Field Level Media
Jun 23, 2021
Starlin Castro went 3 for 4 with three RBIs and delivered a go-ahead, two-run single in the ninth to propel the Washington Nationals to a wild 13-12 comeback win over the host Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday afternoon.
The Nationals erased three deficits overall, including five-run and four-run Phillies leads, on their way to their fourth consecutive victory. The Phillies lost their third in a row and sixth in their past eight games.
Hector Neris (1-4) gave up back-to-back singles to Josh Bell and Josh Harrison to open the ninth, setting up Castro's go-ahead hit. It was Neris' fifth blown save. Washington's Paolo Espino picked up his first career save.
Trea Turner went 3 for 4 with two RBIs, and Bell went 2 for 4 and hit his second career grand slam in the sixth off reliever David Hale, which capped a six-run inning and gave the Nationals an 11-9 lead.
This followed a five-run fifth inning for the Nationals, which was capped by Kyle Schwarber's game-tying, three-run blast off reliever Archie Bradley, and erased an early 5-0 Philadelphia lead.
Phillies pitchers combined to walk eight batters, while the Nationals' staff walked six.
Alec Bohm went 4 for 5 and tied the game at 11 with an RBI single off reliever Tanner Rainey (1-2), which scored Bryce Harper, who homered earlier in the game and walked to lead off the eighth inning. After Travis Jankowski (3 for 4 with three RBIs) walked, Ronald Torreyes followed with an RBI single that scored J.T. Realmuto and gave the Phillies a 12-11 lead.
Andrew McCutchen belted a hanging slider from Nationals reliever Kyle McGowin for his second career grand slam to put the Phillies ahead 9-5 in the bottom of the fifth. It was McCutchen's first grand slam since 2017 and his first career pinch-hit home run. McGowin had not allowed a run in his previous nine appearances.
Jankowski opened the scoring for the Phillies with a three-run homer off Nationals starter Erick Fedde in the bottom of the second inning. It was Jankowski's first home run since Sept. 26, 2018 and the ninth of his career. It also snapped a streak of 21 consecutive scoreless innings for Fedde.
--Field Level Media