The Philadelphia Phillies beat the Washington Nationals 11-9 on Sunday to take the three-game series. They needed the offense after a concerning start from an important pitcher. The Phillies got Aaron Nola back from injury, having hurt both his ankle and rib, and saw his ERA explode to 6.92 after a dismal start. Patrick Stevens of the Associated Press reported on the bad start on Sunday.

“Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Aaron Nola’s first start after returning from the injured list didn’t last long. The right-hander allowed six runs in 2 1/3 innings Sunday against the Washington Nationals, a start that ended when seven consecutive batters reached safely. Nola struck out four in his first major league outing since May 14,” Stevens reported.

Nola came back just after Phillies' ace Zach Wheeler hit the injured list due to blood clots. Even with a poor start to the season, 6.16 ERA through nine starts with just 49.2 innings pitched, they had high expectations. Last year, he made 33 starts with a 3.57 ERA, which is exactly what the 2025 squad needs.

The Phillies are 5.5 games over the New York Mets in the National League East. They have opened up that lead mostly thanks to a dreadful stretch for the Amazins, where they have lost 14 of their last 17. Without a bona fide ace in Wheeler and a struggling Nola, Philly could kick some games back to the Mets.

Even with the poor start, the Phillies' offense and bullpen pushed them to victory. They were already winning 6-0 when Nola's blowup third inning happened, and they went on to re-take the lead in the top of the fourth. Nick Castellanos and Alec Bohm both hit homers, while Bryce Harper had two RBIs of his own.

The Phillies took the series against Washington and have a key set against the Seattle Mariners coming up. Can they keep up their winning ways?

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