9/9 Game Recap: Phillies beat the Washington National 5-3

SOUTH PHILADELPHIA - Never a doubt, right? The Phillies took down the Washington Nationals in game one of this three-game weekend series. It didn’t come without some late-game turbulence. After setting down the first two batters of the inning, Brad Hand Would allow consecutive hits from Alex Call and Ildemaro Vargas. Putting a runner in scoring position and simultaneously putting yet another Phillies win in jeopardy. However, Nick Nelson would soon come in and set down the first batter he faced to end the game and earn his first-ever major league save.

If you’d been listening to the local fearmongers across the Delaware Valley before today’s game. You would’ve heard about the Nationals and thought that they were a World Series contender. Sure, the Nats have done well of late winning 5 of their last 8 games and putting up some nice run totals. But this is still the worst team in Baseball were talking about. The team the Phillies are 11-2 against this year, and the team that we always seem to be able to take advantage of when we hit a rough patch in the schedule. The night started off quiet as Noah Syndergaard and Patrick Corbin went back and forth like it was 2018. But finally, Corbin would be the first to break as the young Daulton Guthrie would snag his first career base knock sending one into right field scoring Edmundo Sosa making it a 1-0 Phillies ballgame. An inning later a Rhys Hoskins solo shot and JT Realmuto single would make it 3-0 good guys headed into the 5th. But a couple knocks from Lane Thomas and Luis Garcia would threaten the Phils slim lead making it 3-2. But JT Realmuto would be quick to answer back with a solo shot of his own giving the Phils some insurance at 4-2. The charade would however continue as Alex Call lifted one into the flower bed in left making it a 4-3 game and forcing Rob Thomson to take out Syndergaard all the same. Luckily a clean inning from Andrew Bellatti would give the Phillies offense another chance with the lead and Dalton Guthrie would play hero once again being the one to come through for the Phillies with another RBI single making it 5-3. Finally headed into the 9th Brad Hand would give us our nightly heart attack putting 2 runners on before being lifted for Nick Nelson who’d make the final out.

This was a good win for the Phillies, and it has been difficult to say that as of late. But tonight I can say confidently I am happy with this win. Sure the bullpen may have struggled down the stretch, but one guy stumbled and another picked him up that’s a great quality to see in your squad. We are going to need to see the Phillies continue their torrent play vs the Nationals tomorrow as Ranger Suarez will take the mound looking for better results than he got in his last two outings. But for now good morning, good afternoon, and good night, and of course Go Phils!