Washington Nationals sweep two-game set with 13-12 win over Philadelphia Phillies in a wild one in CBP...

Andrew McCutchen hit a go-ahead grand slam in the bottom of the fifth this afternoon in Philadelphia’s Citizens Bank Park, a half-inning after Kyle Schwarber’s three-run home run tied things up at 5-5 in the second of two for the Washington Nationals and Phillies.

A half-inning after McCutchen’s slam put the home team up, 9-5, Trea Turner drove in two with a bases-loaded single, 9-7, and Josh Bell hit the second grand slam of the game, and the second of his career, out to left-center to make it 11-9, but the bullpen couldn’t hold it, and the Phillies scored one in the seventh and two in the ninth to go up 12-11, before Starlin Castro hit a two-run single in the top of the ninth, 13-12. Nuts. Nats win fourth straight.

Fedde vs the Phillies: With seven scoreless innings against the New York Mets last week, Erick Fedde got up to 20-straight scoreless innings over his last four outings. In his last three starts, the 28-year-old had walked six, struck out 17, and held opposing hitters to a .148/.224/.164 line against.

“He’s got some confidence right now, he really does,” manager Davey Martinez said after Fedde tossed seven scoreless on 100 pitches in his start against the Mets. “And he’s throwing the ball well. He’s throwing all of his pitches really well, locating really well.”

Fedde faced the Phillies earlier this season, at home in D.C., giving up five hits, three walks, and three earned runs in five innings pitched in a 6-2 loss.

Going up against the Nationals’ NL East rivals again today, the 2014 1st Round pick tossed a quick, 17-pitch first inning, working around a 2-out walk, but a leadoff walk to Alec Bohm in the Phillies’ second, a single in the next at bat, by Brad Miller, and a three-run home run by Travis Jankowski followed, with the Philly left fielder hitting an 0-2 cutter out to right field to make it a 3-0 game early, ending Fedde’s scoreless innings streak at 21.

Bryce Harper hit a 2-2 sinker that didn’t get inside out to left-center for a one-out solo home run off his old Vegas friend in the third, 4-0.

Travis Jankowski doubled to right to start the Phillies’ fourth, took third on a fly to right field, and scored on a one-out RBI single by pitcher Vince Velasquez, 5-0 Phillies.

Neither Fedde’s scoreless inning streak or his outing lasted long today...

Erick Fedde’s Line: 4.0 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 3 BB, 1 K, 2 HRs, 74 P, 45 S, 6/4 GO/FO.

Velasquez vs the Nats: Winless in his last four starts, with a 7.88 ERA, nine walks, 14 Ks, and a .288/.390/.576 line against in 16 IP, Phillies’ righty Vince Velasquez took the mound today with a 4.44 ERA, 31 walks, 59 Ks, and a .223/.335/.452 line against over 14 games, 10 starts, and 52 ²⁄₃ IP overall. Velasquez, 29, faced the Nationals earlier this month in Citizens Bank Park, hitting two batters, including Austin Voth in the face, and giving up four hits, one walk, and three earned runs in four innings.

This afternoon, the 29-year-old right-hander retired the first ten batters he faced, before a double to left by Trea Turner ended his nascent no-hit bid, but the Philly starter stranded the first runner to reach base two outs later.

Back-to-back walks in the fifth led to the Nationals’ first two runs for the visiting team, with Josh Harrison and Alex Avila getting on before a line drive to left by Starlin Castro, 5-1, and pop to short right by Victor Robles that no one could catch, 5-2. Pinch hitter Gerardo Parra got up 3-0 in the next at bat, but he ended up striking out unproductively in the final at bat of the day for the Phillies’ starter...

Vince Velasquez’s Line: 4.1 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 5 Ks, 86 P, 51 S, 2/5 GO/FO.

Grand Bell: Josh Bell hit his second career grand slam in the 6th inning this afternoon, and he put the Nationals up 11-10 with the opposite field blast, which was his 2nd career slam.

His first? Bell hit it in his second big league at bat, when he connected for his first home run and grand slam back on July 9, 2016. A total of 94 home runs later, Bell hit his second slam.

Bullpen Action: Archie Bradley inherited a two on, one-out jam, with runners on the corners in the Nationals’ half of the fifth, and gave up a game-tying, three-run, opposite field homer by Kyle Schwarber, whose 19th of the season, and 10th HR in the last 12 games, made it 5-5.

Trea Turner singled off Bradley, and Josh Bell walked to put two on with two out later in the top of the fifth, but the Phillies’ righty stranded them both to keep it tied.

Kyle McGowin took over in the bottom of the fifth, with the score tied at 5-5, and gave up back-to-back, two-out singles, and a walk that load’em up in front of Andrew McCutchen, who hit a grand slam to left on a hanging-a$$ 3-1 slider, 9-5 Phillies.

Wander Suero came on, after McGowin hit Odubel Herrera after the slam, and got the final out of the inning.

Philly right Sam Coonrod came on in the top of the sixth, and walked the bases loaded, with two one-out free passes (to Starlin Castro and Victor Robles), and a two-out one to Kyle Schwarber, setting Trea Turner up with an RBI opportunity he cashed in with a two-run single to right, 9-7 Phillies. Juan Soto stepped in next and walked to load them back up in front of Josh Bell, who hit a 3-2 fastball out the other way for a grand slam and an 11-9 lead. Bell’s 10th HR this season.

Sam Clay retired the Phillies in order in the bottom of the sixth.

Starlin Castro made a boneheaded play on the basepaths, getting doubled up on a lineout by Victor Robles after a one-out single, as Hale came out with another inning in relief.

Clay returned to the mound in the Phillies’ seventh and gave up a leadoff double to right field by Alec Bohm, a one-out single to center by Ronald Torreyes, and an RBI single off Luke Williams’ bat that made it an 11-10 game.

Victor Robles made a diving catch in center for out No. 2 on an Odubel Herrera liner, and that was it for Clay’s day.

Justin Miller came on to face Rhys Hoskins with two on and two out and got the third out of the inning, stranding two Phillies.

José Alvarado got an inning-ending double play out of Juan Soto (his career high 12th GIDP of 2021) after giving up a leadoff single and a one-out walk in the top of the eighth.

Austin Voth walked Bryce Harper to start the bottom of the eight inning, and a single to left field by J.T. Realmuto sent Harper to third with no one out, but Voth got a backwards K from Brad Miller for out No. 1.

Tanner Rainey came on at that point and gave up an RBI single by Alec Bohm, 11-11, and after a walk to Travis Jankowski loaded them up, Ronald Torreyes hit a go-ahead single, making it 12-11 in the Phillies’ favor.

Héctor Neris came on in the ninth and gave up back-to-back singles by Josh Bell and Josh Harrison. Alex Avila stepped in next, and bunted both runners into scoring position, giving Starlin Castro a shot to drive in runs, and he singled to center to plate them both, 13-12.

Paolo Espino (with Brad Hand unavailable) got the save opportunity and retired two before a bad hop on a J.T. Realmuto grounder caught Jordy Mercer in the face and let a runner on.

Brad Miller stepped in next, with a runner on, and lined out to second. Ballgame.

Final Score: 13-12 Nationals

Nationals now 35-36