Nationals Crush Phillies in Series Opener

Washington's offense erupts for 13 runs on 17 hits in dominant win

Mar. 31, 2026 at 3:34am

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A fragmented, abstract painting featuring sharp, overlapping geometric shapes in vibrant colors, conceptually representing the dynamic energy and movement of a baseball game.The Nationals' offensive explosion against the Phillies is captured in a cubist, geometric interpretation of the action on the field.Chicago Today

The Washington Nationals opened their three-game series against the Philadelphia Phillies with a resounding 13-2 victory. The Nats jumped on Phillies starter Taijuan Walker early, scoring four runs in the first inning and adding more in the second and third to give starter Foster Griffin a comfortable 7-0 lead. Griffin pitched five solid innings, and the Nationals' bullpen held the Phillies in check the rest of the way as the offense continued to pour it on, including a four-run ninth inning to seal the win.

Why it matters

This win gives the Nationals a 3-1 record to start the season, putting them two games over .500 for the first time since 2021. It also marks their first divisional win of the year against a tough NL East opponent in the Phillies. The offensive outburst and strong pitching performance are encouraging signs for a Nationals team looking to build on an improbable series win in Chicago.

The details

The Nationals jumped on Phillies starter Taijuan Walker in the first inning, scoring four runs on an RBI single by CJ Abrams, another by Jose Tena, and a sacrifice fly by Jorbit Vivas. They added one more in the second on an RBI fielder's choice by Drew Millas, and two more in the third on RBI groundouts from Luis Garcia and Brady House. Foster Griffin pitched five solid innings for the Nationals, allowing two runs on a two-run homer by Rafael Marchan in the fifth. The Nationals' bullpen of Brad Lord and Cole Henry combined for four scoreless innings to close out the game. The Nationals' offense continued to roll, scoring four more runs in the ninth inning to make the final score 13-2.

  • The Nationals scored four runs in the top of the first inning.
  • The Nationals added one run in the top of the second inning.
  • The Nationals scored two more runs in the top of the third inning.
  • The Phillies scored two runs in the bottom of the fifth inning.
  • The Nationals scored four more runs in the top of the ninth inning.

The players

Foster Griffin

The Nationals' starting pitcher, who pitched five innings, allowing two runs on five hits with five strikeouts.

Taijuan Walker

The Phillies' starting pitcher, who was tagged for seven runs (six earned) in 4.2 innings of work.

Rafael Marchan

The Phillies' catcher, who hit a two-run home run in the fifth inning.

Brad Lord

The Nationals' relief pitcher, who pitched three scoreless innings out of the bullpen.

Cole Henry

The Nationals' relief pitcher, who pitched a scoreless ninth inning to close out the game.

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What they’re saying

“There are a few words I can come up with to describe what we just saw, and I believe the best one is 'beautiful.'”

— Ryan Macreynolds, Author

“The Nationals, fresh off an improbable series win in Chicago, came into Citizens Bank Park and kept the good times rolling in a major way.”

— Ryan Macreynolds, Author

What’s next

The Nationals and Phillies will continue their three-game series on Saturday night, with PJ Poulin expected to start for Washington and top Phillies prospect Andrew Painter taking the mound for the home team.

The takeaway

This dominant win over a divisional rival shows the Nationals' offense is firing on all cylinders and their pitching staff is stepping up, providing an encouraging start to the season and building momentum as they look to take the series from the Phillies.