Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
Bell, Schwarber homer as Nats avert sweep
WASHINGTON >> Josh Bell and Kyle Schwarber hit two-run homers in the first inning, Patrick Corbin continued his resurgence with seven solid innings and the Washington Nationals beat the Phillies 5-1 Thursday to end a four-game slide.
Washington had dropped seven of eight to sink to a season-low six games under .500 before salvaging the finale of the three-game series.
The Phillies missed a chance to move four games over .500 for the first time since it was 5-1.
Corbin (2-3) allowed one run in seven innings, giving up five hits while strik- ing out a season-high nine. Since allowing 15 earned runs in 6.1 innings over his first two starts, Corbin is 2-1 with 3.00 ERA over five outings and has reduced his season ERA from 21.32 to 6.19.
“He was really good,” manager Dave Martinez said. “His slider was the best I’ve seen all year.”
The Phillies put multiple players on base just once after the first inning, when they opened the eighth with a double and a walk. Jean Segura flew out against Tanner Rainey before Daniel Hudson entered. The reliever struck out Bryce Harper to the delight of Washington fans who booed the former National and 2015 NL MVP throughout the series. Rhys Hoskins then grounded out to end the threat.
Harper, who signed a $330 million, 13-year contract with the Phillies in 2019 after playing his first seven seasons
with the Nationals, went 1 for 4 with three strikeouts.
The Nationals scored a combined four runs in the first two games of the series, then matched the total in the first inning against Zach Eflin (2-2). Schwarber ripped a tworun blast into the left-field seats, and after Starlin Castro walked, struggling first baseman Josh Bell drilled Eflin’s pitch three rows deep into the second deck in right field.
Bell entered the day hitting .133 and was 2 for 22 over his last six games.
“That was by far the best
swing of the year,” Bell said. “Most connected, most behind it. Best ball flight, for sure. Hopefully, more to come.”
Washington didn’t get another runner past first until the sixth, when Castro delivered an RBI double. Eflin allowed five runs on seven hits in six innings while striking out nine. He has pitched at least six innings in each of his eight starts this season.
“It’s one of the hard things to do as a starting pitcher is to give up a good amount of runs in the first inning and still put innings,” Eflin said.
“As soon that happens, the mentality is just ‘Eat innings, eat innings.’ I was able to get up to six innings, but they did their damage in the first.’”
Castro extended his hitting streak to 11 games.
The Phillies scored their only run on Andrew McCutchen’s steal of home in the first. Corbin attempted to pick off Harper, but McCutchen broke for the plate and beat Bell’s high throw. It was the Phillies’ first steal of home since Roman Quinn did it June 21, 2019, against Miami.