papelbon lost control of a breaking pitch that buzzed near Zimmermans head, drawing boos from the stands. Papelbon wound up walking Zimmerman, who tipped his cap in reaction to loud cheers as he walked to the dugout, replaced on first base by pinch-runner Bryce Harper. Morse followed with a drive to right-centre. The 19-year-old Harper and first baseman Adam LaRoche were out of the starting lineup -- a chance to get a breather before the grind of the post-season begins. "Theres no point to go out there and try to do a little extra, try to play a little harder. For whatever reason in baseball, that has a tendency to work in reverse," LaRoche said. "What weve done up to this point has obviously been good enough." NOTES: By virtue of the NLs victory in the All-Star game, the leagues representative gets home-field advantage against the AL in the World Series. ... The seasons total attendance of 2,370,794 -- an average of 30,010 -- was nearly 50,000 higher than the previous high at Nationals Park, in 2008, the first season at the new ballpark. ... Philadelphia 1B Darin Ruf delivered a sac fly in the fourth. He has driven in all eight Phillies runs in their last four games against Washington. ... Phillies RHP Tyson Brummett made his major league debut in the eighth, allowing two singles and striking out two batters. ... The Phillies nine winning seasons matched a team record set from 1975-83. They went 81-81 in 1984. wholesale jerseys . For a player that was looked upon derisively by Raptors fans only 11 weeks ago, his turnaround (as a result of his strong play all summer) has been as swift as has been thorough. Its hard to encounter anyone who has watched Valanciunas this summer who has not come away impressed by the ultra-aggressive seven-footer. cheap nfl jerseys . Florida has the greatest odds of winning the NHLs Draft lottery, a weighted system to determine the order of selection for the first 14 picks of the leagues amateur draft on June 30. http://www.cheapjerseyssafe.com/ . As a result, hes 2-0 on the young season and his Cincinnati Reds are back on track after a brief detour. cheap jerseys from china .A. Dickey has seen too much go wrong at Turner Field to believe he can waltz to an easy win. wholesale nfl jerseys . Two superstars in the game head-to-head on a billboard and then on the field.(Sports Network) - A two-week road trip doesnt usually serve as a big motivator, but for the Senators it could represent a great chance to move in front in the Northeast Division. An encounter with the surging Ducks could put a damper on those plans. Ottawa aims for a sixth consecutive road win this afternoon against an Anaheim club that has points in seven straight. The Senators have opened up a six-game swing with victories in Toronto and San Jose, making them 7-0-4 in their past 11 away from Ottawa. The Sens are coming off a 4-1 win at San Jose on Thursday, their sixth victory in seven games and 10th in the past 12 overall. Ottawa sits a point behind Boston for the top spot in the division and the Bruins are hosting the New York Rangers on Saturday. Colin Greening scored twice versus the Sharks and Craig Anderson turned aside 36 shots. Kyle Turris and Erik Karlsson also scored in Ottawas first win at San Jose since Oct. 18, 2003. The Sens will try to keep that momentum going as they stay out west in Anaheim, Los Angeles and Phoenix before a trip to Boston after hosting the All-Star Game. "Were very confident right now. This shows were a very good road team. Youve got to be able to get points on the road, especially when were coming on the West Coast," said Greening, who also gave a lot of credit to Anderson for the victory. Daniel Alfredsson, who wiill serve as one of the captains for next weekends All-Star Game, had an assist after notching a goal and a helper in Toronto.dddddddddddd Anaheim could end up being one of Ottawas more difficult stops seeing as the Ducks have won three straight and are 6-0-1 in their past seven games. They picked up a fourth straight home win with Wednesdays 6-2 triumph over the Coyotes. The third line of Jason Blake, Nick Bonino and Andrew Cogliano clicked versus Phoenix. Blake had a goal and an assist and Bonino and Cogliano ended with two assists each. "Our third line has been very productive, and thats been vital to us," said defenseman Francois Beauchemin, who had a pair of goals and a helper to lead the offense from the blueline. "Its our defense, though, that has been playing very well. It all starts in the defensive zone. We create offense off our defense." Niklas Hagman, Corey Perry and Matt Beleskey all lit the lamp for the Ducks, who are still 13 points out of a playoff spot. Jonas Hiller made 25 saves. Anaheim, which is on its longest point streak since also going 6-0-1 from Nov. 3-14, 2010, earned a 2-1 shootout in Ottawa last year in the only meeting between the clubs. The Ducks have won four of their past five versus the Senators overall, but Ottawa is 4-2-0 with a pair of ties in its past eight trips to Anaheim. cheap nfl jerseys wholesale jerseys ' ' '