The Philadelphia Phillies concluded their regular season with a 6-3 victory over the Washington Nationals, preventing a series sweep. Kyle Schwarber and Weston Wilson both contributed with two RBIs each, while Aaron Nola secured his 14th win of the season. The win helped the Phillies finish with a 95-67 record, marking their second-best record in the National League, only behind the Los Angeles Dodgers.
With a five-game improvement from the previous season, the Phillies are showing strong performance as they head into the playoffs. Having secured the NL East championship, the Phillies will have a bye in the first round of the playoffs and are set to face either the NL Central champion Milwaukee Brewers or the NL third wild card team in the division series beginning on Saturday in Philadelphia.
Despite a homer from Luis García Jr. for the Nationals, Washington ended the season with a 71-91 record for the second consecutive year. Nola pitched five-plus innings, allowing three runs while striking out seven batters. José Ruiz came in as a reliever for Philadelphia in the ninth inning, earning his first save in 264 career appearances.
The Phillies started strong against Nationals’ pitcher Jake Irvin, loading the bases in the first inning and scoring four runs. Irvin struggled, conceding six runs in 4 1/3 innings. García and Yepez managed to drive in runs against Nola in the fifth inning, but it was not enough to overcome the Phillies’ lead.
Philadelphia made some strategic lineup adjustments in preparation for the playoffs, resting key players like Bryce Harper and J.T. Realmuto. Nick Castellanos made history by becoming the first Phillies player since 2017 to participate in all 162 games of the season.
Looking ahead, the Phillies will have an intrasquad scrimmage before commencing the NLDS on Saturday against either the Milwaukee Brewers or the NL’s third wild card team. On the other hand, the Washington Nationals will begin their spring training games on Feb. 22 against Houston in West Palm Beach, Florida.
The Nationals saw a 5.4% increase in season attendance compared to the previous year, with a total of 1,967,302 fans showing support throughout the season. The positive turnout reflects the continued enthusiasm for baseball in the region as both teams now shift their focus to their upcoming games and offseason preparations.
