Juan Soto hits two-run home run in ninth to lift Washington Nationals to 4-3 win over the Philadelphia Phillies

Trailing 3-2 with two out in the top of the ninth in Citizens Bank Park, Anthony Rendon hit a single to left to keep the Washington Nationals’ hopes alive, and Juan Soto followed with a two-run blast off of Philadelphia Phillies’ closer Hector Neris, hitting a first-pitch splitter out to center, 4-3.

Corbin vs the Phillies: Patrick Corbin snapped a rough three-outing losing streak, in which he was (0-2) with a 11.37 ERA, seven walks, 13 Ks, and a .379/.433/.638 line against him in 12 ²⁄₃ IP, with a strong seven-inning outing against the Phillies in the nation’s capital back on June 19th.

Corbin held the Nationals’ NL East rivals to a run on four hits in that start, walking three and striking out eight, and over his last four outings before tonight’s, the left-hander had been lights out, with one run or fewer allowed in those appearances, a 0.96 ERA, four walks, 35 Ks, and a .186/.218/.237 line against in 28 innings over that stretch.

Going up against Philadelphia again tonight, in Citizens Bank Park, Corbin fell behind early, giving up two in the second when Rhys Hoskins reached second on a dropped pop in short right by Ryan Zimmerman, and scored on an RBI double to left field by César Hernandez, 1-0, and Maikel Franco hit a 3-2 fastball out to left field for a solo home run with two out in the home-half of the frame to make it a 2-0 game. Franco’s 14th.

A leadoff walk (to Rhys Hoskins), single to right field (by J.T. Realmuto) and one-out sac fly, (by Maikel Franco), made it a 3-0 game in the Phillies’ favor after four.

Corbin added two Ks in an eight-pitch, 1-2-3 fifth inning which left him at 80 pitches total after five, and worked around a one-out double and two-out infield single for a scoreless sixth.

Patrick Corbin’s Line: 6.0 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 10 Ks, 1 HR, 103 P, 68 S, 4/3 GO/FO.

Nola vs the Nationals: Phillies’ right-hander Aaron Nola faced the Nationals in back-to-back starts back in April, giving up a combined 12 hits and 11 runs, 10 earned, in 9 ¹⁄₃ innings on the hill in those outings (9.64 ERA).

Going into his third appearance of 2019 against Philly’s NL East rivals, Nola was unbeaten in three starts, posting a 0.42 ERA in 21 ²⁄₃ IP in those games, and holding opposing hitters to a combined .108/.195/.162 line over that stretch.

Nola tossed four scoreless to start, as the Phillies jumped out to a 2-0 lead, and he took the mound in the fifth with three runs to work with and retired the Nationals in order, but a two-out walk in the sixth put two on with a runner in scoring position at second, and soft pop to center by Victor Robles was enough to bring in the Nationals’ first run, 3-1.

Aaron Nola’s Line: 6.0 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 9 Ks, 110 P, 73 S, 4/2 GO/FO.

Don’t Run on Hooper:

Eaton’s Run: Going into tonight’s game, Adam Eaton had hit safely in 10 of 11 games going back to June 26, going 16 for 44 (.364 AVG) with six multi-hit games over that stretch, and walking six times, while striking out in just three at bats.

Eaton had hits in four-straight after starting the second-half with a 1 for 3 game last night, and he made it five in a row, and 11 of 12 with a double to right field in the top of the third tonight, two-base hit No. 11 of 2019 for the Nationals’ outfielder, though he was stranded.

Eaton ended the night 1 for 4, so no multi-hit game this time out...

BULLPEN ACTION: Tommy Hunter took over on the mound for the Phillies in the top of the seventh and retired the Nationals in order in a 13-pitch frame.

Tony Sipp got the bottom of the seventh for the Nationals and retired Roman Quinn and Jay Bruce before manager Davey Martinez turned to Tanner Rainey, who walked the first batter he faced, then got the final out of the inning.

Adam Morgan gave up back-to-back, one-out singles by Juan Soto and Ryan Zimmerman in the top of the eighth, but Brian Dozier lined out sharply to third for out No. 2, before Victor Robles hit a sharp grounder to third that Maikel Franco couldn’t handle, 3-2.

Hector Neris took over with two on and two out and Howie Kendrick up as a pinch hitter, with Adrián Sanchez on second as a pinch runner for Zimmerman, and walked Kendrick, loading them up for pinch hitter Kurt Suzuki, who grounded out to end the threat. Still 3-2 Phillies.

Matt Grace retired Bryce Harper to start the Philly eighth. Wander Suero came on next, and got the final two outs to keep it a one-run game.

Neris came back out in the ninth and gave up a two-out single by Anthony Rendon ... and a two-run home run to center by Juan Soto. 4-3 Nationals.

Sean Doolittle got ready in a hurry, worked around a single, and earned the save with a scoreless bottom of the ninth. Ballgame.

Nationals now 49-42