The Philadelphia Phillies defeated the Washington Nationals 5-4 on Wednesday night at Nationals Park, thanks to a dramatic two-run pinch-hit home run by Derek Hill in the ninth inning.
Trailing 4-3 entering the final frame, Kyle Schwarber drew a two-out walk against right-hander Orlando Ribalta after falling behind 1-2.
Washington then brought in left-hander Richard Lovelady, prompting Phillies interim manager Don Mattingly to send Hill to the plate.
Hill delivered the go-ahead blast, marking the second consecutive night the Phillies rallied to win in the ninth inning.
Schwarber and Hill Reflect on Clutch At-Bats
Schwarber, returning from a two-day absence due to lower back tightness, acknowledged the difficulty of pinch-hitting late in the game.
“It’s the hardest thing to do in the game, I think, is being a pinch-hitter and having to go up there and taking an at-bat,” Schwarber said.
He praised Hill's adjustments since joining the team. “He’s been making some really good adjustments since he’s gotten to us.
He works extremely hard, and he fits right in with our group.
To see him go out there and have that big swing, put us ahead, it’s really cool.”
Hill credited the coaching staff's preparation.
“I’m just trying to go up there and just execute the plan that the hitting department has laid out for us.
Tonight they gave us a pretty dang good one.”
Nola Settles After Rough Start
Phillies starter Aaron Nola surrendered two solo home runs in the first two innings but settled down to strike out five over five frames.
“I just tried to keep the guys in the game as long as I could,” Nola said.
Mattingly praised Nola's resilience.
“He’s the kind of guy I’ve learned to appreciate more and more, just the way he continues to fight, continues to make pitches.
He may bend a little bit, but he just doesn’t give in and stop pitching.”
Mattingly emphasized the importance of the consecutive comeback wins for team confidence. “It’s them understanding that this game’s never over.
I think that’s important for our club to know that we can score a lot, we can score a little, we can score in different ways.
These wins are very important.”
Nationals' Bullpen Woes Continue
The loss marked another late-game collapse for Washington, which has allowed 69 runs in the ninth inning or later through 81 games this season.
Manager Blake Butera offered a terse response when asked about the defeat: “Another one.” He added, “Mental, physical, somebody’s got to get the last out.
We’ve given every guy in the bullpen an opportunity to finish the game for us. We’re gonna keep trying to find that guy.”
Reliever Richard Lovelady expressed frustration. “It sucks.
Losing last night’s game and … the Giants game, especially after just three heck-of-a-jobs by the guys before us, getting us all the way to the ninth inning and not being able to finish this — it’s the worst feeling.”
Lovelady stressed the need to move on. “You’ve got to close the page, and then write another one tomorrow.”
