The dream is dead: Nationals 5, Phillies 1

The Phillies will not go 162-0

The Phillies suffered their first loss of the season Sunday in the finale of their opening series in Washington. Aaron Nola surrendered two home runs and the Phillies offense couldn’t solve Nats starter Mitchell Parker and went 0-9 with runners in scoring position in the 5-1 loss.

Nola started the afternoon strong, retiring the first six hitters he faced before allowing a single in the third to Paul DeJong. Entering the fourth inning, Nola had allowed one hit with no walks and struck out five Nats hitters. He got the first two outs quickly in the fourth before hitting Keibert Ruiz in the foot with an errant pitch to give Washington a two-out baserunner. Nathaniel Lowe followed up with a single to increase the threat to two on base.

Then on the very next pitch, Phillie killer Josh Bell launched his 16th career home run against Philadelphia, the most he’s hit against any team. Bell deposited a 91 MPH fastball into the seats in right center field to give the Nats a 3-0 lead.

Nola then allowed a double to DeJong before picking up his seventh strikeout to end the inning. He then threw a clean fifth inning before once again running into trouble in the sixth. Luis Garcia Jr. flew out to center after a ten pitch at-bat before Ruiz singled on the second pitch he saw from Nola. But then Lowe tagged Nola for a two-run shot to center field to extend the Nats lead to 5-0.

That would knock Nola out of the game after 5.2 IP. He allowed 5 runs on 6 hits including the two home runs and collected 8 strikeouts. Nola allowed 30 home runs last season, the fifth most in the majors.

The Phillies offense meanwhile couldn’t break through against Washington starter Mitchell Parker. Despite allowing 7 hits and two walks, the lefty was able to dance in and out of trouble as the Phillies bats couldn’t capitalize on opportunities.

Kyle Schwarber led off the game with a single on the first pitch, but Alec Bohm and Bryce Harper struck out to put two outs on the board. Nick Castellanos singled to put a runner in scoring position, but Bryston Stott struck out to end the top of the first with no runs coming across.

Philadelphia once again had two on in the second with one out thanks to a Brandon Marsh walk and a Johan Rojas single, but Rafael Marchán promptly grounded into an inning ending double play. Yet again in the third, the Phillies had two runners on with two outs following a Harper single and a Castellanos walk, but Stott grounded out to end that threat too.

The Phillies next scoring chance wouldn’t come until the sixth when Bohm came to the plate with the bases loaded and one out. Jose Ferrer had replaced Parker on the mound after a pair of singles from Marsh and Marchán. The new pitcher hit Schwarber to load the bases for Bohm, but he immediately grounded into a double play on the first pitch to once again strand the runners.

The Nats gave the Phillies yet another chance to mount a comeback in the ninth, as rookie reliever Brad Lord loaded the bases with no outs before being replaced by closer Kyle Finnegan. Finnegan got Marchán to ground into a force out at second, plating a run but getting the first out on the board. But Schwarber then struck out on a foul tip before Bohm was once again retired on the first pitch on a lineout to second to end the game, increasing the Phillies total stranded runners to 10.

Tomorrow’s matchup

The Phillies will return home for their first game at Citizens Bank Park of 2025 when they face the Colorado Rockies at 3:05 pm weather permitting. Cristopher Sánchez will make his season debut on the mound against Germán Máarquez of the Rockies.