Phillies lose the lead in the seventh, fall to the lowly Nationals 3-2

Let me tell you right now. You can absolutely miss me with any fake outrage or panic about the Philadelphia Phillies.

Last night in D.C. Jesus Luzardo was dealing for six innings. He had the Nationals in check, Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber had the Phillies up 2-1, and all things considered, it looked like a win after two straight losses in Cincy.

Bryce Harper x Kyle Schwarber

Bryce Harper gives the Phillies the lead! pic.twitter.com/qwVd6vJLBz

— cam ! (@aokstott) August 14, 2025

KYLE SCHWARBER RBI DOUBLE pic.twitter.com/hRl0DbGPf5

— cam ! (@aokstott) August 14, 2025

Things just didn’t go the Phillies way in the seventh inning.

Topper wanted to push his luck and send Luzardo back out there. He walked two guys and gave up a double to Riley Adams. Suddenly the bases were loaded with zero outs and in came Orion Kerkering an impossible situation.

He limited the damage but not before Jose Tena’s single plated two and flipped the script to put the Nats up 3-2. Ballgame.

It’s a tough loss because it was preventable.

None of Kerkering, Jhoan Duran, Matt Strahm, or David Robertson pitched in Wednesday’s loss to the Reds, so there was fresh bullpen help available.

People will be mad at Topper but the Phillies are grinding through the Dog Days and a 13 game, 13 day stretch right now so I can’t fault him for going with Luzardo again in the seventh.

Sometimes it works. Sometimes you get burnt. That’s showbiz baby.

The offense is stuck in neutral. Trea Turner collected three infield hits but looked like he was running at 80%. Harper drove in a run with a fielder’s choice, Schwarber smoked an RBI double that just missed leaving the yard, and… that was about it.

The ninth inning summed up the night perfectly: Max Kepler led off with a single, Edmundo Sosa bunted him over (???), and the inning ended with Turner swinging through strike three.

Phillies have now lost three straight, seven of their last 10, and are sitting at 69-52. Zack Wheeler gets the ball Friday in D.C. to try and stop the skid.

Oh and by the way, the Phillies still are up five games in the NL East so at the end of the day, who really gives a shit about a tough stretch and a miserable loss to the Nats.

I certainly do not.

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