Ranger Suarez struck out a career-high 11 batters over seven shutout innings, and Rafael Marchan drove in all three runs as the Philadelphia Phillies held off a late rally to defeat the Washington Nationals 3-2 on August 24, 2025, before 42,580 fans at Citizens Bank Park. The victory improved the Phillies’ record to 76-54, maintaining their first-place standing in the National League East with a seven-game lead over the New York Mets, while the Nationals fell to 53-77, remaining in fifth place in the division.
Suarez, a left-hander, allowed three hits and no walks, earning his 10th win against six losses and lowering his earned run average to 3.07. He became the first Phillies pitcher since Cliff Lee in 2011 to record back-to-back outings with 10 or more strikeouts and no walks. Marchan contributed a two-run double in the second inning and a bases-loaded walk in the third, providing the offense in a game where Philadelphia managed seven hits. Orion Kerkering secured his fourth save, allowing a solo home run to Luis Garcia Jr. in the ninth but retiring the final two batters.
Washington starter Jake Irvin took the loss, dropping to 8-9 with a 5.40 ERA after his shortest major league outing of 2 1/3 innings, yielding three runs on six hits and three walks. The Nationals collected five hits, with Garcia’s pinch-hit homer marking his 11th of the season and driving in his 54th run. Jacob Young doubled, and Brady House singled as part of the late push.
The Phillies opened scoring in the second when Nick Castellanos singled and Bryson Stott reached on a fielder’s choice, setting up Marchan’s line-drive double to center that plated both runners for a 2-0 lead. In the third, Alec Bohm singled, Brandon Marsh walked and Harrison Bader singled to load the bases, with Marchan drawing a walk to force in Bohm for a 3-0 advantage.
Washington threatened in the eighth against reliever Jose Alvarado, who loaded the bases with a single to House, a walk to Robert Hassell III and a double to Young. Tanner Banks entered and induced a double-play grounder from James Wood, scoring House to make it 3-1, then retired C.J. Abrams on a flyout. In the ninth, Garcia homered to right-center off Kerkering, narrowing the gap to 3-2, but Josh Bell grounded out and Dylan Crews struck out to end the game.
Defensively, the Phillies turned one double play, while the Nationals committed one error on a throw by Abrams.
This matchup concluded a four-game series where the Phillies won three, including a 6-4 victory on August 23 behind home runs from Edmundo Sosa and Trea Turner. Philadelphia has won six of its last seven games overall, positioning them strongly for a playoff push with a 42-22 home record at Citizens Bank Park. The team leads the National League in earned run average at 3.58, bolstered by starters like Suarez and Zack Wheeler.
For the Nationals, the loss extended a challenging 2025 campaign, with the team holding a 27-37 road record and struggling offensively, ranking near the bottom of the league in runs scored at 3.8 per game. Prospects like Wood, batting .258 with an .831 on-base plus slugging, and Crews, at .202 in his rookie year, show promise amid rebuilding efforts following a 71-91 finish in 2024. Playoff odds for Washington stand at less than 0.1 percent, focusing attention on future seasons.
