WASHINGTON, D.C.— The Washington Nationals could not quite complete a late rally on Sunday, falling 11–9 to the Philadelphia Phillies in the finale at Nationals Park. Washington’s offense showed plenty of fight, pounding out 14 hits and getting a ninth-inning three-run homer from Paul DeJong, but ultimately came up short.
On the pitching side, starter Mitchell Parker struggled to find rhythm. The rookie left-hander allowed six runs (five earned) in just 1.2 innings, forcing the Nationals to go to their bullpen early. Acting manager Miguel Cairo explained that he and pitching coach Jim Hickey had prepared for just such a scenario, noting that the strong efforts of Cade Cavalli and Jose A. Ferrer in Saturday’s win gave the relievers a chance to be used aggressively on Sunday. Cairo said the plan was about “playing matchups, and making sure against the top of the Phillies’ lineup we could match it up every time in that spot,” adding that his focus was on “making sure we had the right matchup for those three guys.”
It just shows the heart we’ve got. It takes a lot to come out here and play a really good team like that. We do an excellent job of not giving up, especially in the late innings.
DeJong’s blast, his sixth of the season, trimmed the deficit late and extended his hot stretch in which he has homered four times in his last seven games while hitting safely in all of them. Leadoff man Luis García Jr. fueled the attack with a 3-for-4 performance at the plate, adding a walk and two runs scored. CJ Abrams also continued his steady production, going 3-for-5 with a double, an RBI, and two runs. Abrams has now recorded 31 multi-hit games, and his bat has sparked the offense throughout August.
Dylan Crews and Daylen Lile added more punch in the middle of the order. Crews doubled, drove in two, and scored once, extending his recent stretch of production. After making a key defensive play to cut down a runner at the plate earlier in the game, Crews said the moment was about trying to give the team a lift, explaining that “any moment, you’re just trying to find a spark to get everybody going,” and that he felt “lucky to be in a position to make that play and help with the momentum.” Crews added that the Nationals’ late push reflected the makeup of the roster, noting, “it just shows the heart we’ve got. It takes a lot to come out here and play a really good team like that. We do an excellent job of not giving up, especially in the late innings.”
Lile finished 2-for-5 with a double, an RBI, and a run scored, staying locked in during what has been his most consistent stretch of the season. Defensively, though, Washington had a pair of costly miscues. Brady House mishandled what could have been an inning-ending double play at third, and later Abrams’ throw across the diamond to double up Alec Bohm struck the runner instead, further extending the frame. House said afterward that “it stinks whenever mistakes like that hurt the team,” but also emphasized the need to move forward quickly: “gotta move on.”
Despite the defensive lapses and Parker’s rough outing, the Nationals kept pushing back, highlighted by DeJong’s home run and a ninth-inning rally that brought the tying run to the plate. While it wasn’t enough to avoid a loss, Crews said the effort reflected the club’s makeup: the Nationals are young and learning, but they don’t shy away from tough opponents.
With the loss, Washington and Philadelphia split the four-game series at Nationals Park. Up next for the Nationals will be a day off tomorrow before hosting the New York Mets on Tuesday night. The Nationals are scheduled to send RHP Jake Irvin (8-7, 5.14 ERA) and will face LHP David Peterson (7-5, 3.30 ERA) from the New York Mets.
Roster Updates: Sources tell the Nats Report that the Nationals are planning to call up top prospect Andrés Chaparro from Triple-A Rochester. In addition, Washington has strengthened its bullpen by claiming right-handed reliever Julian Fernández off outright waivers from the Los Angeles Dodgers. Fernández was optioned to Rochester and has been impressive at Triple-A Oklahoma City with a 3-0 record and 3.05 ERA over 35 appearances.
Fernández’s recent run has been exceptional; in his last 14 outings, he boasts a 0.59 ERA with just one earned run in 15.1 innings, striking out 22 while allowing opponents a .118 batting average. This acquisition bolsters the Nationals’ late-inning pitching depth as they push forward this season.