WASHINGTON -- A couple of things are guaranteed on a night of baseball at Nationals Park: the President’s Race, the bullpen cart, the (now obstructed) view of the U.S. Capitol.

And if Kyle Schwarber is in the building, it’s pretty much guaranteed that he’s going to leave it.

The designated hitter continued his career-long success in the nation’s capital on Friday night, achieving another multihomer game in his former home ballpark as part of the Phillies’ 8-7 loss to the Nationals.

Schwarber cracked a two-run homer off Joan Adon in the fourth inning and added a solo shot off Kyle Finnegan in the ninth, but it wasn’t enough as Washington tagged Michael Lorenzen for seven runs (six earned) in the righty’s first start since his Aug. 9 no-hitter against the Nats.

The loss maintained the Phillies’ two-game lead over the Giants in the National League Wild Card race, as San Francisco also lost in Atlanta. With head-to-head record determining tiebreakers in the standings, the Phillies are 0-3 against the Giants this season, with the final three matchups of their season series looming next week.

“Gotta keep working in the cage and go out there and compete -- that’s the biggest thing,” Schwarber said. “Hopefully, tomorrow we can turn the page and come in ready to get another win.”

When the Phillies return to Nationals Park on Saturday with an eye toward doing just that, they will be happy to have Schwarber, who hits against the Nats and in their home park about as well as anyone against any team, anywhere.

Consider these numbers:

• Schwarber’s homers Friday were his 25th and 26th in only 62 career games at Nats Park, including 40 he spent as a member of the Nationals in 2021.
• He’s hit those 26 homers in only 213 at-bats in the venue. That's one every 8.19 at-bats, the best home-run rate in the history of Nats Park by any player, visitor or otherwise (minimum 100 at-bats).
• Not only that, but Schwarber’s 8.19 HR/AB rate is the second-best of any active player at any ballpark and the ninth-best by any player at any ballpark since 1906. The other names on that list are some of the most prolific sluggers in baseball history:

HR/AB, ballpark (minimum 100 at-bats):

1. José Bautista, Target Field (7.29)
2. Mark McGwire, Busch II (7.37)
3. Fred McGriff, Kingdome (7.43)
4. Barry Bonds, Turner Field (7.50)
5. Khris Davis, Globe Life Park (7.63)
6. Willie Mays, Ebbets Field (7.86)
7. Aaron Judge, Oriole Park (7.91)
8. Carlos Delgado, Globe Life Park (8.16)
9. Kyle Schwarber, Nats Park (8.19)

Furthermore, Schwarber’s 1.103 OPS at Nats Park is the best of any player in the venue’s history (again, minimum 100 at-bats). His .847 SLG against the Nationals since the start of the 2022 season is the highest of any player against one opponent in that time frame, and his 1.291 OPS against them is the second-highest of any player against one opponent in that time frame, behind Aaron Judge (1.322 OPS) against the Orioles (minimum 100 at-bats).

“He can hit,” said Nationals manager Dave Martinez, who managed Schwarber in Washington and coached him with Chicago. “I know he’s with the Phillies, but I love him. When he's taking pitches the way he took those pitches, and you get the ball up, out over the plate, you're going to pay. He doesn't quite miss those balls often. “

Simply put, Schwarber is one of the best hitters in the history of Nationals Park.

“I guess I’ve always liked hitting here, even when I was with Chicago before I came to Washington,” Schwarber said. “I had a good time in Washington. I don’t know, I’ve just always kind of liked hitting here.”

All of which makes a trip to the nation’s capital the perfect kind of reprieve for Schwarber, who entered play hitless in six of his past seven games and mired in a 2-for-23 funk. The Phillies are hopeful that Friday's big swings can be a spark for the reigning NL home run champion, who has been productive but has looked much more mortal in his second season in Philadelphia.

Though hitting for average has never been Schwarber’s specialty, it’s still notable how he hasn’t been above the Mendoza Line since May 2; overall, he’s hitting .182 with 32 homers and a .757 OPS.

“His swings [tonight] were good,” manager Rob Thomson said. “Some guys just like hitting in certain parks, and they have success here. I don’t know what that is, but it happens.”