Some things defy description. But we’ll try our best.
The first version of this recap was going to center on José Alvarado’s grand escape from the no outs, bases-loaded situation in the 8th. There was a NOBLETIGER pun in the title that I was rather pleased with. But things got weird. The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry. So do pitches, apparently.
Trea Turner opened the game with a single that just escaped Dylan Crews’ glove in right; Kyle Schwarber smacked one over the fence in left to put the score at 2-0 and please everyone who argued that moving him out of the leadoff spot would produce more multi-run dingers.
Zack Wheeler navigated the first 8 outs with ease, but encountered a hiccup in the top of the third as Johan Rojas misjudged a fly ball, which went over his head and became a triple for CJ Adams. That wasn’t self-inflicted for Wheeler, but the subsequent walk and HBP to load the bases were. But Wheeler, unflappable, induced a whiff on a cutter to strike out Keibert Ruiz and get out of the inning unblemished.
Nationals starter Mackenzie Gore could not say the same. He faced Johan Rojas to start his half of the third, and Rojas showed a great swing, sending the ball to deep center for a solo shot. Turner singled sharply to right, but Gore, recovering quickly sent Schwarber and Nick Castellanos down with strikeouts.
Wheeler gave most of the Washingtons fits (as he does to most members of most teams), but finally slipped a bit in the top of the sixth, as Luis Garcia Jr. took a sinker to deep center for a solo shot. The score was 3-1.
The duel between the starters continued into the seventh, when Wheeler allowed a two out double to Jacob Young; he was replaced with Matt Strahm. Strahm allowed a double to CJ Abrams, and the lead was down to one.
The Nationals soon made their first call to the bullpen, putting Jorge López in. He quickly put Alec Bohm and Edmundo Sosa out, then struck out Max Kepler, pinch-hitting for Weston Wilson.
A relatively placid game, to this point. It would not remain that way.
The Phillies brought out José Alvarado to handle the eighth. He allowed an immediate pair of singles to put runners on the corner with none out. Next up was a grounder up the middle to Turner, who stepped towards second and threw home to stop the runner from advancing. But there was a crucial misstep, in the most literal sense: Turner’s foot didn’t touch the bag. Bases loaded, none out, and a whole lot of hot dogs sitting uncomfortably in the stomachs of the Citizens Bank Park crowd, perhaps regretting their indulgences on buy one, get one free hot dog night.
Alvarado got Josh Bell swinging. He got Dylan Crews swinging. He got the Phillies crowd to stop reaching for the antacids and to start cheering again. But that was just two outs, and the sacks were still full. The Nationals tapped Alex Call to pinch hit with the platoon advantage, and Alvarado fell behind in the count 2-0, then brought it to 2-2. He brought out the cutter. It broke towards Call, and down, and he swung over it. NOBLETIGER, delivered by one highly caffeinated reliever.
The Phillies fans had some more excitement coming up: Rojas singled to start the inning against reliever José A. Ferrer, then scored when Trea Turner smacked a ball into right field, going over Crews’ head. Perhaps he lost it in the lights of the digital scoreboard. Even us traditionalists have to admit that’s a benefit of the new signage; you couldn’t get that with the old manual scoreboard. Harper then laid down a bunt that worked to perfection and put runners on the corners with none out. That might’ve disappointed the fans hoping to see Harper hit a dinger, but what it lacked for in power, it made up for in novelty and execution. A wild pitch scored Turner, and a game that had seemed well in reach for the Nationals suddenly began to seem like a lost cause.
But it only seemed that way. The Fightins brought out Orion Kerkering to seek the save. But there was a single, and a bad misplay from Johan Rojas, leaping for and missing a catchable ball in center-left. and scoring another run. A high throw from Turner on a routine ground ball made Harper leap off the bag, allowing a runner to reach first safely; Harper stretched to make a tag as he fell to earth but couldn’t quite reach. The runners advanced as Ruiz swung and missed at a wild pitch; the rare play that makes both pitcher and batter look silly.
The next play would make only the former look foolish. With Nathaniel Lowe at the plate as the potential go-ahead run and potential last out, Kerkering threw his sweeper, and Lowe sent it skying over the fence in right. 6-5 Nationals.
With their heads still spinning, the Phillies came out for their last stand. Righty reliever Kyle Finnegan stood between them and victory. Bohm got a leadoff single, and Bryson Stott was called to pinch-hit for Sosa, and he worked a free pass; Max Kepler advanced Stott with a flyout. Johan Rojas came to the plate seeking redemption, but all he could muster was a shallow fly ball. Bohm was sent anyway, and the scales of fate tilted back the Phillies’ way, as the ball bounced away from the backstop and turned what should’ve been an out into the tying run.
That put Stott on third base and Turner at the plate, looking to make up for his mistakes earlier in the game. But he did not.
That’s because Finnegan hurled a wild pitch, sending Stott home for the winning run.
The Phillies are 16-13. The series against the Nationals continues tomorrow at 6:45, in what will assuredly be a more normal game.