The Philadelphia Phillies were handed their first loss of the 2025 season on Sunday. The Washington Nationals claimed the day, avoiding the sweep, by a 5-1 score.
Trea Turner and J.T. Realmuto each found themselves on the bench on Sunday, recovering from respective back and foot injuries. Per Matt Gelb, the Phillies are hopeful both will be able to play on Monday for the home opener. Max Kepler was also out of the lineup in favor of an additional right-handed bat in Johan Rojas.
Different year, same Aaron Nola
After allowing the second-most home runs in the National League in 2024, Aaron Nola continued right where he left off, pitching an overall strong ballgame with two blemishes going out of the park to taint his final line.
With two outs in the bottom of the fourth, Nola hit Keibert Ruiz in the toe with a cutter, ceding first base to him. After a single from Nathaniel Lowe, Josh Bell took a first-pitch fastball 400 feet into center field for a three-run home run.
Lowe hit a home run of his own in his next at-bat against Nola in the bottom of the sixth. A two-run home run, Lowe knocked out Nola after 5.1 innings of work. On the day, Nola allowed six hits and zero walks while striking out eight batters.
In relief, Jose Ruiz, Matt Strahm, and Tanner Banks combined for 2.2 scoreless innings, allowing two hits and three strikeouts.
Stranded baserunners and missed chances at the plate
Another staple of an Aaron Nola outing seems to be a lack of run support. In the first three innings against Nationals pitcher Mitchell Parker, the Phillies stranded six baserunners.
The Phillies’ next attempt came in the top of the seventh when they loaded the bases and forced the Nationals into their bullpen. A one-out double play ball from Alec Bohm, however, shut down the inning before the Phillies could score.
Edmundo Sosa hit a leadoff single into right field to kick off the ninth inning off Brad Lord. Lord, a 2022 18th-round draft pick, made the Opening Day roster for the Nationals after spending his offseason working part-time at Home Depot. Brandon Marsh and Kody Clemens then worked back-to-back walks to load the bases for the Phillies.
Following a trip to the bullpen, Kyle Finnegan allowed a fielder’s choice to Rafael Marchan, scoring Sosa, while Clemens was called out at second. Kyle Schwarber then struck out on three pitches for the second out of the inning. Bohm, one of the two Phillies without a hit on the day, lined out to second base on the first pitch as the Phillies dropped the contest 5-1.
Homecoming set for Monday
The Phillies will make their first trip home to Citizens Bank Park as they prepare for their home opener. Cristopher Sánchez will make his season debut against the Colorado Rockies and Germán Márquez. The first pitch is scheduled for 3:05 p.m. Fans in attendance are encouraged to sit in their seats by 2:20 p.m. for the opening ceremonies.
