By: Matthew Mack
The National League East Division Champion Philadelphia Phillies started the 2025 baseball season on the road against the Washington Nationals. The Philly Sports Faithful took the fervor of Phillies and the Super Bowl LIX Champion Eagles with them by way of either I-95 or even the Northeast Corridor on Amtrak. Whatever the case, the Phillies fans took over Nationals Park. Chanting “Let’s Go Phillies” or “E-A-G-L-E-S EAGLES!!!” only to the ire of Nationals fans feeling some sort of annoyance.
On Thursday, the Phils and the Nats open the season with all the pomp and circumstance that comes with the first day of the regular season in Washington. Zack Wheeler was tabbed as the opening day starter for the Phils days prior while the team was in Clearwater, Fla. for Spring Training. The Nationals sent MacKenzie Gore to start their season and home opener. Both starting pitchers went six innings and did not get a decision. Gore struck out 13 to Wheeler’s eight. Wheeler also gave up a solo home run in the fifth to Keibert Ruiz to strike first blood. The Phillies got on the board thanks to Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber home runs to take a two-to-one lead. Phils added another run in the top of the eighth thanks to a wild pitch by Nats reliever Jose A. Ferrer. In the other half of the inning, the Nationals tied the game three-to-three because of C.J. Abrams RBI groundout to send Dylan Crews home to score and Luis Garcia, Jr. RBI line drive single to score Jacob Young. Drama on Opening Day you asked? You got it! The game went into extra innings and the Phillies went to work. In the 10th, Alec Bohm, with runners at the corners, hit a scorching double leftfield to clear the bases with a two-run RBI double. Two batters later, J.T. Realmuto with two runners on, banged out a triple to clear the bases. All this, with two in the inning. Phillies reliever Matt Strahm did his job to get the 1-2-3 inning in the bottom half to win the game seven-to-three.
In the second game of the series, the Nationals struck first again with a Keibert Ruiz two-run homer in the second inning. The Phillies responded in the fourth thanks to Bryson Stott with a two-run bomb of his own. In the sixth inning the floodgates opened for the Phillies. With the bases loaded, Edmundo Sosa, filling in for Trea Turner, walked in the run to take the lead. With a wild pitch to bring in Stott, Schwarber slams a three-run homer into right to expand the lead 7-2. Amed Rosario answered back in the bottom half with a solo homer. The Phillies put the exclamation point in this game as Brandon Marsh got into the scoring party with a three-run blast to right in the 7th and a Johan Rojas RBI single in the eighth to expand the lead 11-3. Although Nathaniel Lowe provided the last of the run production in that inning and the ninth as well. The Phillies hung on to win the game 11-to-six. Jesus Luzardo pitched six innings, giving up five hits, two earned runs, the home run, early in the game, 11 K’s and two walks to get the win in his first game as a Phillie in the season.
The Sunday rubber match between these two teams, Aaron Nola would get the ball for the Phils. Though he pitched 5 1⁄3 innings, he gave up five runs along with two home runs in the process. Though Nola struck out eight with two walks, the Phillies offense could not produce a run until the 9th when Rafael Marchan provided the lone RBI. Josh Bell and Lowe provided all the offense needed to beat the Phillies 5-1. Kyle Finnegan recorded the save for the Nationals.
With the first series in the books, the Phillies go home for their home opener against the Colorado Rockies. As the Phils raise the 2024 Division banner in The Bank, we all know that the place will be lit. I expect the Phillies to feed off the crowd and take care of business. Basically, the same cast of characters are still here. The questions still looms as to whether the Phillies can get over the World Series hump. The National League East is one of, if not, the toughest divisions in MLB. The Phillies need to just get in the tournament in October. I do not see the Phillies winning the division but get in the postseason and hopefully do damage. Just hope that the Phillies stay consistent throughout the season, although it ebbs and flows. We are still on that Super Bowl high as Philly Sports fans, but it doesn’t mean that the expectations are no lower for the Phils. It’s World Series or bust!
