Jul 21, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Nick Castellanos (8) celebrates in the dugout after scoring a run during the fourth inning against the Boston Red Sox at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images
Sunday's Phillies-Nationals game was a marathon, not a sprint.
The game began at 11:35 a.m. eastern due to Roku broadcasting the game. It ended at 2:57 p.m. That's a grand total of three hours and 22 minutes.
Of course, like any game that runs that long in the pitch clock era, it was an offensive showdown. By the end, the Phillies and Nationals registered 25 total hits.
In the beginning, it appeared that the Phils would be able to breathe easy. They came out swinging for the last game of the series. In the first two innings, they scored six runs, partially aided by the Nationals' subpar defensive performance.
A fielding error by Nats third baseman Brady House put the Phillies up 1-0 in the top of the first:
Top of the morning! pic.twitter.com/Kmo6cYyV2C
The bats exploded in the top of the second. After the Nationals bungled a potential inning-ending double play, Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper knocked in back-to-back RBI singles. Then Alec Bohm, who returned from a month-long IL stint, made his presence known:
WELCOME BACK, ALEC BOHM! pic.twitter.com/mj3kAz2je2
The Phillies chased Nationals starting pitcher Mitchell Parker out of the game with two outs in the second. He gave up four hits, six runs (five earned), walked three batters and struck out none. All in all, not the best start.
Meanwhile, Aaron Nola – who also returned from the IL today – was cruising through two innings. He racked up three strikeouts through two and allowed one hit, a leadoff single to Luis Garcia Jr. in the first.
Then the third inning arrived, and Nola got absolutely shelled.
In a matter of seven Nationals batters, a 6-0 Phillies lead evaporated into a 6-6 tie thanks to four singles, two doubles and a walk.
Nola left the game with one out in the bottom of the third. His 2025 ERA rose to 6.92.
The Phillies, who have found offense so hard to come by recently, had to come up with more offense after putting up six runs.
Thankfully, in the top of the fourth, Nick Castellanos – who was one for his last 35 – hit his second double since the All-Star Break. The ground-rule double sent Bohm to third, and when Harrison Bader walked in his next at-bat, the bases were loaded for Weston Wilson:
Wiiillllsoooonnnn! pic.twitter.com/p9xDv0swMk
Castellanos knocked in one more run with a 428-foot solo shot in the top of the sixth. It was his first game with multiple extra-base hits since Aug. 1:
Obliter8ed pic.twitter.com/b1ZCT7IAl2
While the Phillies bullpen held the Nationals scoreless, the offense continued to add on. In the top of the eighth, Harper notched his second RBI single and Bader added another run with a sac fly.
Another RBI from Bryce! pic.twitter.com/2UyVIaT7JW
Max Lazar, who had pitched a 1-2-3 eighth inning, remained in the game heading into the bottom of the ninth. The Phillies were up 11-6. Fans could breathe easy, right?
Wrong!
Luis García Jr. singled. CJ Abrams doubled. Paul DeJong homered. Suddenly, 11-6 had turned into 11-9.
While Jhoan Duran warmed up as quickly as possible, Lazar stayed in the game to face Daylen Lile. Lile proceeded to double, and in the blink of an eye, the tying run for the Nationals was coming to the plate with one out in the bottom of the ninth.
Duran came in and did what he does best, stopping the threatening Nationals in their tracks with a groundout and a swinging strikeout. The Phillies eked out the series split. Everybody exhale.
Next up, the Phillies come back home Monday evening to face the Seattle Mariners at 6:45 p.m. eastern.
