PHILADELPHIA - J.T. Realmuto hit a go-ahead two-run single in the 10th inning with the aid of an obstruction call, and the Philadelphia Phillies won 8-7 to complete a doubleheader sweep of the Washington Nationals on Friday night.The Phillies have won 14 of their last 16 games.Bryce Harper had three hits against his old team in the opener, helping the Philadelphia win 5-3."It was a pretty good day at the office, it felt like, for everybody," said Phillies second baseman Matt Vierling, who homered twice in the second game. "It was definitely long.
It wasn’t just the stuff during the game. It was the heat, and the doubleheader and everything like that."Josh Bell homered twice in the nightcap and three times on the day for the Nationals, who have lost seven in a row.
According to STATS, Bell became the first player to hit three homers, drive in five runs and walk three times in a single day and not be part of a victory since RBIs became an official stat in 1920.Phillies shortstop Didi Gregorius made a poor throw for a tying error on what should have been a game-ending grounder by Nelson Cruz in the ninth.With the score 6-6 in the 10th, Realmuto singled to center off Steve Cishek (0-2) with one out and runners on second and third.
Kyle Schwarber, the automatic runner at the start of the inning, scored easily and Rhys Hoskins collided with shortstop Luis García.Third base coach Dusty Wathan sent Hoskins, and while the throw was easily in time, umpires allowed Hoskins to score on García’s obstruction."He knows the obstruction rule," interim manager Rob Thomson said. "Huge.