Kyle Schwarber delivered a timely blast, his 43rd homer, a three-run shot in the seventh that broke a 2-2 tie and helped the Philadelphia Phillies roll to a 6-2 win over the Washington Nationals on Friday night, snapping a three-game skid. Bryce Harper followed with a homer to center, marking the Phillies’ sixth back-to-back homer of the season. A pro-Philly crowd of 35,143 roared as Schwarber was showered with “M-V-P!” chants when he came to the plate in the ninth.
The night wasn’t without drama. Phillies closer Jhoan Duran, working in a non-save situation in the ninth, took a sharp grounder off his right ankle from Paul DeJong and left the field limping after a lengthy visit from trainers. Postgame X-rays were negative.
On the mound, Nationals ace MacKenzie Gore settled after a rocky start. He was buoyed by an RBI double from Harper in the first but battled through a rough opening inning and then found his rhythm, lowering his season ERA behind a strong finish to the night. For Washington, Clayton Beeter walked two in the seventh before handing the ball to Konnor Pilkington, who yielded Schwarber’s long homer to right-center, a 456-foot blast that pushed the Phillies ahead.
Zack Wheeler took the mound for Philadelphia but lasted five innings, giving up two runs on four hits, including Daylen Lile’s third career homer for the Nationals. Tanner Banks worked a clean sixth for the Phillies.
A notable moment came in the Nationals’ fifth when Riley Adams walked to start the frame and then caught Wheeler by surprise by stealing his first base of the season. Wheeler then retired the next three.
Statistically, Gore has turned a corner after a difficult stretch; following a 13.12 ERA in four starts after his All-Star break, he has posted a 1.50 ERA across his two most recent outings.
Up next
Taijuan Walker (4-5, 3.39 ERA) starts for Philadelphia against Washington’s Cade Cavalli (0-0, 3.86) on Saturday.
Summary
Schwarber’s late rally, backed by Harper’s early offense and solid bullpen support, propelled the Phillies to a much-needed win and kept them in the hunt in the division as they head into the next matchup against Washington.
Additional notes
– The sequence of back-to-back Phillies homers continued to be a recurring spark for the offense.
– Duran’s injury is a developing concern, but initial X-rays were negative, offering a temporary positive outlook for his availability.
Overall takeaway
Philadelphia leaned on its big bats late, capitalizing on Washington’s bullpen and maintaining momentum as they chase the postseason push. The win also built some confidence in Gore’s continued return to form and left the door open for a competitive weekend series.