Phillies Walk-Off Nationals in Thrilling 7-6 Win to Start Series
Apr 29, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies second base Bryson Stott (5) celebrates with outfielder Nick Castellanos (8) after scoring the winning run on a wild pitch during the ninth inning against the Washington Nationals at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images
The Philadelphia Phillies hosted the Washington Nationals for tonight’s series opener, which attracted the eyes of many fans at the culmination of the game.
The Phils played throughout the game with hot bats and a quality start that will more than likely bring Zack Wheeler out of his little skid, but within the last three innings, the game took a turn no one thought they would see with Nationals baserunner coming out of the blue and an eighth inning that raised heart rates around all of Philadelphia.
Though the Phillies walked it off on a wild pitch from closer Kyle Finnegan, there were a lot of fixable mistakes in the field that ultimately brought the Phillies to the bottom of the ninth. These fielding errors were the factor leading to the Phillies not being able to give Wheeler a decision.
Tonight’s win was essential for the Phillies in the standings, as the New York Mets continue to pile on wins. Although the Phillies played another half inning, they didn’t need to; nevertheless, a win for the Phils in any form is essential.
Starting Pitching Concerns Near Diminished
In tonight’s game, Wheeler did the job of keeping the Nats off the scorecard as much as possible. Though giving up two earned runs, Wheeler struck out seven hitters in six and two-thirds innings.
In prior starts, Wheeler had become a bit of a concern for fans, as his good starts have been mixed in with some starts he would like to forget.
As of late, Wheeler has shown he is back to his Cy Young standard with his last few starts, including tonight’s. Although it didn’t seem like it halfway through the game, a quality start from Zack was extremely necessary in the end.
Kerkering Folds Again
In the top of the ninth, manager Rob Thomson threw out Orion Kerkering to go for the save. Kerkering is 0-2 in save opportunities this year, which led to a bad look when he walked on the mound.
In a recent game against the Marlins, Kerkering failed to keep the Phillies’ lead after giving up a home run in the eighth inning. A similar outcome came out of tonight’s game, with a home run to Nathaniel Lowe, giving the Nationals the lead late.
Despite errors, this appearance for Kerkering begs for more questions regarding his late-inning, high-pressure role in the bullpen in the future.
Errors Take Charge Late
With the bullpen and star hitters, the poor fielding continues to be an issue for the Phillies, as it almost cost them the game tonight.
In the ninth inning, Johan Rojas made a bad read in the outfield when coming in on a ball over his head. This is not at all like Rojas, as he has been excellent in the outfield in Philadelphia. The Phillies hope to move on from this play and continue to help out Rojas.
Trea Turner, a more usual suspect, made an error late as well as a controversial fielder’s choice play earlier. These plays add to the debate of whether Trea should be playing in the infield at this point in time. Until then, he must control his fielding to the best of his abilities.
Major Strides at the Plate
In tonight’s game, the poor fielding cannot overshadow the excellent contact and power the Phillies experienced.
Turner, in four at-bats, got a hit in all four, bringing home one runner, while crossing home twice himself. This raises his average to .290, which seems to be more like Trea.
Kyle Schwarber got back on track tonight with his eighth home run of the year, to open the scoring for both teams. This home run was massive as his return in power will come in clutch in the month of May and beyond.
Rojas also had a great night at the dish, as he hit his first home run of the year, which happened to go 421 feet. With two hits tonight, Rojas now sits at an average of .288, which shows tremendous growth at the plate
Lastly, although not having a hit yet, Alec Bohm came up clutch with a base hit to right to start the ninth inning rally. Bohm has now shown he can put the ball anywhere in the field, which will significantly improve his statistics, but as of now, we see, through this, that he has his clutch gene back.
The Phillies ultimately showed a great sense of discipline and awareness at the plate and on the base path, which is an area of struggle that is getting better day by day.
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Luke Raidy
Luke has covering the the Flyers and Phillies for Philly Sports Reports since 2025. He is a junior at North Penn and being a huge Philly sports fan has brought so many experiences, such as going to the NLDS, NLCS, and even the World Series in 2022. He has also met former superstars in the city of Philadelphia, such as Wayne Simmonds from the Flyers. Though being a student-athlete, Luke enjoys his time where he is writing and reporting on Philadelphia sports.
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