Philadelphia Phillies Snap Losing Streak, Magic Number Falls to Five

The Philadelphia Phillies snapped their five-game losing streak with a 5-1 victory against the Washington Nationals.

The Philadelphia Phillies had four total bases on extra-base hits during their series at Wrigley Field against the Chicago Cubs. Rhys Hoskins matched that total in the first inning against the Washington Nationals on Friday.

His home run was the Phillies' first in five days since their Sunday contest against the Atlanta Braves. The Nationals were exactly the medicine the Phillies needed, both their pitching and offense came to life.

Starting pitcher Bailey Falter had the best game of his young career. Throwing six inning of shutout ball, Falter struck out six Nationals, walking two and yielding three hits on 84 pitches.

In a different era he would have gone back out for the seventh inning, and possibly the eighth. But wary of his numbers the third time through the line, interim manager Rob Thomson pulled Falter after six, despite his ease taking care of Washington's hitters.

By that point, the Phillies had added some insurance.

In the fourth, a two-out Brandon Marsh double was followed by a single from Jean Segura. The Phillies almost piled on further when Bryson Stott singled behind Segura then stole second, but Kyle Schwarber was unable to get the runs in from second and third.

Nick Castellanos led off the sixth inning by grounding up the middle, but the youthful C.J. Abrams threw the ball away and into the stands so Castellanos went to second. Between a Marsh single and a balk from Nationals' reliever Jordan Weems, Castellanos went home to give the Phillies a 3-0 lead.

The Phillies remained at a comfortable distance ahead of the Nationals for the rest of the contest, but in the seventh, the umpires took center stage.

After Luis García singled in a run and took second he was out on a backpick from J.T. Realmuto at second, or so it seemed. After he was tagged out by Alec Bohm, the umpires blew the play dead. Apparently the home plate umpire noticed interference on Realmuto from hitter Victor Robles, causing the play to end before it began, even though the Phillies profited.

After that whole debacle, Robles struck out to end the inning. No harm, no foul.

Philadelphia got two more insurance runs home in the top of the ninth on three singles, a walk and groundout before Seranthony Domínguez came in to shut the door in a non-save situation.

Despite loading the bases with a walk, Domínguez forced a groundout after a lengthy at-bat from former-Phillie César Hernández.

Snapping their five-game losing streak, the Phillies are scheduled to face the Nationals again at 7:05 p.m., but due to inclement weather, that game may be pushed back to Saturday or Sunday.

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