Categories: 2023 Postgame Recaps

Former Phillies farmhand Joey Meneses gets to Phils’ bullpen to split doubleheader for Nats

Jeff Hoffman surrendered a home run on Tuesday. (Don Otto/Phillies Nation)

FINAL: Nationals 5, Phillies 4

After cruising to a Game 1 victory against the Washington Nationals, Tuesday’s doubleheader had a disappointing finish at the very end for the Philadelphia Phillies.

With closer Craig Kimbrel in for the top of the ninth inning in a tie game, the Phillies were looking to give themselves a chance to walk it off or force extras in the second game at Citizens Bank Park. But even with the team’s top reliever on the mound, Philadelphia couldn’t contain Joey Meneses.

Meneses, a Lehigh Valley IronPig in 2018, launched a game-winning home run off Kimbrel, lifting the Nationals to a 5-4 victory to split the doubleheader. It was the second homer of the game for the former Phillies farmhand as he torched Philadelphia’s bullpen late in the game.

After Phillies striking first on a Trea Turner RBI double, the Phillies appeared to take control in the bottom of the fifth inning as Bryce Harper blasted a go-ahead two-run home run to right-field to give Philadelphia a 3-2 lead, a positive sign that the star slugger is tapping back into his power. Bryson Stott later added an RBI single that extended the team’s lead to two.

Phillies starter Ranger Suárez, who gave up a fourth-inning two-run homer to Ildemaro Vargas but avoided further damage, ran into trouble once again in the sixth inning. Jeff Hoffman entered in relief with two outs and managed to escape a bases-loaded jam.

But as Hoffman trotted out for another inning in the seventh, Meneses began to make his presence known. He lined a two-run home run to left field, tying the game for Washington.

The Phillies failed to score in their next two turns before handing the ball to Kimbrel for the ninth. And when the All-Star closer left a hanging breaking ball over the plate with one out in the inning, Meneses didn’t miss it as he lined another one over the left-field wall to give the Nats a 5-4 lead.

Philadelphia went down in order in its half of the ninth, squandering an opportunity to sweep the first two games of a four-game set.

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