Dodgers 4, Nats 3

The boys scratched out a run on a sac fly by Ethier in the seventh inning, and Broxton and Saito set down the final six in a row, getting a win for Billingsley. Billingsley improved to 9-4, and for all the criticism this guy has taken for deep counts, high pitch totals and short outings, he has really had a pretty good first full season in the bigs. Saito, who has been as good these past few appearances as he has been in the two years he has been here, got his 36th save, moving him past Todd Worrell for the sixth-highest single-season total in franchise history, and he tied Charlie Hough for ninth place on the career franchise list with 60. He has now converted 13 save opportunities in a row and has allowed just one run in 12 1/3 innings this month. Dodgers go to 69-63 and pick up a game in the division because the Pods beat the Snakes. Dodgers are now 4 1/2 behind the Snakes and 3 1/2 behind the Pods. As for the wild card, still 3 1/2 behind the Pods and half a game behind the Phils.