For six innings, the Phillies had nothing. One hit. Thirteen strikeouts. A whole lot of MacKenzie Gore making them look foolish. Then? The floodgates opened.
Alec Bohm cracked the code in the 10th, smashing a two-run double to break the tie. J.T. Realmuto followed with a two-run triple, because why settle for one dagger when you can throw two? Phillies win, 7-3. NL East title defense? Off and running.
Zack Wheeler was his usual surgical self—six innings, two hits, one earned (a Keibert Ruiz solo shot that briefly put Washington up 1-0). But the story early was Gore, who struck out a career-high 13 and looked untouchable. The problem? He left the game. And that’s when Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber—both former Nats, because baseball loves drama—teed off on first-pitch fastballs to flip a deficit into a 2-1 lead.
Washington fought back, tying it in the eighth off Jordan Romano. But Jose Alvarado (1-0) slammed the door in the ninth, and once extra innings hit, the Phillies flexed. Colin Poche (0-1) took the L for Washington, while Matt Strahm cleaned up the 10th to lock it down.
One down, 161 to go. Buckle up.
If This Were a Playoff Game
Instead of endless debates about his maturity and ability to control his emotions, sports talk radio would be flooded with callers raving about that swing—the two-run double into the left-center gap that won the game in the 10th.On the flip side, Jordan Romano would be in some serious hot water. Of his 29 pitches, only 15 found the zone. He walked one, gave up two hits, and let the Nationals erase a two-run deficit in the eighth. That’s not exactly the kind of box score you want in October.
And then there’s the strikeout problem—because you know that would be the leading story in Philly if this were a playoff game. The Phillies whiffed 19 times, the second-most ever on Opening Day. That’s not just a bad number—it’s an all-time bad number. And if this were October? It would be a full-blown crisis.
And of course, there’d be the Who’s Leading Off Today? discourse. Trea Turner turned in an 0-for-4 night—not ideal—but he did work a walk, which would either be a footnote or fuel for a full-blown lineup panic, depending on how deep into Take Season we are.
And then there’s the strikeout problem—because you know that would be the leading story in Philly if this were a playoff game. The Phillies whiffed 19 times, the second-most ever on Opening Day. That’s not just a bad number—it’s an all-time bad number. And if this were October? It would be a full-blown crisis.
And of course, there’d be the Who’s Leading Off Today? discourse. Trea Turner turned in an 0-for-4 night—not ideal—but he did work a walk, which would either be a footnote or fuel for a full-blown lineup panic, depending on how deep into Take Season we are.
Quotable
"A lot of guys in here, man -- including myself -- we love that kid over there. He plays the game and plays it hard and understands what it takes, man. He just needs to not put pressure on himself too much and just have fun, enjoy what he does." - Bryce Harper speaking about Alec Bohm following Thursday's win, per MLB.com.
Phillies WPA (win probability added)
Bohm coming through in the clutch with the extra-inning heroics helped him to a 0.50 WPA. Jordan Romano, meanwhile, took the brunt of it, finishing with a -0.34 WPA after walking one, allowing two hits, and surrendering the tying runs in the eighth. And then there’s Bryson Stott, who had a chance to be the hero in the ninth with the bases loaded—but instead flied out to center, earning a -0.25 WPA on the day.What's Next
The clubs are off on Friday before resuming their three-game set on Saturday. Lefty Jesus Luzardo will make his Phillies debut, while the Nationals turn to righty Jake Irvin.
