Jesús Luzardo was excellent through six innings but hit a wall in the seventh, as Orion Kerkering and the Phillies offense couldn’t help him out as Philadelphia dropped its third game in a row, this time by a final score of 3-2 to the Nationals. Luzardo had allowed one run through six innings but left with the bases loaded and no outs in the seventh. Kerkering couldn’t complete a Houdini act while the Phillies offense could only muster two runs despite totaling ten hits.
Good beginning
Luzardo started the game strong
by picking up a pair of strikeouts in the first despite a single and a stolen base from Dylan Crews. He then came out in the second and struck out the side on 14 pitches. Luzardo was settling in to the game before allowing a home run to Paul De Jong in the fourth with one out that tied the game at 1-1. De Jong jumped all over a first pitch fastball from Luzardo after striking out in his first at bat.
But after that home run, Luzardo retired the next six hitters in order before allowing a one-out walk to Crews in the sixth. That runner was quickly erased when Josh Bell grounded into a double play started by Luzardo and finished by a strong throw from Bryson Stott.
Bad ending
Rob Thomson elected to send Luzardo back out for the seventh at just 83 pitches despite having a rested back end of the bullpen, but it quickly appeared that the lefty was running out of gas. De Jong walked to begin the inning after a six pitch at-bat before Riley Adams ripped a double to left that put runners at second and third with no outs. Luzardo stayed in to face left hander Daylen Lile but wasn’t able to put him away, issuing another walk that loaded the bases and ended his night.
Orion Kerkering inherited the bases loaded, no outs jam clinging to a 2-1 lead and retired the first hitter on a pop-up to shallow left field. But Kerkering then allowed a single to Jose Tena that got past a drawn in Trea Turner at shortstop, scoring both runners and giving the Nats a 3-2 lead.
Kerkering went on to retire the next two hitters, but the damage was done. The tying and go-ahead runs were charged to Luzardo’s line who finished with 6 IP, 3 ER, 4 H, 3 BB, 7 K on 97 pitches.
No pick me ups here
The Phillies offense got started early, as Bryce Harper scored their first run with an RBI force out in the third inning. The run was possible thanks to a leadoff double over the third base bag by Bryson Stott and the first of three infield singles on the night from Turner. It was the first run the Phillies have scored in the first three innings since last Friday in Texas.
But the offense wasn’t able to do much else against Washington starter Brad Lord until the fifth, when Kyle Schwarber muscled a pitch off the barrel to the wall in right center that scored Turner from first with two outs and gave the Phillies a 2-1 lead.
That would ultimately be it for the night from the Phillies offense however, as they managed just four more hits the rest of the game, all singles. Max Kepler led off the ninth with a base hit to put the tying run on, but Edmundo Sosa inexplicably bunted ball four in a 3-1 count to sacrifice Kepler to second. A Stott groundout moved Kepler to third with two outs, but Turner couldn’t come up with heroics as he struck out on a sinker way inside to end the game.
Tomorrow’s matchup
The Phillies will look to snap their three game losing streak tomorrow when they send Zack Wheeler (10-6, 2.68) to the mound against MacKenzie Gore (5-12, 4.09) of the Nationals. First pitch is scheduled for 6:45 PM.
