Washington Nationals 10-8 over Philadelphia Phillies: Back-to-back blasts in 8th lift Nats

It looked like another one was going to be lost in the bullpen when Washington’s Nationals fell behind 8-5 after a five-run seventh for the Philadelphia Phillies against reliever Joe Ross, but the Nats rallied to score four in the top of the eighth, with Kurt Suzuki sending a game-tying three-run blast to left before Victor Robles hit an opposite field home run to right field to put the visiting team ahead in what ended up a 10-8 win in Citizens Bank Park.

Corbin vs the Phillies: Patrick Corbin was unbeaten in five starts with a 2.48 ERA, six walks, 39 Ks, and a .200/.244/.367 line against in 32 ²⁄₃ IP before things went all pear-shaped on him in the fifth inning of his last outing before tonight, with the left-hander giving up five hits, two walks, and six earned runs in a 32-pitch frame against the St. Louis Cardinals that took his ERA up to 3.58 on the season.

Going up against the Phillies for the first time this season, Corbin took the mound with a 1-0 lead, and gave up back-to-back, one-out hits, a single by Jean Segura and double by Bryce Harper, before a walk to Rhys Hoskins loaded the bases and a line drive sac fly to right field by J.T. Realmuto tied it up, 1-1.

A leadoff single and two-out walk in the second set Segura up with an RBI opportunity that the Phillies’ shortstop cashed in with a low liner to center field that a diving Michael A. Taylor did not get, 2-1. Taylor injured his wrist on the play as well...

With the score tied at 2-2 after three and a half, Phil Gosselin singled with one down in the Phillies’ half of the fourth, and, after moving up on a bunt by pitcher Jake Arietta, Gosselin scored on a two-out RBI liner by Andrew McCutchen, 3-2, but the Nationals tied it up at 3-3 in the top of the fifth.

Corbin was up to 93 pitches after retiring the Phillies in order in the fifth, and he came back out for the sixth and had the first two batters reach base, Maikel Franco on a throwing error by Yan Gomes, and Sean Rodriguez via walk. Both runners moved up on a long fly to center off of Gosselin’s bat, but they were stranded there two outs later, as Corbin managed to get out of the inning with the score still tied in a 25-pitch frame that left him at a career-high 118 pitches overall.

Patrick Corbin’s Line: 6.0 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 6 Ks, 118 P, 74 S, 9/3 GO/FO.

Arrieta vs the Nationals: Jake Arrieta gave up nine hits, two walks, and five earned runs in five innings of work on the mound last time out before tonight, taking the L in what ended up a 12-9 loss to Miami’s Marlins.

That outing left the right-hander with a 3.46 ERA, 15 walks, 30 Ks, and a .245/.323/.350 line against in 39 IP in the second year of his 3-year/$75M deal with the Phillies.

Arrieta fell behind early tonight when Adam Eaton and Brian Dozier both singled to right field and Eaton scored from third on a double play grounder off Howie Kendrick’s bat, 1-0 in the first.

Dozier was 2 for 2 vs Arrieta tonight after he homered to left on a 1-1 sinker in the top of the third, tying it up at 2-2 with his fifth long ball of the season.

With the score 3-2 Phillies in the fifth, Victor Robles, who took over in center for an injured Michael A. Taylor, singled to start the frame, took second on an error, third on a bunt, and scored on a sac fly by Adam Eaton, 3-3.

Jake Arrieta’s Line: 6.0 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 7 Ks, 1 HR, 89 P, 59 S, 6/2 GO/FO.

BULLPEN ACTION: Juan Nicasio took over for the Phillies in the top of the seventh inning and gave up back-to-back hits on a grounder to third by Carter Kieboom and a bunt that was scored a hit for Andrew Stevenson.

Victor Robles got a bunt down in the next at bat, and Nicasio thought about going to third base after fielding it, but turned and threw to first instead, sailing the throw, allowing both Kieboom and Stevenson to score, 5-3 Nationals.

Joe Ross took over for the Nationals in the bottom of the seventh and gave up a leadoff, infield single by Jean Segura and a walk to Bryce Harper to bring Rhys Hoskins up with runners on. Hoskins lined an 89 MPH 2-2 slider to left for an RBI double, 5-4.

J.T. Realmuto stepped in next and hit a two-run double to right field, 6-5 Philly, and Sean Rodriguez hit an RBI double of his own to make it a two-run lead, 7-5, before the fifth run scored on an RBI double by Phil Gosselin, 8-5.

Ross was lifted after throwing 29 pitches, 18 for strikes, and giving up five hits (four of ‘em doubles) and five earned runs.

Pat Neshek gave up one and two-out singles in the top of the eighth, so the Phillies went to the pen for Adam Morgan against pinch hitter Kurt Suzuki, who hit a 1-0 changeup to left to tie it up. Three-run blast, 8-8 game. And Victor Robles followed with an opposite field home run that put the Nationals on top, 9-8. No. 4 for Suzuki. No. 6 for Robles.

Kyle Barraclough took the mound in the bottom of the eighth, with a one-run lead, and retired the side in order, striking out two in a 14-pitch frame.

Yan Gomes drove in a run with a single to right-center in the top of the ninth, 10-8.

Sean Doolittle came on for the save opportunity in the bottom of the ninth and gave up a one-out single by Maikel Franco, and a walk to Sean Rodriguez, but he popped up Andrew Knapp for out No. 2, and popped up Odubel Herrera to end it. Ballgame. 10-8 final.

Nationals now 14-18