Washington starting pitcher MacKenzie Gore limited the Philadelphia Phillies to two runs in 5 2/3 innings as the host Nationals held on for a 3-2 victory on Sunday afternoon.
The go-ahead run came on Riley Adams’ sacrifice fly in the fifth inning. Three relievers combined on 3 1/3 hitless innings.
Edmundo Sosa had a home run and RBI single for the Phillies, who were unable to complete a three-game series sweep.
Gore (1-0) struck out six with two walks. Kyle Finnegan gave up a two-out walk in the ninth but recorded his third save. He has a save in each of Washington’s three victories this season.
It ended up being a combined five-hitter for Washington pitchers, who had 10 total strikeouts.
Phillies starter Cristopher Sanchez (0-1) took the loss, giving up three runs on six hits in 4 1/3 innings. Three Philadelphia relievers combined to permit only two base runners in 3 2/3 innings.
Lane Thomas, Joey Meneses and Ildemaro Vargas each had two hits for the Nationals. A double for Vargas marked the team’s only extra-base hit.
The Phillies, who posted back-to-back wins for the first time this season to begin the series, produced a run in the second inning when Whit Merrifield singled with two outs, stole second and scored on Sosa’s single.
Washington matched it in the bottom of the inning, with Luis Garcia Jr.’s two-out, run-scoring single before the Nationals left the bases loaded.
Meneses singled in a go-ahead run in the third for just his second RBI of the season.
Sosas’ first homer of the season came in the fifth to knot the score at 2-2.
The Nationals retook the lead in the fifth when Thomas, who reached on an infield single, scored on Adams’ bases-loaded sacrifice fly.
It was a key outcome for Washington, which heads out on a nine-game road trip to the West Coast.
–Field Level Media
