WASHINGTON — Need an elixir for a losing streak? How about something potent to stave off a late-season collapse?
Book an appointment with the Washington Nationals.
The Phillies couldn’t have timed it better. After scoring a total of three runs in three games this week in Chicago and pulling into town on a five-game skid, just a whiff of the air in the D.C. Navy Yard boosted their playoff odds. Heck, they didn’t even have to play particularly well, either.
In the opener of a day-night doubleheader Friday, with the threat of rain looming, Rhys Hoskins smashed a first-inning home run that propelled the Phillies to a had-to-have-it 5-1 victory before a crowd so sparse that noise from a nearby construction site could be heard inside the ballpark.
All season, the 102-loss Nationals have been the Phillies’ punching bag.
Now, they may turn out to be their life preserver.
With their 14th win in 16 games over their once mighty division rival — didn’t Washington win the World Series only three years ago? — the Phillies nudged their lead for the last National League playoff spot to one game over the Milwaukee Brewers, who were due to face Miami Marlins ace Sandy Alcantara on Friday night.
The Phillies and Nationals were scheduled to play again, too. But the weather forecast called for late-afternoon rain that would continue throughout the night and the weekend. Unless the teams are able to squeeze in three more games between the downpours, they may need to reconvene here Thursday to finish out the season if the games prove to be determinative.
And given how badly the Phillies have beaten up the Nationals — and how much they’ve struggled against good teams (the final series of the season is against the American League-leading Houston Astros) — they may need every possible chance to stack up wins in Washington.
Hoskins’ 30th homer of the season, a solo shot against Nationals starter Erick Fedde, provided a rare lead and a chance for the Phillies to exhale. The margin grew to 2-0 in the fourth inning when Brandon Marsh doubled and scored on an RBI single by Jean Segura.
And for the third time in eight starts, lefty Bailey Falter stopped a losing streak. Falter held the Nationals to three hits and two walks in six scoreless innings and improved to 6-1 since entering the starting rotation last month.
The Nationals offered plenty of help, too. They got caught stealing twice in the third inning, with J.T. Realmuto cutting down both Victor Robles and Lane Thomas at second base. Rookie shortstop CJ Abrams sailed a throw to first base to open the sixth inning before reliever Jordan Weems balked home a run two batters later to make it 3-0.
In the ninth inning, the Nats loaded the bases against Seranthony Domínguez, forcing him to throw 36 pitches in what amounted to the Phillies’ only nervous moment. But Robles struck out and former Phillies second baseman César Hernández grounded out to end the game.
It’s par for the course when the Phillies play the Nationals.
All they need now is for the rain to abate in time to allow them to do it three more times.
20/20 vision
By stealing third base in the first inning, Realmuto became only the second catcher ever to hit 20 home runs and swipe 20 bags in a season. Hall of Fame catcher Iván Rodríguez had 35 homers and 25 steals in 1999.
(Worth noting: Rodríguez got caught stealing 12 times that year; Realmuto hasn’t been caught yet this season.)
But Realmuto made history in other ways, too. He became the first catcher to steal three bases in a game since Jason Kendall on April 19, 1999. Realmuto is the first Phillies catcher with three steals in a game since Red Dooin in 1906.
Falter? Try stopper.
When the Phillies put Falter into the rotation last month, they asked him mostly to go five or six innings and get through a lineup at least twice.
Once again, he outpaced expectations.
Falter held the Nationals to three hits and two walks in six scoreless innings to leave his ERA at 3.07 in his last eight starts.
More importantly, the Phillies are 6-2 in those games, with three of those victories coming after a loss. Falter helped them snap three-game skids on Aug. 20 and Aug. 31.
After Zach Eflin gave up a run in the seventh inning, José Alvarado tossed a scoreless eighth to continue his dominance. Alvarado hasn’t allowed a run in 12 1/3 innings. He has struck out 20 of the last 40 batters and given up two hits, both singles.
