Colton Cowser, who’s homered in back-to-back games, is leading off today for the fifth time this season.

Jackson Holliday is on the bench.

Jeremiah Jackson is in right field and batting second. Ryan Mountcastle is at first base and Samuel Basallo is the designated hitter. Vimael Machín is at third base again.

Dylan Beavers is in left field. Over his first seven games, Beavers is hitting .500 against fastballs and has made contact with 95.7 percent.

Jackson is 14-for-34 (.412) in his last nine games.

PHILADELPHIA – Good morning from Citizens Bank Park, where the Nationals and Phillies meet for the final time this season. A win today and the Nats would take the series, no small feat. They’d also finish the season series 6-7 against the top team in the National League East. All things considered, that’s not bad at all.

The preeminent storyline today: Can Jake Irvin get himself back on track and give his team a chance? The right-hander is in a serious rut right now, going 2-5 with a 7.36 ERA over his last 10 starts, raising his season ERA from 4.18 to 5.30. Home runs and walks have killed Irvin: He’s served up 2.3 homers and issued 4.2 walks per nine innings during that stretch.

The Nationals haven’t seen Ranger Suárez at all this season, so who knows what to expect when they face the Phillies left-hander? Suárez is having a good season (9-6, 3.25 ERA, 1.168 WHIP), but the Nats did get to him last year for eight runs and 11 hits in eight innings spread over two starts. Something else to consider: If the game is close late, will the Phillies have Jhoan Duran and top lefty reliever Matt Strahm available? Each pitched in the first two games of the series, so it’s possible each is unavailable this afternoon.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS at PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES
Where: Citizens Bank Park
Gametime: 1:35 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN2, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, 87.7 FM (Spanish), MLB.com
Weather: Partly cloudy, 82 degrees, wind 10 mph out to center field

NATIONALS
DH James Wood
SS CJ Abrams
C Riley Adams
1B Andrés Chaparro
2B Paul DeJong
RF Dylan Crews
3B Brady House
LF Robert Hassell III
CF Jacob Young

The schedule delivers another day game after a night game. And maybe another round of Samuel Basallo stories.

Just playing the odds here.

Basallo has been the center of attention for his major league promotion, early RBI binge, agreement on the most lucrative contract extension for a pre-arbitration catcher and yesterday’s press conference to talk about it.

“Wonderful day for us,” said executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias, “and we look forward to working with Sam for a very, very long time, and hopefully leading us to much success and many championships during his time here.”

Maybe in 2026.

The Orioles bailed out Dean Kremer tonight, which was the first order of business. Battle back twice to tie. Conclude his frustrating night with no decision. Try to win a game in the series and go for the split on Sunday.

They couldn’t complete the mission.

Christian Walker hit a two-run homer off left-hander Dietrich Enns in the seventh inning and the Astros hung on for a 9-8 victory over the Orioles before an announced crowd of 30,159 at Camden Yards.

Walker mashed a changeup 414 feet to left field with two outs, extending his home run streak to three games in a row. The Orioles (59-70) have lost three straight after winning six of seven. They didn't lose their 70th last year until Sept. 22.

Jeremiah Jackson hit his first major league home run in the fourth inning, a 439-foot shot to center field that reduced the lead to 7-6. Colton Cowser followed his two-run single in the first with a solo homer in the fifth off AJ Blubaugh that knotted the score.

PHILADELPHIA – They gave themselves another chance at another dramatic rally inside a sold-out Citizens Bank Park, in spite of the large hole Mitchell Parker dug for his teammates. The Nationals chipped away at the big deficit, got themselves to within two runs and had a chance to tie the game (or even take the lead) late against the Phillies' bullpen for the second straight night.

Perhaps it’s a good reminder just how special Friday night’s come-from-behind win was, though. These things generally don’t happen every night. And, in fact, it didn’t happen again tonight, the Phillies hanging on for a 6-4 victory to even the weekend series and set up a rubber match here Sunday afternoon.

The Nationals, who stormed back in the top of the ninth against Jhoan Duran in the opener, couldn’t make lightning strike twice, though they sure gave it a try. Brady House doubled and Robert Hassell III singled with one out off the All-Star closer, bringing the big boys to the plate representing the go-ahead run. But Duran managed to strike out James Wood and get CJ Abrams to line out to left to end the game and secure his seventh save in eight tries since his acquisition from the Phillies.

Few opponents have proven as tough on Duran as the Nats, though, who have now faced him six times in the last four weeks alone (the first two when he was still with the Twins). They've managed to bat .381 (8-for-21) against him, dramatically better than the .199 mark the rest of the sport has against him this year.

"I think we know we can beat this guy," Hassell said. "We know that anyway, but actually seeing it last night, coming into tonight, we were pretty confident."

The support that teammates showed for young Orioles catcher Samuel Basallo earlier today at his news conference didn’t surprise interim manager Tony Mansolino. He knew that players would arrive early at the ballpark and fill out rows of seats. He knew that the camaraderie would be on display again.

The media just happened to be there.

“I think externally it’s probably great to see it,” Mansolino said. “I think internally we know how it is. Though thick and thin, through the winning, the losing, the injuries, through the negativity this year, through all the bad stuff this year, it’s stayed like that. This is a group that’s won a lot of games the last couple years. They didn’t do it because they’re bad dudes or because they don’t get along with each other. It’s quite the opposite.

“Not surprising for you guys to probably see it. Probably good to see it for you guys. Probably expected more from me.”

Shortstop Gunnar Henderson sat on one of the chairs in the middle of the room and joked about borrowing a reporters digital recorder and asking a question. This was a day to celebrate, to have fun. A nice distraction, too, from back-to-back losses to begin the homestand.

PHILADELPHIA – Add another name to the list of Nationals position players getting a crash course at first base: Luis García Jr.

García has been taking grounders and scooping short-hop throws at first base in recent days, learning the nuances of the position from interim manager Miguel Cairo. He’s not ready to appear there in a game yet, but he’s admittedly handled his work there so far well.

“I feel comfortable,” García said, via interpreter Mauricio Ortiz. “Going into it, I think I feel more comfortable than what I expected.”

Originally a shortstop coming up through the minors – and briefly in the majors in 2022 – García made the full-time move to second base later that year and has remained there since. But while his offensive production ticked up, his defensive work diminished. After rating well with 5 Outs Above Average last season, he has plummeted to minus-7 OAA this season, ranking among the worst second basemen in the majors.

With the organization still searching for a long-term answer at first base, García has become the latest current major leaguer to get a look over there. Though Josh Bell has taken over the primary starting job since the Nats designated Nathaniel Lowe for assignment, Cairo has also used utility infielder Paul DeJong and recent Triple-A call-up Andres Chaparro at first base. Catcher Keibert Ruiz, on the 7-day concussion injured list nearly two months, has been getting some work there before games.

Orioles interim manager Tony Mansolino said there’s “a good chance” that Kyle Bradish starts Tuesday night against the Red Sox at Camden Yards.

Bradish hasn’t pitched for the Orioles since June 14, 2024, before undergoing Tommy John surgery. He’s completed an injury rehab assignment.

“Still working through that,” Mansolino said of his pitching plans.

Tyler Wells has one more start to make on his assignment, staying with Triple-A Norfolk for Wednesday’s game in Gwinnett, and he’s going to join the rotation after Sept. 1. He won’t go to the bullpen.

Wells hasn’t pitched for the Orioles since April 12, 2024. He also had an elbow-reconstructive procedure.

One by one they began to file into the auxiliary clubhouse that serves as a formal interview room at Camden Yards. Orioles employees, coaches, interim manager Tony Mansolino and a large contingent of players.

Executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias sat next to control owner David Rubenstein. At the other end of the table was Koby Pérez, the Orioles’ vice president of international scouting and operations. And in between Elias and Pérez sat the 21-year-old catcher with the very mature salary.

The celebration of Samuel Basallo’s eight-year extension, complete with $5 million signing bonus, escalators and club option for 2034 that brings the total package to $88.5 million, continued this afternoon with a press conference. A game will be played later tonight, but the Basallo news dwarfs anything else that’s happening.

Teammates in attendance included Adley Rutschman, Gunnar Henderson, Jackson Holliday, Jordan Westburg, Ryan Mountcastle, Dean Kremer, Tyler O’Neill, Coby Mayo, Colton Cowser, Alex Jackson, Brandon Young, Dietrich Enns and Matt Bowman. Most of them sat next to or behind the media members who normally occupy the room.

About half of those players could be under consideration for similar treatment down the road.

PHILADELPHIA – One of the Nationals’ best wins of the season was made possible by Dylan Crews and Daylen Lile’s offensive and baserunning exploits in the top of the ninth, not to mention by PJ Poulin’s two perfect innings of relief to close out an unexpected, 5-4 victory. But none of that would have been possible if not for Cade Cavalli’s quality start, which underscores an important point.

Three of the Nats’ five starters are giving them a chance to win right now. The other two are not. During this nice run against the Phillies and Mets, the team has gone 5-1 in games started by either Cavalli, MacKenzie Gore or Brad Lord, but 0-2 in games started by Mitchell Parker or Jake Irvin. And guess who starts the final two games of this series?

Parker has got to give the Nationals more than he has of late. The lefty has allowed 22 earned runs over his last 16 innings, the team going 0-4 in those starts. His ERA has skyrocketed to 5.83. And when he faced these same Phillies six days ago, he didn’t even make it out of the second inning. Somehow, some way, Parker has to figure out how to at least give his team a chance tonight.

The good news: The Nats beat up on Aaron Nola the same day the Phillies were beating up on Parker. They scored six runs off the veteran right-hander, all of them coming in the third inning, to knock him out of the game. They will be looking to do the same tonight, and perhaps provide enough run support to make up for a potentially shaky start by Parker.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS at PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES
Where: Citizens Bank Park
Gametime: 6:05 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN2, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, 87.7 FM (Spanish), MLB.com
Weather: Clear, 80 degrees, wind 12 mph out to center field

Samuel Basallo has been a major leaguer for less than a week and he’s on a record pace.

Basallo was the first player signed and developed by the Orioles’ new international program to reach the majors. He became only the second player to record an RBI in his first three games and to collect five over that same period. And most stunning, of course, is his distinction as the first to receive a contract extension of four-plus years under executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias.

It wasn’t Adley Rutschman or Gunnar Henderson or Jackson Holliday or Colton Cowser or Jordan Westburg or Coby Mayo or Dylan Beavers.

It was the kid who just turned 21 and made his debut on Sunday.

Maybe the organization’s plan is to start with the youngest and work its way up.

PHILADELPHIA – PJ Poulin wasn’t part of the Tigers’ trade package for Kyle Finnegan, but he might as well have been.

When Detroit acquired Finnegan from the Nationals at the trade deadline for minor leaguers Josh Randall and R.J. Sales, another transaction was necessary to clear a 40-man spot for the veteran reliever. The odd man out wound up being Poulin, who was pitching well at Triple-A Toledo but was deemed expendable and thus was designated for assignment.

The Nats, of course, swooped in and claimed the 29-year-old left-hander off waivers, then surprised him by sending him not to Triple-A Rochester but straight to Washington to join a big league roster for the first time in his career.

Poulin, an 11th-round pick of the Rockies in 2018 out of the University of Connecticut, was stunned just to be in the majors. Three weeks later, could he have believed he would find himself on the mound in the bottom of the ninth at Citizens Bank Park, trying to close out a one-run win in front of a sellout crowd of Phillies fans?

“Uh, I mean … no,” he said with a laugh after contemplating how ludicrous that notion would have sounded at the time. “This has been like the best three weeks of my life.”

The 21-year-old catching phenom signs an eight-year contract extension less than a week after his major league debut. Two more players go on the injured list.

Just another day in the life of the Orioles, who can bounce from unpredictable to monotonous in a matter of seconds.

They had to play the latest game on their schedule, the 128^th this season, and lost to the Astros 10-7 before an announced crowd of 24,224 at Camden Yards.

After claiming three series in a row for the first time, the best they can do against Houston is a split. Dean Kremer starts Saturday night.

Colton Cowser hit his 10^th home run in the seventh inning to reduce Houston’s lead to 7-6, the ball traveling 417 feet to right field at 108.3 mph. Reliever Enyel De Los Santos left a fastball over the middle of the plate and regretted it.

PHILADELPHIA – The lights went down at Citizens Bank Park, the cell phones turned on and a sellout crowd of 44,757 roared as Jhoan Duran entered from the bullpen for the top of the ninth. There may be no more imposing scene in baseball right now, and here were the young Nationals forced to confront it head-on.

And confront it they did, with their most impressive rally of the season and arguably their best win in a very long time.

Behind clutch hits and aggressive baserunning from rookies Dylan Crews and Daylen Lile, the Nationals took down Duran, scoring the tying and winning runs en route to a 5-4 victory that left this ballpark stunned and left the visitors’ dugout in jubilation.

"This is what playoff baseball is all about," said Crews, who has seen the Nats go 27-26 in the games he's played this season, compared to 26-49 when he sat or was on the 60-day injured list. "If we want to get to where we want to get to, we have to play in environments like this. ... This is playoff baseball."

Trailing by a run when they came up to bat in the ninth, having already squandered opportunities with runners in scoring position each of the previous three innings, the Nats finally converted against one of the best closers in the sport. And they did it behind the efforts of two rookie outfielders.

The Orioles put rookie Brandon Young on the 15-day injured list this afternoon with a strained left hamstring and selected reliever Matt Bowman’s contract from Triple-A Norfolk. A short time later, interim manager Tony Mansolino announced that infielder Jordan Westburg was going on the 10-day IL with a sprained right ankle.

So much for Westburg’s day-to-day status.

Infielder Vimael Machín had his contract selected after spending yesterday on the 24-hour medical taxi squad, and he’s wearing No. 65. He hasn’t played in the majors since 2022 with the Athletics.

Closer Félix Bautista and catcher Gary Sánchez were transferred to the 60-day IL to create openings on the 40-man roster.

Machín will be the 63^rd player used if he gets into a game, breaking the franchise record of 62 set in 2021. He’s played in 105 games with the Tides and is batting .287/.346/.475 with 25 doubles, two triples, 15 home runs and 70 RBIs. He was 7-for-13 with three doubles over three games before going 0-for-5 on Sunday.

PHILADELPHIA – As Bob Carpenter enters the home stretch of his final season behind the microphone, plans are coming together to honor the retiring broadcaster at Nationals Park.

The Nationals announced today they will honor Carpenter prior to their Sept. 27 game against the White Sox, the penultimate game of the season.

The club will hold a retirement ceremony on the field beginning at 3 p.m. (first pitch is scheduled for 4:05 p.m.), with a video tribute, messages from former players and colleagues and a special gift presentation. Carpenter’s name will be unveiled on the façade underneath the broadcast booth, where it will become a permanent fixture.

The first 10,000 fans in attendance will receive a commemorative “See! You! Later!” T-shirt honoring Carpenter’s signature home run call, and a limited number of special game scorecards will be available as well, reflecting the scorebook he has self-published for decades that has become the industry standard for baseball broadcasters at every level of the sport.

The weekend series also will feature the return of the “See You Tater” concessions concept at the “Change-Up” Food Hall in the center field plaza.

PHILADELPHIA – How about that surprising homestand? The Nationals wound up going 4-3 against the Phillies and Mets, looking pretty sharp in the process against the top two teams in the division. So what’s up next? How about a road trip to … Philadelphia and New York!

They won’t be facing the Mets again; this trip concludes at Yankee Stadium, not Citi Field. But first up, it is a rematch with the Phillies over the weekend, the Nats hoping to keep the good vibes going in a very familiar matchup.

Cade Cavalli looked great six nights ago against this same lineup, tossing seven scoreless innings on 90 pitches to earn his first major league win. It’s an entirely new challenge, though, to face the same team again, especially in back-to-back starts. Surely, the Phillies picked up on something about Cavalli in the first meeting. It’s up to the rookie right-hander (and the Nationals coaching staff) to figure out what, if any, adjustments he needs to make in the rematch.

Cavalli outdueled Taijuan Walker in that Saturday afternoon affair on South Capitol Street, and that’s who the Nationals are facing again tonight. The veteran right-hander allowed two runs over 6 2/3 innings, the big blow a two-out, two-run double by James Wood in the bottom of the fifth that accounted for all of the runs scored in the 2-0 victory.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS at PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES
Where: Citizens Bank Park
Gametime: 6:45 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN2, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, 87.7 FM (Spanish), MLB.com
Weather: Clear, 79 degrees, wind 5 mph out to left field

The Orioles have made the following roster moves:

• Selected the contract of RHP Matt Bowman from Triple-A Norfolk. He will wear No. 51.
• Placed RHP Brandon Young (left hamstring strain) on the 15-day Injured List.
• Transferred RHP Félix Bautista (right shoulder surgery) to the 60-day Injured List.

The Orioles’ 40-man roster currently has 40 players.

The Orioles are venturing into new territory by extending one of their young stars, and it turns out to be catcher Samuel Basallo.

The club has reached agreement with Basallo on an eight-year deal worth $67 million that also includes a club option for 2034 and escalators that make the total package worth $88.5 million. He received a $5 million signing bonus after passing his physical earlier today.

The contract represents the largest pre-arbitration extension for a catcher in major league history. And it goes to the No. 1 prospect in the organization, who turned 21 years old earlier this month and played in his fourth career game last night, and first at home.

Basallo is ranked as the No. 4 prospect overall by ESPN. Baseball America has him seventh and MLB Pipeline eighth.

The Orioles signed Basallo out of the Dominican Republic for $1.3 million in 2021, their largest bonus internationally at that time. He finally was promoted to the majors on Sunday in Houston, a day after outfielder Dylan Beavers, the No. 3 prospect in the system.

With a chance to win a series against a playoff team, the Nationals needed a strong offensive showing against an opposing left-handed starting pitcher.

Yes, the Nats roster right now is heavy with lefty bats. And the right-handed options haven’t consistently produced. But something needed to change after David Peterson came within one inning of tossing a complete game against the Nats for the second time this season.

“We've got to do something about it,” interim manager Miguel Cairo said after Tuesday’s 8-1 loss to Peterson.

Luckily, Peterson wasn’t on the mound this afternoon. Instead it was veteran Sean Manaea, who entered the game with a 7.98 ERA over his three August starts. And it was off this southpaw that the Nats were finally able to score some runs en route to a 9-3 victory in front of an announced crowd of 20,127 on a cloudy, misty and unusually chilly August day in D.C.

Facing a 3-0 deficit in the fourth, the Nats lineup, with only three left-handed hitters, started chipping away at Manaea. They loaded the bases and got on the board thanks to a Dylan Crews groundout, but stranded two runners in scoring position, leaving a golden opportunity on the field.