WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Washington Nationals defeated the Philadelphia Phillies 5-1 on Sunday, March 30, 2025, at Nationals Park, improving to 1-2 and fourth in the NL East, while the Phillies dropped to 2-1 and second in the division. Nationals starter Mitchell Parker delivered a stellar performance, and Nathaniel Lowe’s two-run homer powered the offense, as the Phillies struggled to convert opportunities, leaving 10 runners on base.
The Nationals broke through in the fourth inning against Phillies starter Aaron Nola. Keibert Ruiz was hit by a pitch, and Lowe followed with a single. Josh Bell then launched a three-run homer to right field, his first of the season, giving Washington a 3-0 lead. In the sixth, Ruiz singled, and Lowe hit a two-run shot—his second homer of the year—extending the lead to 5-0. Nola (0-1, 8.44 ERA) allowed five runs on six hits over 5.1 innings, taking the loss.
The Phillies avoided a shutout in the ninth. Edmundo Sosa singled, Brandon Marsh walked, and Kody Clemens walked to load the bases. Rafael Marchán’s single drove in Sosa, making it 5-1, but Kyle Finnegan secured the save (1, 0.00 ERA) by retiring the next two batters. Parker (1-0, 0.00 ERA) pitched 6.1 scoreless innings, allowing seven hits with five strikeouts, while Ferrer, López, and Lord bridged to Finnegan.
Philadelphia’s offense managed eight hits but went 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position. Sosa led the way, going 2-for-4, while Kyle Schwarber, Bryce Harper, Nick Castellanos, Marsh, Johan Rojas, and Marchán each had a hit. Nola’s struggles continued a rough start to the season, as he allowed two homers and failed to contain the Nationals’ middle order. Defensively, the Phillies were clean, but a fielding error by Nationals rookie Dylan Crews in right field had no impact on the score.
For the Nationals, Lowe went 3-for-4 with two RBIs, while DeJong added three hits, including two doubles. Bell’s three-run homer was the game-changer, and Springer, Young, and Heineman contributed hits. The Nationals were 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position but capitalized on their power, hitting two homers and three doubles. The game, attended by 28,075 fans, lasted 2 hours and 33 minutes under partly cloudy skies with a 16 mph wind blowing out to center field.
