Aug 1, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Jhoan Duran (59) throws a pitch during the ninth inning against the Detroit Tigers at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
The Philadelphia Phillies hosted the Washington Nationals for the first game of a three-game series at Citizens Bank Park on Friday night. A tough opening inning for Taijuan Walker put Philly in an early 3-0 hole, but they managed to dig their way out of the deficit to call upon closer Jhoan Duran in the ninth. Unfortunately, the new Phillies closer was unable to get the job done as Washington scored two runs in the ninth inning to claim a 5-4 victory on Friday evening.
Walker struggled with his location in the first inning, resulting in three walks and a massive three-run home run by Nationals catcher Riley Adams for the opening score of the ballgame. “Yeah, a little uncharacteristic,” Phillies manager Rob Thomson said of his starter’s opening inning. “First pitch strikes were down, strike percentage was down. You know, he couldn’t land his cutter. He made an adjustment after the first inning and got a lot better. He grinded through and gave us five [innings]. I took him out a bit early … especially after 38 pitches in the first inning.
Walker returned for the second frame and walked the first hitter he faced, Daylen Lile. This time, the Phillies starter got Brady House to ground into a prototypical 6-4-3 double play to empty the bases. From there, Walker locked in and did not allow any more runs over a total of five innings. He finished allowing three hits, three earned runs, three walks, and five strikeouts.
The Phillies struck back in the bottom of the second inning. Nick Castellanos, who was 3-4 on the evening, scored on an infielder’s ground ball after Trea Turner hustled down the line to break up a potential double play. After the game, Thomson credited Castellanos for generating the Phillies’ opening run. “Going from first to third [on a Bryson Stott single to center] created a run for us,” Thomson said. “And Trea busting it down the line to avoid the double play got us on the board.”
Phillies punch back
Cade Cavalli limited Philadelphia’s offense to mostly singles until the bottom of the sixth inning. Stott stepped up in a clutch moment by smacking a 1-0 pitch deep into the Philadelphia sky for a game-tying, 2-run home run over the right field wall for a 3-3 tie as “The Bank” roared back to life in South Philadelphia. It was Stott’s ninth homer of the season.
Jose Alvarado shut down the Nationals in the top of the seventh. In the bottom half of the frame, J.T. Realmuto soared a home run above the dark green left field wall for a 4-3 Phillies advantage — his 10th round-tripper in 2025.
J.T. REAL HOT RIGHT NOW pic.twitter.com/tvsZbBFmr2
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) August 23, 2025
The lights went out and the show began as Duran entered the ballgame in the top of the ninth inning. However, things didn’t go as Phillies fans expected. Dylan Crews whacked a double down the right field line to put a runner in scoring position.
Lile cracked a base hit down the left field line that scored Crews on a close play at the plate after Realmuto was unable to come up with the baseball to tie the game at four. During the next at-bat, Lile stole third and advanced home as Realmuto’s throw went above Bohm’s head, skipping into left field, and leading to a 5-4 Nationals lead.
It is only the 10th blown save of Duran’s career, who now sports an 88% success rate in closing opportunities with 80 saves in 90 chances. “I think they put a couple of good at-bats on him,” Thomson said of Duran’s performance. “The right fielder gets the ball down the right field line where we’re not standing, and Lile puts a good at-bat… hits a splitter the other way. I thought we had a shot at the plate. It’s just the ball hit the runner, I think, from the look of it.”
When asked about his confidence in his new closer, Thomson pointed to the greatest closer ever, Mariano Rivera, whom he helped coach during the closer’s 19-year career with the New York Yankees. “I’m super confident,” Thomson said. “Mariano had 80 of ‘em [blown saves], so it’s going to happen once in a while. He struck out the side. There’s going to be hits in there sometimes. Rivera finished his career with 652 saves, which is 51 more saves than the next name on the list, Trevor Hoffman.
Last Chance
The Phillies did not rally for any hits in the bottom of the ninth. Washington’s PJ Poulin picked up the win as he sat down Stott, Turner, and Kyle Schwarber to cap off a disappointing 5-4 Phillies defeat on Friday night.
Philadelphia and Washington return to the baseball diamond tomorrow at 6:05 pm. Aaron Nola is the scheduled starter for the Phillies, making his second start since returning from injured reserve last weekend. He will be opposed to left-hander Mitchell Parker in a rematch of last weekend’s action.
Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images