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PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Trea Turner hit a bases-loaded single to the base of the wall over a drawn-in outfield in the bottom of the ninth and the Philadelphia Phillies beat Washington 3-2 on Friday night after the Nationals tied the game with two runs in the top of the inning.
Turner finished with three singles and a double, and Nick Castellanos and JT Realmuto also drove in runs for Philadelphia, which won its third straight and steadied itself after losing 16 of 23 games after the All-Star break. The Phillies, 41-22 at home, entered the game with a seven-game lead over the Atlanta Braves in the NL East.
“It feels good,” Turner said.
The Phillies took advantage of Washington miscues in the ninth. Brandon Marsh, entering the game as a defensive replacement, led off with a single to the wall in right field and advanced to second when right fielder Alex Call’s throw sailed past second base. Pinch-hitter Cal Stevenson followed with a bunt that was intended to sacrifice Marsh to third. But, neither pitcher Kyle Finnegan (3-6) nor third baseman José Tena fielded the ball. The Nationals intentionally walked Kyle Schwarber, loading the bases with no outs. Turner ended it with a drive to the wall in left.
“Made too many mistakes in that inning,” Nationals manager Dave Martinez said. “When you play a good team like this, the mistakes are going to get you.”
Turner has seven hits in 10 at-bats, with a pair of doubles, since getting a day off on Wednesday to reset.
“He’s using the field, he’s staying on pitches and he’s not chasing,” manager Rob Thomson said. “I think he just relaxed a little bit. You can do some extra hitting in the cage and work on some mechanical things and just clear your head (on the off day).”
The Nationals rallied to tie the game with a pair of runs in the ninth inning off Carlos Estévez (2-4), who blew his fourth save and first with the Phillies since being acquired from the Angels on July 27. Luis García Jr. and Juan Yepez led off with singles, putting runners on first and second. García scored on Tena’s single, which moved pinch-runner Nasim Nuñez to third. Nuñez scored on Jacob Young’s fielder’s choice groundout to second, tying the game, before Estévez struck out Alex Call and CJ Abrams to avoid further trouble.
“The boys fought though,” Martinez said.
Washington has lost four of five and fell 17 ½ games behind the Phillies in the division.
Phillies starter Aaron Nola didn’t allow a run in 6 ⅔ solid innings. He scattered seven hits while striking out four and walking two.
Washington threatened with two outs in the seventh when Young doubled to put runners on second and third, ending Nola’s night. But lefty reliever Matt Strahm got Call to fly out to right field to keep Washington off the scoreboard. After Strahm got the first out and surrendered a double in the eighth, Jeff Hoffman got the final two outs in the eighth.
A night after hitting for the 10th cycle in Phillies’ history, Weston Wilson went 0 for 2 with a walk.
Washington starter Patrick Corbin gave up two runs on seven hits in 4 ⅓ innings. He struck out two and walked two.
Alec Bhom extended his on-base streak to 33 consecutive games with a single in the first off Corbin.
HONORING RUIZ
Before the game, the Phillies honored former catcher Carlos Ruiz, presenting him with home plate from Wrigley Field, where Ruiz caught one of his four no-hitters when Cole Hamels no-hit the Cubs in Chicago on July 25, 2015. As part of the pregame ceremony, Ruiz threw out a ceremonial first pitch to Brad Lidge, a reversal of the final out between battery mates in the 2008 World Series when Philadelphia defeated Tampa Bay in five games.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Phillies: LHP Ranger Suárez (lower back soreness), on the injured list since July 24, will throw a simulated game on Saturday.
UP NEXT
LHP MacKenzie Gore (7-10, 4.50) starts for the Nationals on Saturday night in the third game of a four-game set against Philadelphia LHP Cristopher Sánchez (8-8, 3.63).
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
