Big home runs from Clemens, Stott lead to extra-innings victory over Nats

Read a recap of Philadelphia Phillies vs. Washington Nationals on May 18, 2024 at PhilliesNation.com

Final Score (10 innings): Phillies 4, Nationals 3

After hitting only two home runs over their last five games, the Phillies (33-14) hit two timely long balls to set up an opportunity to take another game against the Nationals in ten innings.

After Gregory Soto kept Washington scoreless in the top of the tenth, Bryce Harper hit a sacrifice fly in the bottom half to secure a series win and a 4-3 victory.

Kody Clemens, with the Phillies down to their final out, tied the game in the ninth on a home run to right center against Nats closer Kyle Finnegan. Bryson Stott homered against left-handed starter McKenzie Gore in the seventh to tie the game.

Cristopher Sánchez navigated heavy traffic early and had his best stuff late. Nationals hitters whiffed at his changeup six times over the last two innings. Overall, Sánchez allowed two runs and eight hits over seven innings. It marks the second straight day and 15th time this season the Phillies have had a starter throw seven innings.

Highlights

• The Phillies tied the game at 1-1 in the bottom of the fourth on a double play by Stott. Harper scored from third. His steal of third on the previous play ended up being crucial. Alec Bohm, the runner on first, hesitated on Harper’s steal, which is why there was no double steal.
• The shortstop Edmundo Sosa spun around and made a nice play on a ground ball drifting to the right side of the infield for the last out of the seventh inning.
• Stott loves inside fastballs from lefties. He pounded another one over the wall in right field to tie the game in the seventh.

• Down to their final out, Clemens crushed one to center to tie the game for the Phillies.

• All Harper needed to do was hit the ball in the air to win it. Finnegan made it as difficult as possible by throwing him three splitters on the ground, but Harper got to the third one and won the game.

Notes

• The Nationals took the lead in the first inning on three straight singles against Sánchez. Heading into Saturday’s game, left-handed batters had only registered two hits against Sánchez all season. CJ Abrams had three in his first three at-bats. The third gave the Nationals a 2-1 lead in the top of the fifth.
• The Phillies played the infield in with a runner on third with one out against Joey Gallo in the fourth. It ended up paying off as Gallo hit a ball directly to his former childhood teammate Harper at first.
• Realmuto’s single in the eighth inning extended his hitting streak to ten games.
• Matt Strahm is on some kind of heater:

Ticket IQ Next Game

• Sunday, May 19 vs. Washington Nationals at Citizens Bank Park
• 1:35 p.m. EST
• NBC Sports Philadelphia
• 94 WIP

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