PHILADELPHIA _ It was Game 81, the mathematical midpoint of the season, and the Phillies marked the occasion with a performance that was, well, quintessentially 2018 Phillies.
Not much was expected after the second inning Saturday night when starter Vince Velasquez got knocked out of the game by a line drive off his right forearm. But a bullpen that was exhausted after logging 71/3 innings one night earlier ably passed the baton for seven more innings of a 3-2 victory over the Washington Nationals.
From Victor Arano to Tommy Hunter to Adam Morgan to Yacksel Rios to Seranthony Dominguez, the Phillies protected a slim lead. Rios was particularly clutch. A 25-year-old rookie right-hander who wasn't supposed to make the Opening Day roster and spent most of the month back in Triple-A, he inherited Morgan's two-on, none-out mess in a one-run game in the eighth inning and mowed down the middle of the Nationals' order to protect the lead.
The offensive star of the game was a 24-year-old rookie infielder named Jesmuel Valentin. Making only his fifth career start, he tripled in the second inning and notched a two-out double in the fourth that kickstarted a two-run rally.
And just like that, these young Phillies once again beat back the Nationals, who were favored to win the National League East when the season began but are instead two games behind the second-place Phillies.
The Phillies are 44-37 through 81 games. Last year, they didn't win their 44th game until Aug. 19 en route to a 66-96 record.
It all came on the heels of Friday night's thumping by a 17-7 score that looked more like the result of a Redskins-Eagles game across the street. But the Phillies have been resilient throughout the season's first three months, almost as though they know no other way to react to tough losses than to merely win the next game.
Velasquez exited after a scary moment to end the second inning. He got struck on the right forearm by a 96-mph line drive from Adam Eaton. Somehow, Velasquez had the presence of mind to collect the ball and throw it _ with his left hand, no less _ to first base to retire Eaton.
But Velasquez fell to the grass and writhed in pain before leaving the field with his arm being cradled by head athletic trainer Scott Sheridan. The Phillies announced that Velasquez had suffered a bruise, but it seemed likely he would be headed for additional testing to rule out more serious injury.
On a night when the Phillies mustered only seven hits, Valentin picked up two of their three extra-base hits. He roped a double to left-center field against Nationals starter Jeremy Hellickson in the fourth inning before Jorge Alfaro and pinch-hitting Aaron Altherr followed with RBI doubles to break a tie and forge a 3-1 lead.
Arano tossed two scoreless innings before Hunter gave up a solo homer to Anthony Rendon in the sixth inning. Morgan got through the seventh but got into trouble in the eighth.
In came Rios, who had thrown 41 pitches one night before. He got Rendon to line out, dangerous rookie Juan Soto to pop out and Mark Reynolds to ground out to preserve the one-run lead before Dominguez tossed a scoreless ninth.
After both starting pitchers _ Velasquez and Jeremy Hellickson _ labored without giving up a run in the first inning, the Nationals jumped out to a lead in the second. Wilmer Difo singled, went to third on Velasquez's errant pickoff throw and scored on a double by Spencer Kieboom.
But the Phillies got even in the third inning when Odubel Herrera took Hellickson deep. It was Herrera's 14th homer of the season, matching his total from last year and one shy of tying his career-high set in his All-Star 2016 season.
