The Philadelphia Phillies took a 3-2 win over the Wahsington Nationals on Tuesday. It was led by the MLB debut of Andrew Painter, as he took the mound for the Phils.
Painter had between 30 and 35 friends and family in attendance for his MLB debut, including his grandmother, Kathy, who brought along a good luck charm, according to John Clark of NBC Sports Philadelphia.
Grandma Kathy, who came in from Florida, was wearing a shirt she had worn for each of his games in high school.
Andrew Painter has 30 to 35 family and friends here for his major league debut. Including his grandma Kathy, who came in from Florida. Wearing the shirt she wore for his games in high school. 
Hear from Andrew on NBC10 at 6:20 PM live from CBP pic.twitter.com/5fRIDbmPFw
— John Clark (@JClarkNBCS) March 31, 2026
It was an amazing debut for the Phillies' rookie. He went 5.1 innings, giving up four hits, one walk, and one earned run. He also struck out eight batters while throwing just 84 pitches. His teammates also took notice of the poise of the pitcher making his MLB debut, according to Todd Zolecki of MLB.com.
“It looked like he had been there before,” Brandon Marsh said. “It was dope.”
“Before the game, there’s no pacing — no nothing,” Kyle Schwarber said. “It just felt like he was mentally prepared for what he was about to go do.”
Painter did not give up a run in the first five innings and would leave the game with a 3-1 lead. James Wood drove in a run in the seventh inning, but the Phillies' bullpen shut down the Nationals. They gave up just one run in 3.2 innings of work, as Painter got his first win in his MLB career.
The Phillies are now 2-3 on the season, and they will finish their series with the Nationals on Wednesday afternoon, with Christopher Sanchez getting the start on the mound.




















