Nats lose home run derby in opener (updated)

PHILADELPHIA – While yesterday’s rainout helped the Nationals’ exhausted, yet effective bullpen, one still wondered how it would affect the red-hot offense, which averaged just over six runs per game against the Reds over the weekend.

Early in Game 1 of this doubleheader, it seemed to have no effect. But after the Nats jumped out to an early lead thanks to a couple of home runs, the Phillies daunting lineup responded with a homer barrage of their own. And when it was all said and done, this home run derby left the Nationals with an 8-4 loss.

“I was able to get all my work in when I needed to," said Nationals starter Trevor Williams after making his first start in nine days. "As far as the results today, we took a loss. There are some positives to look at through there. You eliminate the longball and it's a different ballgame."

The early lead came off the bats of Keibert Ruiz and the new 1-2 punch atop the Nats lineup.

Ruiz turned on a high fastball from Phillies starter Zack Wheeler and sent it 99 mph out to right field, hitting the scoreboard hanging over the stands 390 feet away. The catcher’s 12th homer of the season gave the Nats a 1-0 lead in the second.

The following inning started with CJ Abrams and Lane Thomas again. Coming off a big series in Cincinnati, the two were hoping to set the tone for the offense again. And the ensuing sequence was picture-perfect for the top of any lineup.

Abrams led off with his 21st double – his fifth in the leadoff spot – as he hit a first-pitch slider 102 mph off the right field wall. And he showed off his impressive speed, increasing his pace rounding first when he saw Nick Castellanos field the ball cleanly off the wall and then diving safely into second.

Thomas stepped up, worked a full count and launched his team-leading 20th homer into the left field seats for a 3-0 lead. It was his first home run in Citizens Bank Park, the stadium where he had the most appearances without a homer coming into today.

But that 3-0 lead was short-lived.

After an infield single and throwing error by Ildemaro Vargas put No. 9 hitter Johan Rojas on second base, Williams surrendered back-to-back home runs to Kyle Schwarber and Alec Bohm, allowing the Phillies to tie the game.

Schwarber’s homer came on an 84-mph changeup low in the zone, and Bohm’s was on a 90-mph fastball down the middle. And the former National wasn’t done yet.

“You tip your hat in that situation," Williams said of Schwarber's first homer. "I thought I executed it and he just put a better swing on it.”

Schwarber stepped to the plate the next inning with two runners on and launched his second homer of the game, and 30th of the season, on a second-pitch, 89-mph fastball up in the zone. Williams was actually lucky it wasn’t a grand slam because Trea Turner, who had doubled to left, was held at third on Jake Cave’s single to left and then caught in a rundown on Rojas’ grounder to third before the second Schwarbomb.

"The pitches that I thought were executed were executed today," Williams said. "The two I wish I got back were the Bohm homer and the second Schwarber homer. Those two are the ones that are going to sting. Unfortunately, those three-run homers hurt. But as far as my routine the last week or so, I was able to get my work in to be prepared for today.”

Just like that the Nationals had seen their three-run lead disappear and turn into a three-run deficit.

“He's a great hitter," Williams said of Schwarber. "He's the guy you have to look beyond the stat line. He's a guy that can put the ball out of the yard at any point and with any pitch. So it's about keeping him off balance and executing well. He's seen me a lot, I've seen him a lot, and it's a matter of, he's hard to trick, so you have to really set him up for certain stuff. Today I thought we did a good job of that minus the third at-bat.”

After completing only four innings in his last start, Williams was pulled after 4 ⅔ innings with eight hits, six runs and a season-high seven strikeouts on his final line. The three home runs moved him into second for the most allowed in the National League with 25, behind only the Phillies’ Aaron Nola with 26.

“It's execution. It's execution and being around the zone," Williams said. "If you attack the zone, you're gonna get hitters to expand where you want them to expand. Unfortunately, there are a lot of 0-2 to 2-2 to 3-2 punch outs, which hurts. Not completing five innings is unacceptable and that's something that leads to that when you go 0-2 to 2-2 to 3-2 . So it's something to work on this next go around and to move forward and be better.”

For good measure, Cave hit a two-run shot in the sixth off Amos Willingham, who was appointed as the Nationals’ 27th man earlier today.

And although the Nats offense started strong, they couldn’t do anything to bail Williams out of his rough outing. Poised for an even bigger third inning with two runners on and no outs, Wheeler retired 11 of the next 12 Nats hitters. The Nats were able to get one back in the eighth on three straight from Joey Meneses, Dominic Smith and Ruiz.

“I didn't put our offense in a great spot by eliminating that lead that we had," Williams said. "But especially with a guy like Wheeler on the mound, he's a guy that if we got to early, that was gonna be good for us. It's the shutdown innings that need to happen so we can continue that lead."

The loss snapped the Nationals’ four-game winning streak as they were seeking their longest winning streak since June 2021, when a couple of these Phillies were hitting homers in curly W caps.

Now they’ll turn to Josiah Gray, who has done a better job of keeping the ball in the yard this year, to shut down this high-powered offense in the nightcap.

"This one's on me today. This first one's on me," Williams said. "I know we're going to have JoJo go out there the second game and hope to split the series today.”