Phillies return to winning ways with second straight victory over the Washington Nationals

While it wasn't necessarily their best baseball, the Phillies return home winners of two straight, and their first win streak of the season.

Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto, center, celebrates after he scored on a triple by teammate Alec Bohm during the second inning of a 5-2 win over the Washington Nationals on Saturday.Read moreNick Wass / AP

by Alex Coffey

Published Apr. 6, 2024, 6:56 p.m. ET

WASHINGTON — After two tough series at home against the Braves and the Reds, the Phillies needed a reset.

The Washington Nationals provided one in the first two games of their three-game set.

The Phillies still haven’t played their best baseball, but after Saturday’s 5-2 win against the Nationals, they have their first winning streak of the season and a .500 record.

Both games were won by strong pitching. On Friday, it was Aaron Nola and the bullpen delivering a two-hit shutout. On Saturday, Ranger Suárez made only one glaring mistake in his six innings, a 91 mph sinker that Joey Gallo hit for a two-run homer in the third inning.

Those would be the only runs the Phillies allowed all day. Suárez (1-0) did a good job of keeping his pitch count down, allowing four hits with no walks and four strikeouts. Jeff Hoffman came in to throw 1⅔ innings, with one walk and one strikeout.

Gregory Soto made a brief appearance after Hoffman to record the final out of the eighth inning by inducing a flyout.

“[Hoffman] and [Matt] Strahm — one is left-handed, and one is right-handed, but they kind of do the same thing,” said manager Rob Thomson. “You can use them in multiple spots. Both of those guys can close out games, they can high leverage, they can come in in dirty innings and come out in the next inning. They’re just like Swiss Army knives, and that’s value.”

José Alvarado pitched the ninth, inducing a groundout, a forceout, and a strikeout. He ran his pitch count up, throwing 28 pitches in the ninth, but got the job done (and got the save).

As was the case on Friday night, the Phillies lineup was unable to capitalize on a few opportunities. They went 2-for-10 with runners in scoring position. But there were a few standouts.

In the third inning, the Nationals decided to intentionally walk Bryce Harper with two outs to face J.T. Realmuto. Unlike some other hitters — looking at you, Jean Segura — Realmuto did not seem to be insulted by the intentional walk. But he made them pay for it nonetheless, hitting a three-run homer off right-hander Jake Irvin into the Phillies bullpen.

“I know it comes with the job of hitting in the four-hole on this team,” Realmuto said. “For me, it’s more important to just take it like another at-bat and not try to go up there and get vengeance, or do too much. I just try to treat it like any other at-bat.”

Realmuto is hitting .333/.379/.556 through seven games, with two home runs. He feels good about his at-bats so far but would like to chase less with two strikes. Thanks to some mechanical tweaks that he incorporated to his swing, he feels he is in a better position to hit. It has made a difference for him.

“I actually started to feel pretty good the last week or two of the [2023] season, and then in the playoffs, I felt good,” Realmuto said. “I think the biggest difference is my swing direction. My approach, staying to right-center, and trusting that swing path. Because any time I start looking in or cheating to pull, that’s when things go south for me. Usually, if my direction is good and to right-center field, that’s when I’m at my best. And I feel like I’ve been able to do that more consistently.”

Thomson was so impressed with his at-bats throughout spring training that he has moved Realmuto to the cleanup spot to start the year. In 2023, Realmuto spent most of his time in the six-hole. Thomson has been pleased with the results so far.

“I like him right there,” he said.

Seven Phillies’ hitters recorded at least one hit on Saturday afternoon. Trea Turner and Realmuto went 2-for-4, and Nick Castellanos snapped an 0-for-18 skid with a hard-hit single to center field in the seventh inning. Alec Bohm hit an RBI triple in the second to put the Phillies on the board.

Brandon Marsh showed some good situational hitting in the ninth inning when he singled to center with runners on first and second to score Bryson Stott. The Phillies will go for the sweep on Sunday afternoon.