Deuces Wild: Phillies 6, Nationals 2

The Phillies launched three 2-run home runs and Aaron Nola battled through 5+ innings to give Philadelphia a 6-2 win and a 3-1 series win over the Washington Nationals. It was the Phillies’ fifth win of this current homestand through seven games. They’ve hit 18 home runs in those seven games.

Trea had something to say

Trea Turner continued his turnaround with the first of the 2-run homers in the bottom of the sixth to put the Phillies on the board and ahead 2-1. Since receiving a standing ovation on August 4th, Turner is 10-26 (.385) with 6 extra base hits, two home runs, and 8 RBIs.

Up until Turner’s shot, the Phillies had struggled to break through against Nats’ starter Patrick Corbin despite Corbin having a career high 7 walks. Philadelphia loaded the bases against Corbin in the third with no outs but did not score after a Nick Castellanos fielder’s choice and a Bryson Stott double play. Stott would later reach first on a catching error from Corbin and scored on Turner’s home run.

Two more twos

The Phillies added another pair of 2-run homers in the seventh, the first from Castellanos and the second from J.T. Realmuto. Rodolfo Castro, who entered into the game in the fifth inning after Bryce Harper left with back spasms, walked to start the inning. Castellanos then embarked on a nine pitch at-bat that included six foul balls before hitting his 20th HR of the season.

Castellanos is now hitting .302 in August with 6 HRs and a 1.039 OPS through ten games. Realmuto added another three batters later after Bryson Stott was hit by a pitch and Turner flew out. It was Realmuto’s second HR in his last six games.

Doing just enough

Aaron Nola struggled with deep counts and did not get very deep into the game, but he kept the Phillies in the game as they found their way through their early offensive struggles. He threw 22 pitches in the first inning alone to work around a Lane Thomas double and a Keibert Ruiz walk but kept the game scoreless.

Nola then got through the next two innings mostly unscathed before running into trouble in the fourth. Ruiz grounded out to start the inning before Dominic Smith reached on a ball hit to first base. It hit the bag and was originally ruled an error by Bryce Harper but was changed to a hit. Nola got the second out of the inning on a popup and should have had the third out of the inning on a fly ball that Weston Wilson dropped to put runners on second and third in a then scoreless game. He then had to engage in an eight-pitch battle with Blake Rutherford before finally getting the strikeout to end the inning.

Nola started the sixth despite being at 97 pitches and allowed a pair of singles before being lifted for Matt Strahm. Strahm got Smith to ground into a force out but then allowed a double to Ildemaro Vargas that put the Nationals up 1-0. Strahm escaped the jam with no further damage after two strikeouts.

Yunior Marte had some anxious moments in the eighth and allowed another double to Vargas before he too escaped with two strikeouts. Craig Kimbrel entered in the ninth and worked around a double to C.J. Abrams to secure the win.

On deck

The Phillies will start a three-game series with the AL Central-leading Minnesota Twins on Friday night at 7:05. Saturday is a 6:40 start time and Sunday is a 1:35 first pitch. The series will wrap up Philadelphia’s ten game homestand.