PHILLIES WIN THEIR FOURTH IN A ROW

BY ROCK HOFFMAN

Back at home, against an opponent they’ve dominated, the Philadelphia Phillies won their fourth game in a row with a 7-2 victory over the Washington Nationals at Citizens Bank Park on Wednesday night. The Phils have won 44 of the last 58 games with the Nats dating back to July 29, 2021, and have yet to lose a series at home this season; they’ve won four and tied one.

KYLE SCHWARBER HIT HIS NINTH HOME RUN OF THE SEASON IN THE PHILLIES WIN

Kyle Schwarber hit a three-run home run in the first inning to give the Phillies all the runs they would need, while starting pitcher Christopher Sánchez got through five innings after leaving his last start after two innings with left forearm soreness eight days ago.

“I feel fine,” Sánchez said, through Phillies interpreter Diego D’Aniello, after he pitched five innings, allowing two runs on five hits and three walks; he also hit a batter while striking out six. “I was looking to be my best self.”

After Sánchez worked around a one-out single in the top of the first, the Phillies got their first two hitters on base. Leading off, Bryson Stott – showing no effects of having his hand stepped on during the game-winning play in Tuesday night’s game – singled to right field. Trea Turner walked, then with one out Schwarber blasted a hanging curveball off the bottom of the scoreboard in right. It was his second home run in as many nights and extended his on-base streak to 36 games.

Sánchez struck out the side around a single with two outs in the second. The Nationals got him in the third after he put the first batters on via a free pass and a hit batter. His defense almost got him out of the situation when Turner started a double play, but Nathaniel Lowe hit a two-bagger to the leftfield corner that scored Jacob Young.

In the fourth, the Phils got the run back when Stott singled in J.T. Realmuto, who had led off with a single. Key to the run was a two-out single by Johan Rojas.

The Nationals’ fifth was nearly a copy of the third, Young and CJ Abrams each singled to give them two on with no outs. Amed Rosario hit a soft grounder to Stott and the best the Phils could do was get one out while Young scored. Sánchez got the final two outs on strikes and was done for the night. However, the Phils' bats were not.

The Phils answered in the fifth when Nick Castellanos knocked in Bryce Harper, who had doubled. They got solo round-trippers in the sixth and seventh from Max Kepler and Realmuto.

“It's huge,” said Schwarber of the team’s ability to keep scoring. “We were able to keep putting up good, consistent at-bats on those guys, and there was not a lot of high pressure there at the end.”

While the offense was adding on, the bullpen was lights out. José Ruiz, Tanner Banks, and Carlos Hernández got the final 12 outs, six by strikeout, without allowing a baserunner.

“I thought it was a complete game,” said Phillies manager Rob Thomson. “We played well in all facets. We didn’t strike out, stole a couple of bases, and hit three home runs. Sánchez was good, the bullpen was excellent, and the defense was solid. That was a really good game, now we gotta do it again.”

The Phillies go for the sweep on Thursday night with Taijuan Walker getting the start.