“Fun” with Former Phillies: Nationals 5, Phillies 4

Today didn’t exactly start all that great.

This morning we woke up to horrific news that 50 people were killed in the deadliest mass shooting in American history last night at a gay night club in Orlando. This attack on LGBT Americans during what is supposed to be Pride Month is yet another reminder how much hatred there still is in the world and how dangerous it can be for certain individuals just to exist and be who they are.

All across Major League Baseball, teams observed a moment of silence for these victims before the starts of their games today. While small, this gesture of sympathy and solidarity with the victims is entirely appropriate and commendable.

The Phillies didn’t get a great start to the day either.

I don’t think anyone was expecting much from Adam Morgan today against a Nationals team that walloped the Phillies for the past two nights (and indeed for much of the season).

The Nats wasted no time and began scoring in the bottom of the first: A Michael Taylor single followed by back-to-back walks to Jayson Werth and Daniel Murphy loaded the bases. Ryan Zimmerman and Wilson Ramos each got sac flies to score Taylor and Werth, putting Washington up 2-0 on one hit in the first.

After once again doing nothing notable in the top half of their inning, the Phillies got into a deeper hole in the bottom of the second on a Danny Espinosa lead off home run. But thankfully, the damage stopped there, and the next two innings passed without any scoring.

The top of the fifth brought some hope for the Phillies when Jimmy Paredes reached on an error, but Cameron Rupp grounded into a double play at the next at bat. Looks like the Phillies are going to get shut out again, right? Well...

Well, welcome back Cody Asche! It’s his first home run back with the big league club.

The bottom of the fifth was cause for even more optimism, when Adam Morgan struck out the side. He brought his mojo into the next inning and lead off with a double in the sixth. Adam Morgan, with a quality start and a double agains the Nationals. The momentum was clearly on the Phillies' side.

Odubel Herrera with a double to score Morgan, followed by a Freddy Galvis single to tie the game at 3. Of particular note is Herrera’s bat flip.

(Note: Let that serve as a reminder that you should #VoteOdubel.)

And so the game remained tied going into the ninth inning. Jonathan Papelbon, the Nationals’ star closer and everyone’s favorite rodeo clown, came in to save the game for the home crowd. And of course, the first batter he faced from his former team did this:

The amount of joy in not only a Maikel Fanco Home Run, but ALSO in a Jonathon Papelbon blown save is enough to make you think that maybe there is some goodness in the world, you know? The Phillies were only able to get that run, but things were getting set up for Jeanmar Gomez, our own phenom closer.

Anthony Rendon lead off with a flyout, but the next batter, Bryce Harper, reached on a single. This was when the creeping feeling that things weren’t right started. Cesar Hernandez failed to retire Harper by throwing too high and taking Tommy Joseph off the bag. The Phillies (rightfully) challenged the call, but the umps ruled him safe.

Danny Espinosa followed with a single and Clint Robinson walked to load the bases... for our old friend Jayson Werth. After giving us a respectable pitching performance against the mighty Nationals and a glorious moment for #Papelfreude, Werth hit a 2-run, walk off single to put a nail in the Phillies coffin for this series. Another sweep.

But at least we won’t see the Nationals again until late August.