Finnegan surrenders walk-off hit to Turner in loss to Phillies (updated)

PHILADELPHIA – No matter what the Nationals did on the mound tonight, they had to get more production at the plate. Even on a good pitching night, three runs is usually not enough to beat this daunting Phillies lineup that scored 13 last night.

The Phillies entered tonight averaging 7.0 runs per game over 47 games against the Nats since the nightcap of a doubleheader on July 29, 2021. So without an absolute gem from the Nats pitching staff, the offense would need to score a lot more.

After suffering through six strong innings from Zack Wheeler last night, the Nats had the pleasure of facing Aaron Nola in the second game of this four-game set. Although they had more chances against this veteran right-hander and their own pitchers did a much better job containing the Phillies hitters, the results looked similar. That was until the ninth inning, when the Nats rallied to score two runs to tie the game.

That rally was in vain, though, because the Phillies scored the walk-off run in the bottom of the ninth to win 3-2 and send the boisterous crowd of 41,067 home happy.

Facing closer Kyle Finnegan, Brandon Marsh, who came in as a defensive replacement in the top of the ninth, hit a deep single to right field. But Alex Call’s throwing error allowed him to reach second easily. Then pinch-hitter Cal Stevenson put down a perfect bunt that wasn’t fielded by Finnegan nor third baseman José Tena due to some miscommunication in a loud Citizens Bank Park.

After intentionally walking Kyle Schwarber to load the bases, Trea Turner hit a deep single off the left field wall to send in the winning run.

"We had a runner on second," Finnegan said after taking a tough loss. "I figured they were going to try and bunt him over, and he just put it right in that tweener spot where it's hard to tell whose read it is, whose ball it is. And then you're in a pretty tough spot there, especially with who they had coming up."

“We don't field the bunt. It cost a big run," said manager Davey Martinez. "We got behind on Schwarber. We threw the ball away, which could have kept a runner on first base. That was the difference. I mean, if he bunts the guy to second, we could walk Schwarber. We get a fly ball from Turner. It's two outs. But we made too many mistakes that inning.”

This came after the Nats finally had some life in the ninth inning. Luis García Jr., Juan Yepez and Tena hit three straight singles against new Phillies closer Carlos Estévez to push a run across. Then Jacob Young hit a grounder to second to allow Nasim Nuñez, pinch-running for Yepez, to score the tying run.

Young stole second to get into scoring position for CJ Abrams, who struck out to keep the game tied going to the bottom of the ninth with James Wood standing in the on-deck circle.

“It takes one guy getting on and it can happen whenever," said Wood, who finished 3-for-3 with a double and a walk. "Obviously, we couldn't get the job done tonight. But it was a good fight we put up in the ninth inning. Just being able to rally guys and just knowing that we're never out of the game.”

The late-inning dramatics were necessary because the Nats lineup was not able to score any runs on Nola despite getting runners on base every inning against his knuckle curveball.

The Nats were able to hit Nola for seven knocks and worked two walks along the way. They just couldn’t come up with a clutch hit.

All in all, the Nats went 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position and left nine runners on base.

“First and foremost, Nola wasn't too shabby tonight. He's pretty good," Martinez said. "He hit his spots. Didn't give us a whole lot to hit. When he got in trouble, he made some really good pitches. But then again, we got to learn how to just, like we did the last inning, take what they give us. Hit the ball, stay in the big part of the field and try to drive the ball in the middle field. We did that really well. We kind of do that from the first inning on and good things will happen.”

While there’s not much more to be said about a Patrick Corbin start, the veteran left-hander did do well enough to keep his team in the ballgame, which isn’t something often said when he takes the mound in this ballpark.

Corbin kept the ball down enough to only allow the Phillies to score two runs off him. Unfortunately, his high pitch count only allowed him to complete 4 ⅓ innings.

He did allow at least one baserunner in four of the five frames he pitched, but for the most part was able to limit the damage. After two singles in the first, he stranded both runners. After a walk, a stolen base, a base hit (that was originally ruled a fielding error by Tena) and another stolen base in the second, he stranded both runners.

But he couldn’t get out of the jam in the third. Turner singled and Bryce Harper walked to put two runners on to start the inning. Corbin got Alec Bohm to ground into a double play, with Turner advancing to third and scoring on Nick Castellanos’ single to left.

Castellanos then stole second and scored on J.T. Realmuto’s single up the middle, but Corbin limited the damage there.

After a perfect fourth, Corbin gave up a leadoff double to Turner, whose speed easily beat Young’s arm from left-center field. But Corbin got Harper to hit a grounder to Abrams, who made a nice play going to third to get Turner out and erase a runner in scoring position.

“Good team over there," Corbin said. "Maybe I was a little fine tonight. Got the pitch count up, but you try to keep these guys in the ballpark. A very good lineup over there. But I would have liked to gone deeper. We were able to come back and tie it up. So just kind of look at some positives there and move on to the next one.”

Martinez thought the 96 pitches Corbin had thrown at that point were enough for his veteran southpaw, and he brought in Jacob Barnes from the bullpen. Barnes proceeded to record the next five outs while allowing only one walk to get to the seventh inning.

Robert Garcia and Derek Law followed with scoreless innings of their own. Too bad Finnegan couldn’t do the same in the ninth. And too bad they couldn’t help the Nats score more runs.

“Let me say something about our bullpen: Our bullpen was really good as well," Martinez said. "Those guys came in and shut the door and gave us an opportunity to come back and tie the game.

"The boys fought, though. They had their closer in there. We come back and score two runs to tie the game up. They had good at-bats. They had good at-bats that inning to tie the game. But those mistakes, as we said, when you play a good team like this, the mistakes are going to get you.”