WASHINGTON – Thanks to a former Nationals hero, the Phillies acted out the same script again Thursday night with another dramatic 10-5 comeback win over Washington at Nationals Park.
In the top of the ninth, Bryce Harper crushed a two-run opposite-field home run – his 18th of the season – off Nationals reliever Gus Varland to break a 5-5 tie, and the Phillies completed their third straight ninth-inning fireworks display in the nation’s capital.
The Phillies are the first team in Major League history to hit a go-ahead home run in the ninth inning of three consecutive games, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
Thursday, it was Harper’s turn doing the damage, putting away the team that chose him with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2010 MLB Draft.
"He's not afraid of the stage, that's one thing for sure,” said interim manager Don Mattingly. “He's been in it his whole life. I don't think the stage bothers him. I think it probably motivates him when people get on him. It's probably something that he feeds off of a little bit."
"He was stubborn to an approach, to a plan,” said Nationals manager Blake Butera. “He didn't chase. We tried to get him out of the zone there, but he's not going to do that. When he got a pitch in the zone, he stayed through it and went the other way and hit a ball really well."
Fans in the right-field seats were chanting at Harper and the Phillies most of the night. After Harper hit the game-breaking home run, he gestured toward the loud contingent in the upper deck.
"Yeah, obviously, ring finger though,” Harper said. “Make sure that's out there. Obviously, everybody heard [the fans chant]. We heard it the other night. They're doing the same thing to Trea [Turner], which is crazy ‘cause they just probably should know the history a little bit with him winning a World Series here.
“It's part of it. I love coming in here and playing here. I'm very familiar with the ballpark, and I love hitting here. I've hit some big homers here, had some big at-bats here as well. I love playing here. It's definitely a familiar place for me."
Brandon Marsh’s two-run shot started the comeback in the sixth. He finished 9-for-17 (.529) in the four-game series, with one double, three homers, six runs scored and six RBIs.
Marsh knows Harper was motivated by the fans getting after the Phillies.
"I feel like everyone heard, you know, what those group of dudes were saying up there,” Marsh said. “I feel like Harp gets a lot of heat just for being who he is and how good he is. I feel like it just comes with being one of the best players to ever play.
“Him coming in clutch for us in that moment was ... I don't know the word to describe it. The boys needed it and he came through for us, and another crazy ninth inning."
The Phillies trailed 5-0 after five innings on a rare rough night for starter Cristopher Sánchez.
"I missed a couple pitches, and they got me,” Sánchez said via interpreter Diego D’Aniello. “But outside of that, I think I felt great today. Everything was good. I missed a couple pitches that first inning and they punished me for it."
Then the offense got to work again.
The red-hot Marsh cranked his 12th homer of the season off Nationals starter Cade Cavalli to cut the deficit to 5-2.
In the seventh, the Phillies took advantage of four walks by Nationals relievers Mitchell Parker and Clayton Beeter to score three and tie the score at 5-5.
The Phillies improved to 45-36 as they take aim at the first-place Braves, rolling to a 19-9 record since May 25. They have also dominated the Nationals the past five seasons, going 53-20 since July 29, 2021, outscoring the Nats 458-303 (+155 run differential).
"I've had some clubs that have been able to do this,” Mattingly said. “This little stretch of these games have been a little crazy. You get down to the ninth and you’re like, 'Well, how many times can it happen?' Then Brandon gets us going and then we roll."