Close Menu
Sports Review News
  • Home
  • Football
  • Baseball
  • Basketball
  • Hocky
  • Soccer
  • Boxing
  • Golf
  • Motorsport
  • Tennis

Subscribe to Updates

Get the latest creative sports news and updates directly to your inbox.

Trending

Guven wins after last-lap drama at the Sachsenring

August 23, 2025

Reclusive tennis icon Anna Kournikova is unrecognisable in rare sighting as a devoted mum after wheelchair health fears

August 23, 2025

Arsenal vs Leeds LIVE SCORE: Gyokeres scores SUPERB goal to open Gunners account after Saka and Timber strike – latest

August 23, 2025
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
Sports Review News
SUBSCRIBE
  • Home
  • Football
  • Baseball
  • Basketball
  • Hocky
  • Soccer
  • Boxing
  • Golf
  • Motorsport
  • Tennis
Sports Review News
Home»Baseball»Jhoan Duran blows save as Phillies drop opener to Nationals – NBC Sports Philadelphia
Baseball

Jhoan Duran blows save as Phillies drop opener to Nationals – NBC Sports Philadelphia

News RoomBy News RoomAugust 23, 2025No Comments5 Mins Read
Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email Telegram Copy Link
Jhoan Duran blows save as Phillies drop opener to Nationals – NBC Sports Philadelphia

Phillies manager Rob Thomson talked earlier this season about seeing things he’d never seen before in his many years in MLB. He can add a couple more things to the list as the Phillies fell to the Washington Nationals, 5-4, in the series-opener at Citizens Bank Park.

In a game that saw three Taijuan Walker pickoff attempts overturned – two to outs, one to safe – and closer Jhoan Duran blow his first save opportunity for the Phillies in seven tries, the Phillies got excellent pitching.

That is if you take away the first and last innings.

Early on, it didn’t appear to be the Phillies’ night and certainly not Walker’s, as the Nationals tagged him for three runs in a first inning that included two walks, a pickoff at first, a three-run home run and an astounding 38 pitches. In Duran’s ninth inning, he gave up a double to Dylan Crews and a game-tying single to Dayle Lile, who went to second on the throw home by Brandon Marsh, which hit Crews, not enabling catcher J.T. Realmuto to secure the ball. Lile then stole third and scored easily when Realmuto’s throw sailed into left.

The Phillies have been playing so well lately that it seems like it had to take some crazy events for them to lose for the first time in five games.

After a rough first inning, Walker pitched four more and faced the minimum 12 batters. It was an adjustment he made that allowed him to overcome the lengthy first, but the three-run damage had already been done.

“Just the two walks,” Walker said of his first inning troubles. “I feel like when I get in trouble a lot is when I start walking guys. It seemed like they were a little more patient in that first inning. The splitters that they were taking and just out of the zone a little too much. After the first inning I started getting in the zone more and it seemed like they were being more aggressive and putting the ball in play more.”

Walker says his cutter just wasn’t there to begin the night but it came back to him with a little work.

“It was a little off in the bullpen,” he said. “I thought the first inning it would be better but it was just off a little bit, made a little adjustment after the first and it started picking up. Just a wrist adjustment, a stiffer wrist.

“It was really just not commanding the zone in that first inning and just not throwing enough strikes. I really didn’t know how many I threw. I didn’t know that. It didn’t feel like 38. I know it was a longer inning but I didn’t feel like 38. But I felt good, the whole game after that started to get quicker outs and got into a good little groove.”

The whole team did. While Tanner Banks, Jose Alvarado and Matt Strahm contributed to keeping the Nationals off the board after the first, the torrid offense came to life for the Phillies.

Nick Castellanos began the second with a single, hustled to third on a Bryson Stott single and scored on a groundout by Trea Turner to cut the lead 3-1. In the sixth, Castellanos doubled for his third hit of the night and scored two batters later when Stott homered to tie the game 3-3.

In the seventh, after Nationals lefty reliever Shinnosuke Ogasawara struck out Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper, Realmuto launched a low, 3-2 changeup, into the left field seats for a 4-3 lead. And when Strahm put down the Nats in the eighth, the general feeling was game over as Duran warmed in the bullpen.

But not on this night as Duran gave up a couple hits and Realmuto aired one into left to help Washington get the winning run.

“That’s the game,” Duran said. “Sometimes that happens. We need to prepare for everything.” Asked if he can easily shake off his first blemish as a Phillie, Duran said, “Right now. I’m good. Sometimes we do good, sometimes we do bad. So, that’s the game. Tomorrow I’ll be ready for tomorrow, so it’s OK.”

Realmuto, after becoming the offensive hero with a late-inning home run, reflected more on the play at the third than his offense after the game.

“I probably shouldn’t have thrown the ball, in hindsight,” he said. “It was a curve ball away and I really didn’t get to set my feet and get around the (batter) so I did have to throw it over his head. In that situation, it’s tough to do, but I probably should have just eaten it, let him have third base and give Duran a chance to strike the next two guys out, which he ended up doing. It’s tough to do in the moment but I probably should have just eaten that one.”

Still, there were positives to the game that manager Rob Thomson was quick to point out afterwards.

“(Casty) swung the bat well, Stott’s hot,” he said. “J.T. with a big home run in the seventh to get us where we wanted to be. We fought back and I’m happy with that. Castellanos also going first to third created a run for us, our first run and Trea busting it down the line to avoid the double play and get us on the board.”

As for his thoughts on his new closer?

“Super confident. Mariano (Rivera) had 80 (blown saves), so it’s going happen every once in a while. He struck out the side. There’s going to be hits in there sometimes.”

As for seeing three overturned pickoffs, add that to the list of an inside-the-park three-run homer that beat the Phillies earlier this year in San Francisco and a walk off win on a catcher’s interference against Boston.

“I don’t think so,” said Thomson of seeing the pickoff situation. “I’m not sure but I don’t think so.”

Read the full article here

Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Telegram Reddit Email
Previous Article‘Take your pick of red card’ – Fans convinced James Trafford should be sent off for kung-fu kick AND handball
Next Article Man Utd transfer news LIVE: Fernandes eyed by Saudis EXCLUSIVE, United close in on £17m goalkeeper, Onana ‘decision’

Related Posts

Orioles’ Cade Povich second MLB pitcher this week to call out fans sending death threats

August 23, 2025

Astros sign veteran reliever Craig Kimbrel, a nine-time All-Star

August 23, 2025

Mets at Braves: How to watch on SNY on Aug. 23, 2025

August 23, 2025

ICYMI in Mets Land: Nolan McLean dazzles, offense explodes in Atlanta

August 23, 2025

Letters to Sports: Dodgers’ problems are more than Teoscar Hernández’s defense

August 23, 2025

Shaikin: The Padres aren’t dead, and the Dodgers have plenty to lose in baseball’s best rivalry

August 23, 2025
Add A Comment
Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

Demo
Stay In Touch
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
  • Vimeo
Don't Miss

Guven wins after last-lap drama at the Sachsenring

By News RoomAugust 23, 2025

Manthey-Porsche driver Ayhancan Guven may have entered the final lap in third place, but a…

Reclusive tennis icon Anna Kournikova is unrecognisable in rare sighting as a devoted mum after wheelchair health fears

August 23, 2025

Arsenal vs Leeds LIVE SCORE: Gyokeres scores SUPERB goal to open Gunners account after Saka and Timber strike – latest

August 23, 2025

Orioles’ Cade Povich second MLB pitcher this week to call out fans sending death threats

August 23, 2025

Subscribe to Updates

Get the latest creative sports news and updates directly to your inbox.

Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest
  • Home
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • For Advertisers
  • Contact
© 2025 Prices.com LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.