WASHINGTON — Jose Tena hit a go-ahead, two-run single in the seventh inning, and the Washington Nationals held on for a 3-2 win over the Philadelphia Phillies on August 14, 2025, at Nationals Park. Paul DeJong homered for the third time in five games, helping Washington snap a three-game skid and improve to 50-72, last in the National League East. The Phillies, who collected 10 hits but went 1-for-6 with runners in scoring position, dropped to 69-53 but maintained their lead atop the division.
The Nationals’ bullpen delivered after starter Mitchell Lord threw six innings, allowing two runs on seven hits with three strikeouts. Reliever Shunpeita Ogasawara earned his first win, retiring the only batter he faced, while Jose Ferrer and Robby Henry combined for two scoreless innings, with Henry securing his first save. Lord, a 22-year-old rookie, lowered his ERA to 3.26 in his 11th start.
Philadelphia starter Jesus Luzardo took the loss, falling to 11-6 after yielding three runs on four hits over six innings, with seven strikeouts. He escaped jams early but faltered in the fourth when DeJong launched a solo homer to left-center, tying the game at 1-1. Luzardo threw 97 pitches, 62 for strikes, and induced four groundouts.
The Phillies struck first in the third. Bryson Stott doubled off Lord, advanced on a groundout and scored on Bryce Harper’s forceout to shortstop, giving Philadelphia a 1-0 lead. Kyle Schwarber extended it to 2-1 in the fifth with a double to center that plated Trea Turner, who had singled earlier. Schwarber finished 1-for-4 with an RBI, pushing his season total to 98.
Washington tied it in the fourth on DeJong’s fifth homer, a fly ball to left-center on a 1-1 pitch. The decisive seventh began with DeJong walking off reliever Orion Kerkering, followed by Riley Adams’ double. Daylen Lile walked to load the bases, and after a flyout, Tena grounded a single to center, scoring DeJong and Adams for a 3-2 edge. Tena, batting .243, drove in two runs, his 15th and 16th of the year.
Philadelphia threatened in the ninth against Henry. Max Kepler singled, but Edmundo Sosa bunted into a caught stealing at second. Stott singled, and Turner reached on a fielder’s choice, but Schwarber struck out to end the game. The Phillies left eight on base, including Turner in scoring position in the first.
DeJong went 1-for-3 with a walk and an RBI, continuing a hot stretch. Adams doubled, one of three extra-base hits for Washington, which finished 1-for-5 with runners in scoring position and turned a double play. Dylan Crews stole his 12th base, swiping second in the first after a walk.
This matchup marked the first of a four-game series, with the teams splitting their previous six meetings in 2025. Philadelphia, seeking its second straight NL East title, entered with a 7.5-game lead over Atlanta. The Phillies rank second in MLB with a .570 winning percentage, bolstered by Schwarber’s 37 homers and Turner’s .285 average. Harper, a former National, went 1-for-4 with an RBI, his 51st.
Washington, rebuilding after a 71-91 finish in 2024, relies on young talent like Crews, the second overall pick in 2023, who hit .199 entering the game. DeJong, acquired in a July trade, has provided power with five homers in 16 games. The Nationals’ pitching staff ranks 24th in ERA at 4.56, but the bullpen’s 3.65 mark in August has aided recent wins.
The Phillies Nationals game highlighted contrasting fortunes: Philadelphia’s offense, fourth in runs at 4.9 per game, stalled late, while Washington’s timely hits prevailed. Luzardo’s performance mirrored his season, with 4.21 ERA over 22 starts, but the bullpen’s blown save—Kerkering’s fifth—proved costly.
Washington’s victory, its first one-run win in two weeks, came amid a tough stretch, losing 10 of 13 before the series. The team hosts Philadelphia again on August 15, with Patrick Corbin facing Zack Wheeler. Social media buzzed with previews, including picks favoring the Nationals at +158 moneyline. Fans noted revenge angles for ex-Nationals like Harper, Turner and Schwarber.
