Turner’s slam helps Nats clinch wild card

NATIONALS 4-6, PHILLIES 1-5

WASHINGTON — Trea Turner’s go-ahead grand slam in the sixth inning lifted Washington to a 6-5 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies for a doubleheader sweep Tuesday that helped the Nationals clinch an NL wild card, capping quite a turnaround for a team that was 19-31 in late May.

Turner had three hits in the day’s first game, a 4-1 win for the Nationals.

Washington assured itself of returning to the playoffs for the fifth time in eight years after sitting out October in 2018.

The Nationals entered Tuesday hoping to beat Philadelphia twice plus get a loss by the Chicago Cubs at Pittsburgh — and each of those things happened.

Right after center fielder Victor Robles made a running catch for the last out of the second game, the Nationals Park scoreboard showed the game in Pittsburgh, and Washington’s players watched the end of the Cubs’ 9-2 defeat, then started celebrating on their field.

Anthony Rendon delivered two sacrifice flies to raise his majors-leading RBIs total to 124 in the opening victory, a result that also eliminated Philadelphia from postseason contention.

In the nightcap, Washington trailed 4-2 entering the sixth, because Brad Miller managed to hit two homers off Max Scherzer (11-7).

Everything changed within minutes.

Washington loaded the bases against Aaron Nola (12-7) with two walks and a single — setting the stage for Turner’s 18th homer of the season and second career slam, which came off Jared Hughes.

Turner’s drive to left made it 6-4.

Harper drew loud boos from spectators when he stepped in as a pinch hitter with two outs in the seventh to face, of all people, Hunter Strickland, with whom the 2015 NL MVP has a complicated history that includes playoff homers and a brawl.

Harper got the best of this matchup, turning on a 98 mph offering and depositing it in the second deck in right-center an estimated 442 feet away.

That made it 6-5. The Nationals got three outs from Javy Guerra in the eighth, and the last three from Daniel Hudson.

In the first game, Tanner Rainey (2-3) struck out two in a 1-2-3 sixth for the win in the makeup of a June 18 rainout. Nick Vincent (1-4) took the loss.