Alec Bohm delivers in extras in Opening Day win over Nationals

Final Score (10 innings): Phillies 7, Nationals 3

WASHINGTON — The terrible late afternoon shadows were a big storyline in the NLDS against the Mets. As a cruel reminder of last year’s painful ending, the shadows were once again a factor on Opening Day in D.C.

The at-bats from the Phillies, who struck out 19 times, improved as the sun went down– and when Nats starter MacKenzie Gore exited the game.

Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber hit a pair of home runs late to the give the Phillies the lead in the top of the seventh, but the Nationals came back against the Phillies bullpen to force extra innings. With two outs and two on, Alec Bohm delivered with a two-run RBI double to the left-center field gap to put the Phillies on top 5-3 in the 10th. J.T. Realmuto drove in two and was credited with a triple when Dylan Crews dropped a fly ball drifting away from him in right field.

Gore needed just five innings to set a new career high in strikeouts. He faced the minimum 18 batters, falling behind just three hitters all game. His 13 strikeouts is the most for any Opening Day starter in Nationals and Expos history. The Nats pulled Gore after 93 pitches.

Thankfully for the Phillies, pulling the starter early is a frequent occurrence in March. Pitchers typically do not enter the season fully built up. And no manager will let their best starter throw nine innings on day one.

With right-hander Lucas Sims on the mound — and the shadows letting up — Harper responded to the many rounds of boos in the seventh with a solo shot to right center to tie the game.

A couple batters later, Schwarber ambushed the first pitch of the day from lefty Jose A. Ferrer to give the Phillies a 2-1 lead. Schwarber, who went 2-for-4 with a walk, had the best season of his career against lefties in 2024.

Zack Wheeler was nearly as good as Gore, with the big separator being a 12 pitch at-bat to Luis Garcia Jr. in the bottom of the fifth that ended in a home run to right field.

In two Opening Day starts with the Phillies, Wheeler has allowed one run through 12 innings. He has a no decision in both games.

Jordan Romano’s bad first outing as a Phillie allowed the Nationals to tie the game in the bottom of the eighth. The first two batters, Crews and Jacob Young, reached on a walk and hit-by-pitch, and then took second and third on a double steal to set up a two-run inning. Romano bounced back, recording a pair of outs on an RBI groundout and strikeout. But with two outs and a 2-2 count, Garcia once again came through for Washington with a base hit to tie the game at three.

All four of the Phillies’ big arms out of the bullpen pitched in the opener. Orion Kerkering impressed in a scoreless innings. The Nationals didn’t have a chance against José Alvarado in a 1-2-3 bottom of the ninth. His sinker maxed out at 101. 3 mph. Matt Strahm, in a non-save situation, shut down the Nats with the ghost runner on in the bottom of the 10th.