Winners and losers as Phillies take two in ugly series vs. Nationals

The larger the sample size gets, the clearer picture we get of the 2025 Phillies.

They're talented, but flawed. They can dominate one day, and blow a winnable game the next. They can't really play defense or hit with runners in scoring position, and the bullpen remains an issue.

But against the Nationals this week at Citizens Bank Park, the Phils returned to winning ways taking yet another series at home.

A wild 7-6 walk-off got it started Tuesday before a wire-to-wire 7-2 win followed Wednesday night. In the finale, some dreadful miscues handed the Nationals a cheap win, 4-2 (much like they did in Washington to start the season last month).

Here's a look at the biggest winners and losers with the Diamondbacks up next on the ledger:

Winners

The pitching staff

Sort of quietly, the Phillies pitching staff has been one of the better starting units in baseball. It showed against the Nationals, as all three starters posted quality starts:

Yes, even Walker pitched well. And he also did this:

PUT IT ON SPORTSCENTER! pic.twitter.com/vpwmeFxesn

— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) May 1, 2025

Trea Turner

Turner had a four-hit day in the series opener, and after an 0-fer in the team's big win in the middle game had three hits in the finale. His batting average is up to .298 and he seems to be comfortable again hitting second in the lineup most nights.

Kyle Schwarber

Schwarber hit a two-run homer on Tuesday and a three-run bomb on Wednesday — noteworthy because the weather in Philadelphia is finally warm. Hittin' season for one of the most prolific sluggers in baseball has arrived.

Phillies fans (at home)

The Phillies have not lost a series at home since mid August of last year and are 11-5 this season playing at The Bank. They seem to be a totally different team within their friendly confines, at least offensively. A look at some numbers as of Thursday afternoon, at which time they had played exactly 15 games away and 15 home:

Losers

Good defense

The sequence that saw the Phillies win Game 1 of this series was pretty unique. It involved some horrible fielding from both teams and an opportunistic walk-off on a wild pitch.

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• In the top of the ninth, the Phillies (and Orion Kerkering) blew a three-run lead.
• CJ Abrams scored the first run when a routine fly ball to center was misplayed by Johan Rojas.
• A throwing error from Trea Turner and wild pitch set the table with two men on and Nathanel Lowe went deep to put Washington ahead 6-5.
• Small ball saw the Phils score a tying run on a Rojas sac fly when Philly came up in the bottom of the ninth.
• After stealing third base, Bryson Stott scored on a wild pitch, nearly getting his left hand stomped on when sliding home. He looked dead on arrival but the throw was mishandled and Philly stole a win.

PRETTY WILD ENDING#RingTheBell pic.twitter.com/0Jhv5vd8XT

— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) April 30, 2025

Defense wins championships — and bad defense can win baseball games in April apparently.

Avoiding double plays

The Phillies hit into their 23rd double play with two runners on and Nick Castellanos at the plate Thursday night in the eighth inning, ending their best scoring threat to complete a comeback. The number is too high, and they always seem to come at the worst times. Alec Bohm and J.T. Realmuto are the worst offenders with six apiece (tied for the fourth most of any individual player).

Bryce Harper

A streaky player to be sure, Harper didn't have his best approach at the plate against his former team, mustering just one hit in each game and no RBI in the series. His last homer came on April 18. He also didn't get a lot of these playing in the outfield:

Bryce Harper lets the ball go under his glove and Keibert Ruiz ends up on 3rd base to give the Nationals a 2-1 lead.
The play was ruled a 3 base error on Harper pic.twitter.com/VsfePaHBFW

— Baseball’s Office (@baseballsoffice) May 2, 2025

The blunder at first resulted in a go-ahead run for Washington and a runner advancing all the way to third (and eventually scoring). A fourth run would score — apropos — on a miscue from catcher Rafael Marchán, who had a baserunner dead to rites trying to steal but threw it into the outfield, allowing a different runner to score from third.

Dylan Crews

Crews vs. the Phillies this season: 0-for-22 with 14 strikeouts. Yes it's a division rival, but eventually you have to feel bad for the guy.

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