Phillies turned to Stone as Garrett makes emphatic MLB Return

The Nationals did what? On Friday night, the Washington Nationals were clearly ready to explode. After an embarrassing stretch over the last week or so that included getting shutout 3 times over a 31-inning scoreless streak, the offense came to life in a massive way. The Nats picked up win number 70 on the season, and did so in dominant fashion, with a 9-1 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies that included 16 hits from the hometown club.

Leadoff man and #1 prospect in baseball Dylan Crews got the game started with a hustle double that likely gave every Nats fan flashbacks to Bryce Harper, setting the tone that the Nats were not messing around on Friday night. A Juan Yepez RBI single, Stone Garrett 2-run shot, and Jacob Young RBI infield single helped give the Nats an early 4-0 lead that they would never relinquish.

Righty Trevor Williams, making his 2nd start off of the injured list and final one of his 2024 season, put together another solid start. In what was the theme for him when healthy this year, Williams was pulled before the Phillies could face him for a third time through the order. Davey Martinez proved that this was a successful plan to make Williams effective, and he finished the year allowing just 5 earned runs in 66.2 innings. Overall, he threw 5 shutout innings, scattering 3 hits and 2 free passes while striking out 5 Phillies hitters. The early cushion was all he would need to earn the win, finishing the season with a 6-1 record and 2.03 ERA.

On the flip side, Friday's loss was a crucial one for the Phillies, as they now find themselves 2 games behind the Dodgers for the #1 seed in the National League, and it appears that this year's NL playoff pitcure will run through Los Angeles. This is potentially devastating for the Phillies, as the MASN broadcast tonight noted how much better the Phillies are at home than on the road this year. How much better? How about a 54-27 home record at Citizens Bank Park for the Phillies as opposed to just 40-39 on the road this season. Should they have to go on the road in a series against the Dodgers, they could be in serious trouble.

"Allow me to reintroduce myself, my name is STONE!" is probably what Stone Garrett said after he crushed a 2-run homer to left off of Ranger Suárez in his first at-bat back in the MLB since his devastating leg injury last season. He had yet to appear in a game since being recalled on Tuesday, but he made sure to make an impact when his number was called upon. Just check out the video below if you haven't seen it.

The Baseball Gods were clearly smiling down on Garrett on Friday night, as he finished the game 3/4 with that homer, a double, a single, and a walk, finishing just a triple short of the cycle. He continued his dominance over Suárez, as he is now 5/11 with 2 homers and 8 RBIs in his career against him. It's a feel good story for the 28-year-old and for the organization as a whole, and you could just see the emotion being released from his body as he screamed out in joy running to first base.

He was not alone, as Juan Yepez, Luis Garcia Jr., and Jacob Young all recorded 3 hits apiece as well while Keibert Ruiz recorded a pair of hits and drove in 3 runs. For one of the first times in recent memory, every single member of the Nats' batting order reached base at least once, as Nasim Nuñez and Ildemaro Vargas both walked to reach base despite not recording a hit. The Nationals' bats came out angry, and man oh man did they look sharp as they dazzled in their Cherry Blossom uniforms for one of the final times ever. Look good, feel good, play good.

It's always a great time when you can beat a division rival, and it's even better when you can help play spoiler this late in the year. Hopefully the Nats saved some hits and runs for the rest of the weekend, and that we as fans will be able to celebrate another Curly W or two in the City Connect jerseys before the 2024 season comes to an end on Sunday.

How many wins do you think the Nats finish with this season - 70, 71, or 72? As always, please let me know on X, @DCBerk.

All stats in this article were provided by MLB.com and Statmuse.