The Phillies dropped the series opener to the Washington Nationals 5-4 at Citizens Bank Park, adding a few memorable twists to an otherwise solid pitching night for Philadelphia. Three Taijuan Walker pickoff attempts were overturned — two for outs, one for a safe result — and closer Jhoan Duran blew his first save in seven opportunities, as Philadelphia’s late-inning rally fell short.
Walker got touched up in the first inning, allowing three runs on a trio of hits and two walks, but then settled in and worked four more innings with the minimum number of baserunners over the next 12 batters. The big early damage was buoyed by a three-run homer and a high pitch count (38 pitches) that limited his early tempo. “Just the two walks,” Walker explained after the game, noting that the Nationals were patient and that his splitter wasn’t snapping early. He found command after the first, adjusting with a wrist tweak and reestablishing his groove.
Philadelphia’s offense came alive after the initial misstep. Nick Castellanos started the comeback with a leadoff single in the second, scoring on a groundout from Bryson Stott to trim the deficit to 3-1. Castellanos drove in another run with a double in the sixth, and Stott followed with a homer to tie the game at 3-3. In the seventh, Realmuto lined a changeup into the left-field seats for a go-ahead 4-3 lead, setting up a dramatic finish.
But Duran could not close it out. After a two-out double and a single produced by Dylan Crews and Daylen Lilé in the ninth, respectively, the Phillies catcher’s error-prone relay — a throw that sailed into left on Realmuto’s fielding mishap — allowed the tying and winning runs to reach home. Duran later added he would bounce back and that such two-bug nights come with the territory of closing work.
Thomson credited several players for keeping the Phillies in the game, highlighting Castellanos, Stott, and Realmuto for their late offense and the initiative to move runners. “Casty swung the bat well, Stott’s hot, J.T. with a big home run in the seventh to get us where we wanted to be,” Thomson said. He also defended his closer, calling Duran “super confident,” even as the late miscue forced a rare blemish on the stat line. The veteran comparison to Mariano Rivera — “80 blown saves” included — underscored the expectation that such hiccups happen in a reliever’s career.
The night added to a growing list of unusual Phillies moments this season, including an inside-the-park three-run homer by another team and a catcher’s interference walk-off win earlier in the year. Thomson was measured in his postgame assessment, noting a mix of solid bullpen work by Tanner Banks, Jose Alvarado, and Matt Strahm and a reminder that the Phillies will need to clean up both baserunning and late-inning defense if they want to lock down wins in close games.
Despite the setback, the Phillies showed resilience and depth in offense, with several players contributing to the comeback. Realmuto, with a timely homer, and Castellanos, whose multi-hit night kept Philadelphia in position for a late rally, provided plenty of positives to build on for tomorrow’s game.
What it means going forward:
– The offense showed life after a rough start, and the lineup depth was on display with multiple players contributing in key moments.
– The bullpen will be scrutinized after allowing late runs; Duran’s hiccup is a reminder that even trusted closers can have a rough spell.
– Walker’s adjustment after the first inning was encouraging and could provide a blueprint for similar starts in the future.
– The Phillies will look to bounce back in the next game and continue capitalizing on the lineup’s offensive depth.
Summary: A back-and-forth, high-tension night that highlighted the Phillies’ ability to rally and the Nationals’ willingness to extend a game late. While the loss sting is real, Philadelphia’s offense showed it can come alive even after early trouble, and the club will aim to turn this page quickly as they continue this homestand. A positive takeaway is the evident resilience and continued production from key pieces in Castellanos, Stott, and Realmuto, giving the team optimism for the rest of the series.