Philadelphia’s rotation took another October-sized hit in Washington, and the bullpen could not keep a tied game from getting away. The Phillies fell 6-3 to the Nationals after pinch-hitter Daylen Lile drilled a three-run homer in the seventh inning, hours after left-hander Jesús Luzardo went on the 15-day injured list with inflammation in his left shoulder.
Phillies bullpen sting turns tight game in Washington
Philadelphia was even at 3-3 when Cristopher Sánchez opened the seventh by allowing consecutive singles. A sacrifice bunt pushed both runners into scoring position, ending Sánchez’s afternoon after 6 1/3 innings.
Interim manager Don Mattingly called on right-hander Jonathan Bowlan, but Lile jumped on Bowlan’s first delivery, a low changeup, and sent it out for the deciding three-run shot.
Quick facts
- Nationals 6, Phillies 3 in Washington.
- Daylen Lile’s first-pitch, three-run homer broke a 3-3 tie in the seventh.
- Cristopher Sánchez allowed five runs on eight hits and two walks across 6 1/3 innings.
- Kyle Schwarber hit his MLB-leading 45th home run, a projected 366-foot drive.
- The Phillies remained one-half game behind the Cubs for the top NL Wild Card and moved 5 1/2 games behind the Braves in the NL East.
Bowlan said the pitch was where he intended it to be, but Lile was ready. “He made a good swing,” Bowlan said. “That’s part of the game sometimes. He’s a good player and he’s in the big leagues for a reason.”
The rough outing extended a troubling stretch for Bowlan. He has surrendered at least one run in five straight appearances, and his four home runs allowed over the last seven outings equal the total he gave up in his first 51 appearances.
Mattingly said Bowlan still matched the moment, even with the damaging result. The Phillies, he added, have been too vulnerable to the long ball out of the bullpen over roughly the past month and need sharper execution.
Sánchez struck out five while throwing 98 pitches, 57 for strikes. Two of the runners he left behind came home after his exit, leaving him charged with five runs.
The left-hander has posted a 5.06 ERA over his last five starts. Sánchez said a handful of missed pitches cost him Tuesday, though he does not intend to let the recent slide become a larger mental burden.
“I know it’s something I need to improve,” Sánchez said through interpreter Diego D’Aniello. “But it’s baseball. I can’t overthink it. We have to keep moving forward and get better.”
Sánchez said he felt somewhat ill Tuesday, describing flu-like symptoms and a stuffy nose, but stressed that he otherwise felt physically sound. “Everything is fine,” he said. “I feel good. I’m human, and things happen.”
Schwarber briefly gave Philadelphia control of the game when he led off the fifth inning with his 45th homer, a blast to right field that put him alone atop the Major League home run leaderboard.
But Schwarber’s focus after the loss was on the final push rather than the individual milestone. He said the Phillies have the talent to be the best club in the league and to finish the season with a trophy, but that potential means little without wins down the stretch.
“It’s going to be a grind,” Schwarber said. “Nothing is guaranteed. We have to go out and win games. We have the group to do it.”
The pressure increases with Luzardo sidelined. Sánchez said the rotation and the rest of the roster must cover for the injured left-hander until he is ready to return.
“He’ll be fine and he’ll be back,” Sánchez said. “Right now, we have to pick him up, play good baseball and keep winning.”
SEO Title: Phillies Lose 6-3 to Nationals as Luzardo Heads to Injured List
SEO Description: Daylen Lile’s seventh-inning three-run homer sank the Phillies in a 6-3 loss to Washington as Philadelphia began its stretch run without injured left-hander Jesús Luzardo.
