Even in a sport that regularly borders on the absurd, this was a ninth inning that might require a postgame therapist.
What started as a three-run Phillies lead ended in mayhem — complete with a misplayed fly ball, a game-tying sacrifice fly that almost turned into a double play, and a walk-off wild pitch that included a cleat to the hand. Final score: Phillies 7, Nationals 6. And if that feels hard to believe, wait till you hear how we got there.
The Phillies were three outs from a tidy win when Johan Rojas lost a James Wood liner in the lights — or maybe in the moment — letting it sail over his head. Then Trea Turner threw away a ball at short, and suddenly it felt like the walls were caving in.
Cue Nathaniel Lowe. Yes, that Nathaniel Lowe — a Nationals addition this past offseason — stepped in with two outs and two on, then uncorked an 88 mph Orion Kerkering sweeper into the right-field seats. Just like that, a 5-2 lead turned into a 6-5 deficit, and a fan base turned into a puddle.
Kerkering’s third blown save of the season was complete, and Citizens Bank Park fell into an eerie hush. But only temporarily.
In the bottom of the ninth, Rojas atoned. Sort of. His fly ball to right scored Alec Bohm with the tying run — but not without a serious scare. Right fielder Dylan Crews’ one-hopper beat Bohm to the plate, but catcher Keibert Ruiz couldn’t secure it. Dusty Wathan had waved Bohm with no hesitation, despite Bohm not exactly being confused for Usain Bolt.
Then, with Bryson Stott at third and Turner (4-for-4 on the night) at the plate, Kyle Finnegan uncorked a wild pitch. Stott took off like his hair was on fire, slid home headfirst — and was stepped on by Finnegan mid-slide.
And yes, that was Finnegan’s second blown save of the season, making it a rare game featuring two blown saves in the same inning.
Rojas, by the way, also went deep earlier in the night — his first homer of the season — long before his glove and then his bat found themselves at the center of the Phillies’ late-night whiplash. Schwarber also homered, while Zack Wheeler tossed 6 2/3 innings, allowing two runs, five hits, and fanning seven.
The Phillies are now 16-13, riding a three-game win streak and a Tuesday night that no one will forget — partly because they’re still trying to figure out how it all happened.
Because, once again, baseball proves the rule: If it looks like a normal win in the ninth, you clearly haven’t waited long enough.
Quotable
“We love winning. We hate losing.” - Johan Rojas, per MLB.com. Sanchez on Deck
There was plenty of concern after he exited his last start early with forearm soreness, but the outlook is far more encouraging now for Cristopher Sanchez. The 28-year-old lefty underwent a full round of tests that revealed no structural damage, and he’s been cleared to start Wednesday night at Citizens Bank Park.
While the Phillies may manage his workload with a pitch count as a precaution, his return to the mound is a positive development. Sánchez has been excellent through five starts, posting a 3.42 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, and a 33-to-8 strikeout-to-walk ratio over 26 1/3 innings.
