The Philadelphia Phillies lost 5-4 yesterday to the Washington Nationals, dropping 2-of-3 games in a disappointing weekend series at Citizens Bank Park.

Ranger Suarez was on the mound yesterday and really didn’t have his best stuff against the Nationals. He pitched just 5.1 innings, allowing seven hits, five earned runs, and three walks while striking out five. 

Suarez ran into trouble in the top of the third inning, and with the bases loaded, Stone Garrett hit a grand slam to left field to erase a 3-0 Phillies lead. The home run ended Suarez’s impressive run where he had only given up a total of four earned runs COMBINED in his previous five starts. 

Suarez coughed up the grand slam and another run on a solo shot from Jeimer Candelario in a dooming fifth inning yesterday at Citizens Bank Park. 

The Phillies carried a three-run lead into the fifth inning after Nick Castellanos hit a solo home run in the first inning and JT Realmuto then following Castellanos with a two-run home run. 

Nick Castellanos Home Run No. 12

Castellanos is now batting .316 with 12 home runs, 54 RBIs and an .874 OPS this season and it was announced yesterday that he will be representing the Philadelphia Phillies in the 2023 All-Star Game in Seattle.

Just an incredible bounce-back season for Castellanos, who struggled in his first season in Philly last year when he hit just .263 with 13 homers, 62 RBIs and a career-low .694 OPS last season.

Note: Over his last 30 games, Castellanos is now batting .347 with 7 home runs, 26 RBI, and 42 hits. 

Castellanos also doubled in the seventh to cut the Nationals lead to just one run, but the Phillies ultimately lost the game 5-4.

JT Realmuto 2-Run HR

Losing 2-of-3 to the Washington Nationals is a tough look, even more so when the Atlanta Braves just got done sweeping the Miami Marlins to give the Phillies the opportunity make up some serious ground in the NL East and Wild Card standings. 

Now, the Phillies will close out the first half of the season on a six game road trip against the Tampa Bay Rays and Marlins. 

They are 44-39 on the season, 12 games back from Atlanta in first place, and three games behind the Marlins in second.

In the NL Wild Card, the Phillies are 1.5 games out, with Milwaukee and now Cincinnati both looking to secure one of the three spots available that are currently held by the Marlins, Dodgers, and Giants. 

A 3-game series against the Tampa Bay Rays starts tomorrow. Aaron Nola (7-5, 4.51) get the start tomorrow at 4:10PM, followed by Taijuan Walker (9-3, 3.93) and Cristopher Sanchez (0-2, 3.26).

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