It's been a weekend of tough news for the Phillies. Zack Wheeler hit the 15-day IL due to a blood clot, and there was a brief scare for newly-acquired star closer, Jhoan Duran. That didn't stop the Phils from rebounding against the Nationals following their 2nd offensive blank in 4 games.
Phillies scrape past the Nats
Much has been said about the Phillies' offense in recent weeks, but the bats came out firing against Washington on Sunday. 5 runs were scored in the 2nd inning alone, adding to a Trea Turner run in the first. Turner would then single in the second, opening the floodgates for his teammates to follow.
Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber both registered hits in that early window, bringing Turner home for the second time in as many innings, before an Alec Bohm homer brought home both teammates. It was his first homer since July 5th, and his 8th of 2025.
With the scoring busted open and Washington needed a monumental comeback, the odds looked slim for the Nats. But a returning Aaron Nola looked a little shaky at times, giving the team a lifeline. As if by some fateful spell, Washington punched in 6 runs that following inning, making a statement and ending Nola's night very early. He ended up pitching just 2.1 innings, giving up 6 runs and striking out 4.
It took a village, but once Nola was pulled and the Phils returned with a committee effort of their own, things soon quietened down. Matt Strahm, Tanner Banks, and Joe Ross were able to stop the bleeding, combining for just 2 hits allowed through the remainder of the game, and so long as the Phils' bats could stay hot, a victory was likely.
That's exactly what happened. After a bump in the scoring in the 4th, a Nick Castellanos homer silenced the critics by punching in solo-homer number 16 of the season two innings later, giving Philadelphia a 9-6 lead. Two more runs came in the 8th inning as a result of a Bryce Harper single, bringing in Turner for a third time, before a Harrison Bader Sac-Fly brought home Casty for his second run of the night.
The game looked to be sealed, but the Nats had other plans. Paul DeJong homered on Max Lazar to make it a two-run game, giving the Phillies a scare. Luckily, that's all it turned out to be.
The Phillies did well to outpace a rocky night at the mound from Aaron Nola, especially with how hit-and-miss the offense has been as of late. But the game should not have been this close. With that said, the Phils maintain a 5-game lead over the Mets in the NL East, and will return home for a series with the Marlins starting tomorrow. Philadelphia is 37-21 at Citizens Bank Park this season.
Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-Imagn Images
