Phillies 10, Nationals 5: Harper and Hill Homer in Five-Run Ninth

The lead

June 25, 2026 - Washington - Bryce Harper hit a go-ahead two-run homer in the ninth inning and Derek Hill followed with a three-run shot as the Philadelphia Phillies rallied from an early five-run deficit and beat the Washington Nationals 10-5, per the Associated Press recap on WJLA.

Philadelphia topped the June 25 team leaderboard at 27 FP in AthX Engine scoring.

How the game turned

The Nationals jumped on Cristopher Sánchez for four runs in the first. Curtis Mead homered for the third time in the series, Jacob Young added an RBI single in the third, and Washington led 5-0.

Brandon Marsh cut it to 5-2 with a two-run homer in the sixth, his third of the series. Philadelphia tied it in the seventh on four walks and back-to-back singles from Justin Crawford and Trea Turner before Alec Bohm's RBI groundout made it 5-5.

Harper broke the tie with a 390-foot two-run shot in the ninth, his 103rd homer at Nationals Park. Hill's three-run blast capped a five-run frame and sealed the series.

Pitching and matchup notes

Sánchez (2.13 ERA) allowed five runs on seven hits in five innings with six strikeouts. Cade Cavalli held Philadelphia to two runs over six frames for Washington, but the Nationals bullpen collapsed again in the late innings.

Orion Kerkering (5-0) struck out two in a scoreless eighth for the win. Gregory Varland (1-2) gave up five runs on six hits in two innings for the loss.

The Phillies won their third straight comeback game, scoring 15 ninth-inning runs across the streak against the majors' worst bullpen.

Bats that changed the board

Harper finished with 19 FP and Hill added 14 hitting FP in AthX Engine scoring. Marsh's homer and the seventh-inning rally pushed Philadelphia to 27 team FP on the Thursday card.

AthX Engine fantasy angle

AthX Engine rewards late-inning production when a lineup stacks homers and walks behind a quality bullpen bridge. Harper's go-ahead blast and the five-run ninth register at the top of the daily boards, separate from dynamic pricing.

What comes next

The Nationals host the Mets on Friday while the Phillies return home against Toronto, per the MLB schedule.

*Sources: MLB.com schedule, ESPN box score, WJLA/AP recap, AthX Engine scoring. Information only; not financial advice.*