WASHINGTON _ Roman Quinn walked slowly through the infield as Odubel Herrera and Nick Williams ambled behind. Maikel Franco stopped on the grass in front of the dugout and held his hand to his head. Gabe Kapler stood at the top of the dugout step before retreating back to the clubhouse.
The Phillies had lost again, and this one was hard to fathom, as they fell, 8-7, to the Nationals on a walk-off homer by Ryan Zimmerman. It looked like a signature win, one the Phillies could cling to as they try to chase down Atlanta. And then it became a crushing loss and a slow walk back to the dugout as the Phils tried to swallow their fourth straight loss.
They trail Atlanta by three games and limp into Thursday's matinee against Max Scherzer. The Phillies will have Aaron Nola on the mound as they try to avoid the sweep.
Seranthony Dominguez recorded the first two outs of the ninth before Juan Soto roped a double down the right-field line. Trouble seemed near. Ryan Zimmerman crushed a homer to right and raised his hands as he rounded first base. The umpires ruled it a double, before they reviewed it. The Phillies watched the replay of the homer on the scoreboard and knew a loss was sealed.
The Phillies loaded the bases with one out in the top of the ninth but came up empty. Asdrubal Cabrera popped up and Justin Bour struck out. The Phils had a chance to put the Nats away. Instead they provided life.
Pat Neshek allowed a leadoff triple in the eighth to Wilmer Difo, who smashed a fly ball over the head of Nick Williams. Difo scored on a sacrifice fly and the Phillies two-run lead was trimmed.
The collapse spoiled a night where the lineup finally showed some life. Justin Bour and Maikel Franco homered early in the game. Carlos Santana came off the bench to stroke a go-ahead double. Bour, who started at first over Santana, hit an RBI double in the first and a two-out homer in the third. Santana's last game with multiple extra-base hits came on May 13. Playing Bour over Santana seemed like an easy solution until Santana's pinch-hit double.
Santana has not produced lately, but he has a track record of production. The Phillies, if lucky, could have a good problem of having two first baseman who can hit. That would give a chance for Kapler to play the matchups. He started Bour on Wednesday because of his past success against Nationals starter Stephen Strasburg, who allowed five runs in four innings. Kapler played the right matchup.
"We need to find ways to get him in the lineup because he is a real threat at the plate and he provides a good at-bat for us," Kapler said of Bour before the game. "So it's tough because obviously we want Santana in the lineup every single day. But with Nola and Arrieta coming, we also need Santana on defense for us as well. So it's tricky."
Zach Eflin recorded just 10 outs as he failed to hold a 4-1 lead and a 5-4 lead before being pulled in the fourth inning. He allowed five runs, struck out two and walked two. The heart of the Washington's order _ Bryce Harper, Anthony Rendon and Soto _ feasted on him as they combined to go 5-for-7 with a walk and two extra-base hits.
Eflin had logged three-straight strong starts and this clunker came after a strange optioning to the minor leagues. Perhaps he was due for a letdown. The bullpen picked him up. Hector Neris inherited runners on first and third with on out in the fourth. He retired two straight to escape and then stayed on for a perfect fifth. Tommy Hunter added two scoreless innings. Neshek allowed a run in the eighth before passing it to Dominguez. And the loss was sealed.
