Phillies rally past Nationals 7-6, complete series sweep
The Phillies overcame a disappointing start from Aaron Nola and rallied against the Nationals' bullpen for their sixth consecutive win
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Andrew McCutchen drove in four runs and the Philadelphia Phillies erased a six-run deficit against the Washington Nationals to earn a 7-6 victory Thursday and a three-game sweep.
The Phillies overcame a disappointing start from Aaron Nola and rallied against the Nationals' bullpen for their sixth consecutive win. Philadelphia pulled within 1½ games of NL East leader Atlanta and two games of idle Cincinnati in the race for the second NL wild card.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Juan Soto homered and drove in four runs and Lane Thomas also went deep for Washington, which has lost five in a row and 21 of 27.
McCutchen brought the Phillies to within 6-4 in the eighth inning with an RBI single off Patrick Murphy, who gave up a single to Freddy Galvis two batters later and chased Andres Machado (1-1). After Rafael Marchan’s walk loaded the bases, Nick Maton’s sharp grounder was misplayed by second baseman Luis García and two runs scored.
García hesitated on Odúbel Herrera’s potential double-play ball a batter later, getting just one out as Marchan came around for the go-ahead run.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Sam Coonrod (2-2) pitched a scoreless seventh for the Phillies. Ian Kennedy worked the ninth for his 22nd save overall and sixth with Philadelphia.
Soto, who went 3 for 4 with a walk, hit a two-run homer in the third and added a two-run single in the fifth as Washington built a 6-0 lead.
The Phillies halved the deficit on McCutchen’s three-run double in the sixth.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Nola allowed six runs in four-plus innings. Washington’s Paolo Espino yielded two runs in 5 1/3 innings.
The Phillies improved to 13-6 against the Nationals this season. They trailed by at least three runs in seven of their victories over Washington, the most such wins ever by a team against an opponent in a single season in the modern era, according to STATS LLC.
The Phillies have scored seven runs in seven consecutive games for the first time since June 1933.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The game was a makeup of Wednesday’s rainout, when the remnants of Hurricane Ida passed through the Mid-Atlantic.
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TRAINER’S ROOM
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Phillies: J.T. Realmuto returned to the lineup at first base after missing two games with left ankle soreness. … RHPs Cam Bedrosian and Ramón Rosso joined the club from Triple-A Lehigh Valley as September call-ups.
Nationals: SS Alcides Escobar (bruised left knee) was back in the lineup. He left Monday’s game in the first inning and sat out Tuesday. … Washington activated C Alex Avila (calf strains) from the injured list and added LHP Alberto Baldonado from Triple-A Rochester. Baldonado pitched a scoreless seventh in his major league debut.
DUGOUT SHUFFLE
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Washington manager Dave Martinez underwent a previously scheduled foot procedure Thursday morning and was at the stadium but not in the dugout during the game. The procedure was planned for what originally was an off day for the Nationals. Bench coach Tim Bogar handled managerial duties in Martinez’s place.
UP NEXT
Phillies: RHP Kyle Gibson (10-5, 2.94 ERA), who is 2-0 with a 0.64 ERA in his last two starts, gets the nod Friday as Philadelphia begins a three-game series at Miami.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Nationals: LHP Sean Nolin (0-2, 6.57) makes his fourth start — and third against the Mets — as Washington opens a five-game series against New York as its homestand continues.