Phillies righties heat up in series-clinching win over Nationals
Final Score: Phillies 6, Nationals 2
After a rather brutal first five innings for the Phillies offense, their big name right-handed bats righted the ship.
Trea Turner, Nick Castellanos and J.T. Realmuto accounted for all six runs scored by the Phillies as the trio of sluggers each hit a two-run home run in the Phillies’ 6-2 win over the Washington Nationals.
It was a relief considering how terrible the Phillies at-bats had been against a pitcher they are used to dominating.
Nationals starter Patrick Corbin, who came into Thursday’s game with a 4.96 career ERA against the Phillies, walked a career high seven batters, but left the game after five innings with only one hit allowed and no earned runs on his line. Corbin even stranded the bases loaded with nobody out in the third after Castellanos grounded into a force out at home and Bryson Stott hit into an inning-ending double play.
He’s the third pitcher in MLB this season, with the other two being Dylan Cease and Jack Flaherty, to walk seven and not allow an earned run in a start.
But Corbin left the game with a runner on following an E1. The Nationals brought in righty Andres Machado to face Turner and he crushed an inside fastball to put the Phillies on top 2-1.
An inning later, Castellanos battled against lefty Joe La Sorsa and on the ninth pitch of the at-bat, he crushed a ball to left for his 20th home run of the season.
After Stott was hit on an inside pitch, Realmuto promptly made the lefty pay with another two-run home run to extend the lead to 6-1.
Phillies starter Aaron Nola labored through five and left the game with one earned run allowed, one walk and six strikeouts. Matt Strahm allowed an inherited runner to score on an Ildemaro Vargas double after coming into the game for Nola in the sixth. Strahm eventually got out of the jam and earned his eighth win of the season.
The most encouraging sign from a pitching perspective had to be Seranthony Domínguez’s quick-and-easy eight-pitch 1-2-3 inning in the seventh inning.
It was a continuation of a more positive trend. The Phillies (64-52) have hit 18 home runs since the start of the seven-game homestand. Philadelphia now has a four-game cushion in the National League wild card race.
Ticket IQ Next Game
- Friday, Aug. 11 vs. Minnesota Twins at Citizens Bank Park
- 7:05 p.m. ET
- TV: NBC Sports Philadelphia
- Radio: Sportsradio 94 WIP
