Derek Hill hit a two-out, two-run pinch home run in the ninth inning to lift the Philadelphia Phillies to a 5-4 win over the Washington Nationals on Wednesday night, a day after Philadelphia posted an eight-run ninth inning in a 14-9 victory. Kyle Schwarber wa
Washington’s night almost flipped on a routine detail: with the game on the line. Philadelphia kept finding a way to keep batting. In the ninth inning. Derek Hill came off the bench with two outs and a pair of runs on the table. then launched a two-run pinch home run to right center on a 1-2 pitch. lifting the Phillies to a 5-4 win over the Washington Nationals on Wednesday night.
The timing mattered because Philadelphia’s offense had already shown it could do damage the night before. On Tuesday, the Phillies won 14-9 after scoring eight runs in the ninth inning against Washington. This time, the story tightened instead of swelling—short swings, late pressure, and one decisive pitch that landed.
Kyle Schwarber, the major league homers leader, sat out the start with lower back tightness. With two outs, he pinch-hit and walked against Orlando Ribalta. Richard Lovelady (2-4) came on, and Hill pinch-hit for Justin Crawford, delivering the homer that broke a close game open.
Philadelphia’s setup mattered just as much as the finish. Seth Johnson (1-0) pitched a scoreless eighth for the victory, and Jhoan Duran struck out the side in the ninth for his 19th save.
Brandon Marsh anchored the Phillies’ production with three hits. He’s 7 for 13 with two home runs, three RBIs, and four runs in the series.
The Nationals answered with power of their own. Curtis Mead smacked a pinch two-run homer in the sixth to give Washington a 4-3 lead. Luis Garcia Jr. and Jorbit Vivas also homered—Garcia in his third consecutive game, and Vivas for the second straight.
Philadelphia had earlier established momentum too. The Phillies took a 3-2 lead in the fourth with runs coming on Bryson Stott’s double, J.T. Realmuto’s sacrifice fly, and a single by Gabriel Rincones, Jr.
On the mound, Aaron Nola started for Philadelphia and gave up two runs on three hits in five innings. For Washington. opener Carson Palmquist—recalled from Triple-A Rochester—gave up a run on two hits in 3 1/3 innings in his Nationals debut. Palmquist was acquired from the Rockies in exchange for cash on May 25. Miles Mikolas then pitched 3 1/3 innings, allowing two unearned runs on five hits.
The series finale is set for Thursday with Philadelphia’s Christopher Sanchez (9-3, 1.80 ERA) facing Washington’s Cade Cavalli (4-4, 4.07).
Philadelphia Phillies Washington Nationals Derek Hill pinch home run Jhoan Duran Kyle Schwarber Aaron Nola Curtis Mead Luis Garcia Jr. Jorbit Vivas