Phillies beat up on their favorite punching bag, get back on track

The Phillies beat the Washington Nationals 5-1 on Saturday, as Cristopher Sanchez threw a 99-pitch, two-hit complete game.

We’ll get back to Sanchez’s gem shortly. But this story begins on August 25, 2020.

The Nationals’ social media folks were feeling a little feisty that day. With the Phillies visiting the nation’s capital for three games, the Nats tweeted a graphic bragging about their slight advantage in the all-time series between the two teams.

The tweet also highlighted some head to head results dating back to certain cherry-picked seasons. For a little extra “#natitude,” I suppose.

Later that night, in an empty Nationals Park (remember covid baseball?), the Phillies beat the DC squad handily, 8-3. Nats shortstop Trea Turner hit a leadoff homer, but starting pitcher Jake Arrieta didn’t allow another run in five innings of work. J.T. Realmuto hit a three-run home run in the fourth and the Phils never looked back.

The Phillies won again the next night. Aaron Nola, Tommy Hunter, and Brandon Workman held the Nationals to two runs.

The series finale in DC was postponed, but the Phillies swept the Nats in a four game series at Citizens Bank Park about a week later. The Fightins would finish the 2020 season 7-3 against the Nationals, then go 13-6 against them in 2021. In 2022, the 87-win Phillies reached the postseason by going 16-3 against the Washington squad. The Phils won the season series again in 2023.

After Saturday’s win, the Phillies improved to 8-1 against the Nationals in 2024. It all adds up to an incredible 51-19 record and 73% win rate since some poor bastard with the Washington organization hit “send.”

Time and time again in recent years, the Phillies have used games against the Nationals to cure whatever ails them. Saturday’s victory was just the latest example of this dynamic.

Much like they did on that fateful August night four years ago, the Nationals jumped out to an early 1-0 lead on Saturday with a home run. Washington outfielder Alex Call sent a slider from Sanchez 371 feet to right-center.

But that would be Sanchez’s only mistake of the night.

With an impressive collection of Phillies legends in the ballpark, the lefthander dazzled the Nats all night long. 19 of his 27 outs came via ground ball or strikeout. He allowed two hits and walked none.

“[Sanchez] was fantastic, he really was,” said manager Rob Thomson after the game. “Everything about his night. His command, his changeup. The sink on his fastball was unbelievable . . . It was dominant.”

On offense, the Phillies cranked out ten hits. They also produced ten hits in Friday’s win, and unleashed a 17-hit barrage on Thursday (including four knocks from Weston Wilson, who hit for the cycle).

After a long stretch of uninspired baseball, the Phillies have now won four straight games, including three against the Nationals. Getting their act together against the Nats feels particularly important this time around, with tough series against the Braves, Royals, and Astros on the horizon.

Taijuan Walker will start for the Phillies in Sunday’s series finale, and the team would really love to get the big righthander going. Partly due to injury, Walker has struggled all season long. He’s 3-4 with a 5.68 ERA and 1.51 WHIP in 11 starts.

One team Walker has pitched very well against in recent years, however? You guessed it:

Walker will take the mound at 1:35 p.m as the Phillies try for the four-game sweep. He’ll face Nationals RHP Jake Irvin (9-10, 3.72 ERA).

Regardless of Sunday’s outcome, the Phils have won the series. Requests for an updated win/loss graphic from the Nationals, meanwhile, have gone unanswered.