WASHINGTON — It took 27 players, to say nothing of a savvy move by a veteran third base coach, over 19 innings that spanned more than seven hours by day and by night.
But the do-no-wrong Phillies under interim manager Rob Thomson continued to overcome even their worst impulses.
Thomson had to use his top three late-inning relievers to secure a 5-3 victory in the matinee opener Friday. It didn’t matter. With the final out in his hand, shortstop Didi Gregorius threw the ball away in the ninth inning of the nightcap. It didn’t matter.
