PHILADELPHIA — For six innings, the Phillies’ trade-deadline activity looked more interesting than anything happening on the field.
Then Derek Hill changed the conversation with one swing.
Hill launched a go-ahead grand slam into the left-center-field seats in the seventh inning Monday night, turning a three-run deficit into a 4-3 lead and carrying the Phillies to a 6-3 victory over the Washington Nationals at Citizens Bank Park.
Bryce Harper added a two-run homer in the eighth, providing insurance on a night that began with the Phillies announcing the acquisition of Luis Arraez and ended with one of their existing role players delivering the biggest hit.
The victory was Philadelphia’s third straight after an eight-losses-in-nine-games stretch threatened to deepen the club’s midseason slide.
Washington left-hander Andrew Alvarez had controlled the Phillies for most of the evening. Recalled from Triple-A Rochester earlier Monday, Alvarez carried a shutout into the seventh and allowed Philadelphia few opportunities to build an inning.
That changed quickly.
Bryan De La Cruz was hit by a pitch with one out, Bryson Stott worked a five-pitch walk and Nationals manager Blake Butera called for left-hander Tom Cosgrove after Alvarez had thrown 6⅓ innings.
Cosgrove walked Edmundo Sosa to load the bases.
Hill fell behind 0-1 before staying back on a 75.9 mph sweeper and driving it over the wall. The home run was his ninth of the season, his second career grand slam and the Phillies’ first slam in 364 days. It was also their first go-ahead grand slam in the seventh inning or later since Brad Miller did it in July 2021.
The moment reinforced Hill’s growing importance to a Phillies club that spent much of the past several weeks searching for another dependable right-handed bat.
Philadelphia acquired Hill from the Chicago White Sox in June with modest expectations. He has instead continued to force his way into meaningful situations through power, speed and defense.
His contribution Monday did not end with the grand slam.
Hill made a running, tumbling catch in center field during a scoreless eighth inning from Orion Kerkering, helping preserve the one-run advantage before Harper created breathing room in the bottom half.
Harper drove a Clayton Beeter pitch over the wall for his 24th homer, closing a productive final night at first base before the Phillies begin reshaping their defense around Arraez.
Arraez is expected to take over at second base, with Stott moving to third, Alec Bohm shifting to first and Harper returning to right field. Harper has not played the outfield regularly since 2021, but he ended Monday by contributing at both ends of his familiar corner positions.
Before homering, Harper made a diving stop at first in the seventh that potentially prevented another Washington run.
Aaron Nola kept the Phillies within striking distance despite another difficult beginning.
Abimelec Ortiz hit his first major-league home run in the first inning, and Daylen Lile followed with a two-run shot in the second after Keibert Ruiz opened the inning with a single.
Nola settled down from there, holding Washington scoreless over his final four innings. He completed six innings, allowing three runs on six hits before handing the game to a bullpen that retired Washington over the final three frames.
Kyle Backhus earned the victory with a scoreless seventh. Kerkering handled the eighth, and Jhoan Duran struck out two in a clean ninth for his 25th save.
The Nationals have now lost six consecutive games. The Phillies, meanwhile, opened their post-deadline stretch with the type of comeback they badly needed.
Arraez will change the appearance of the lineup. The defensive alignment will change with him. But before any of those moves could take effect, Hill supplied a reminder that deadline upgrades are not the only players capable of changing a season.
On Monday, the Phillies needed one swing to turn a quiet night into a win.
Hill gave it to them.
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