Washington led by three runs entering the ninth inning. Forty-five minutes later, the Nationals had lost by five. The Philadelphia Phillies scored eight runs in the final frame Tuesday night at Nationals Park, turning what appeared to be a WSH victory into a 14-9 rout that will be difficult to forget.
Bryson Stott delivered the blow that broke the game open. With the score tied at 8-8, Stott homered to right — 403 feet, Harper and Hill scoring ahead of him — to give Philadelphia a lead it would not surrender. He finished 3-for-4 with a home run and 3 RBI, scoring four times. Edmundo Sosa was equally damaging: the shortstop went 2-for-5 with a home run and 5 RBI, driving in two more with a double to center in the ninth as the Phillies continued to pile on. Brandon Marsh went 3-for-6 with a home run and 2 RBI, and his two-run shot in the top of the ninth tied the game at 8-8 before Stott's go-ahead blast.
The Nationals had built their lead methodically. Nasim Nunez singled to left in the fourth, scoring Andres Chaparro and Dylan Crews. Jose Tena followed with a single to left, scoring Jorbit Vivas and Nunez to push the lead to 5-0. Vivas then authored WSH's most dramatic moment of the night: a three-run homer to center in the eighth — 410 feet — that scored Luis Garcia and Crews and gave Washington an 8-6 lead heading to the ninth. Vivas finished 2-for-3 with a home run and 3 RBI. It was not enough.
Jesus Luzardo pitched 6.2 innings for Philadelphia, allowing 5 runs on 6 hits with 13 strikeouts and 3 walks. He did not factor in the decision. Orion Kerkering worked the eighth inning, allowing 3 runs on 2 hits in 1.0 inning, but earned the win to improve to 4-0 with a 2.43 ERA. J.T. Realmuto's double to right in the eighth — scoring Marsh, Stott, and Garrett Stubbs — gave Philadelphia its first lead of the night at 6-5 before Washington answered immediately.
Philadelphia fell to 42-36 despite the victory — this loss belongs to Washington, which dropped to 41-38. The Nationals had won their previous game; this result snapped that momentum. The Phillies, meanwhile, absorbed their first loss after a win, falling to second in the division.