PHILADELPHIA — Andrew Painter made his long-awaited major league debut feel like a finished work of art Tuesday night, mixing a near-100 mph fastball with a battery of breaking pitches to strike out eight and hold the Washington Nationals to four hits over 5 1/3 innings as the Philadelphia Phillies edged Washington 3-2.
Painter, 22, energized a crowd of 40,709 that waved paintbrushes and chanted for the rookie — some fans calling themselves “Andrew’s Painters” or “Painter’s Painters” — after he opened the game by striking out James Wood on a 12-6 curveball and later fanned the side in the fifth. He exited to a standing ovation in the sixth after giving up a one-out single to CJ Abrams; Abrams later scored on a run-scoring single by Daylen Lile off reliever Tanner Banks, making it a 3-1 game before the Nationals added a second run.
“It was awesome,” Painter said. “Crowd showed up tonight. Just kind of soaked all of it. I don't think I could have drawn it up much better.” His fastball touched 97.2 mph and he complemented it with sweepers, sliders and curves that had Nationals hitters flailing. Painter walked one and faced a total of 21 batters while recording eight strikeouts — one shy of the Phillies’ debut record held by Mick Abel and Curt Simmons.
Manager Rob Thomson took no chances after the right-hander, whose trajectory to the majors was delayed by Tommy John surgery, signaled he wanted to stay in the game. “We’ve been waiting a while for this,” Thomson said. “If we can keep him healthy, this guy’s going to be really good for a long time. He’s one of those upper-echelon guys. He’s got the combination of power and command. The future is bright for him.”
The Phillies supplied the run support Painter needed with solo homers from Kyle Schwarber and Adolis Garcia, giving Philadelphia a 3-0 lead by the time Painter left the mound. Schwarber praised the rookie’s composure: “He didn't seem fazed by anything out there. Even before the game, there's no pacing, no nothing. Just felt like he was mentally prepared for what he was about to do. That's impressive.”
Painter was the 13th overall pick in the 2021 amateur draft and signed for a $3.9 million bonus. He rocketed through the Phillies’ system in 2022, going 6-2 with a 1.48 ERA across two Class A levels and Double-A Reading, and entered this season ranked No. 27 on ESPN prospect lists. But an elbow injury in spring training 2023 required surgery and set him back more than a year; over two minor-league stops last season he went 5-8 with a 5.26 ERA as he worked his way back.
The debut was the latest sign that Painter has regained his form — he had allowed seven hits and struck out eight in 11 2/3 spring training innings this year — and he now joins a deep Phillies rotation that includes Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, Cristopher Sanchez and newly acquired Jesus Luzardo. Thomson and teammates stressed the importance of preserving health after Painter’s long recovery.
After the final out, Painter removed his No. 24 jersey for a hoodie and shorts, returned to the field for photos and hugs with about 40 family and friends who had travelled to see him pitch, and shared a kiss with his fiancée, Shelby. Painter took a knee before throwing his first official major-league pitch — he and Shelby posted proposal photos on Instagram in March — and when asked whether proposing or debuting was more nerve-racking, he laughed, “I'm not sure. We'll revisit that.”