Phillies beat Nationals behind Spencer Howard’s first career win

Final Score: Phillies 8 – Nationals 6

The Phillies offensive continued produce runs tonight – using both small ball and homers – and the club beat the Washington Nationals 8-6 at Citizens Bank Park.

Rhys Hoskins and Jean Segura each drove in three runs and Jay Bruce recorded two hits in his return from the injured list.

Spencer Howard was serviceable over five innings and secured his first major league win. Despite a shaky four-run performance by the bullpen, the team held on to win the opening game of the series.

Through 30 games, the halfway point of the season, the Phillies record stands at 15-15 after winning six of their last seven. The Marlins beat the Mets (and Atlanta is still playing) so the Phils are 2.5 games back, tied for that second-place playoff spot.

Top Plays

• Rhys Hoskins started the scoring with a solo homer in first to left field, his sixth of the season and fifth in seven games. Dare we say, he’s heating up?
• Jay Bruce made it 2-0 after a solo homer to right in his first game back from the 10-day IL.

Bruce goes yard in his first AB back from the IL.

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— Phillies Nation (@PhilliesNation) August 31, 2020

• Trea Turner extended his 16-game hitting streak in the third.
• The Phillies built a bases-loaded, no outs situation in the fourth (Harper walk, Realmuto HBP, Gregorius infield single) and Jean Segura cleared the bases with a double to the left-center field gap. He later scored on Alec Bohm’s sacrifice fly to push the lead to 6-0.
• Juan Soto smacked his 10th homer of the season in the fifth – a 2-run 408-foot bomb that made a significant “thud” in left-field. Spencer Howard was able to escape the inning without any further damage.
• Jean Segura made an impressive over-the-shoulder catch (ala Willie Mays) contributing to JoJo Romero’s 1-2-3 sixth inning. Romero has struck out six and allowed zero hits in his first three big league appearances.
• Heath Hembree recorded an out then allowed back-to-back home runs in the seventh to Michael Taylor and Trea Turner before being pulled for Adam Morgam with the score 6-4.
• Jay Bruce and Alec Bohm singled and doubled respectively to start the seventh inning and scored on Rhys Hoskins’ double down the left-field line. These were key insurance runs in a bounce-back inning to keep the lead at four heading into the final two innings.
• Those two runs proved necessary as Juan Soto hit his second 2-run home run in the ninth before Brandon Workman closed out the game.
• Bullpen recap – Romero and Hunter performed well, Hembree and Workman less so (Joe Girardi said they would likely be unavailable tomorrow in his post-game press conference). Still, they held on for the win.

Shibe Vintage Sports Starting Pitching Performance

Spencer Howard: 5 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 4 K. 91 pitches, 58 strikes.

Spencer came out throwing strikes with two strikeouts in the first two innings. Joe Girardi mentioned he was pleased his rookie starter utilized all his pitches. He also feels more confident in using the righty down the stretch after this performance. Howard was able to pitch out of several jams in his five innings, but it came at the expense of his pitch count – a new career high.

Erick Fedde: 6.0 IP, 4 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 1 BB, 4 K, 85 pitches, 50 strikes

The Nationals got pretty much what they should expect from Erick Fedde based on his career numbers. He allowed just 4 hits, but the Phillies made them count by scoring five runs off three of them. He recorded 1-2-3 innings in the third and fifth, but got knocked around in the fourth after starting the frame with a HBP and walk.

Phillies Nuggets Player of the Game: Spencer Howard

Segura, Hoskins and Bruce all deserve credit at the plate but the award has to go to the young pitcher recording his first career win.

Ticket IQ Next Game

• Tuesday, September 1 at 7:05 pm ET vs. the Washington Nationals
• Patrick Corbin vs Aaron Nola
• Citizens Bank Park
• NBC Sports Philadelphia / Sportsradio 94 WIP

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