Josh Bell and Nathaniel Lowe homered, and the Washington Nationals avoided a season-opening series sweep with a 5-1 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Sunday.
Bell, who was 0 for 9 to begin his second stint with Washington, ripped an Aaron Nola fastball into the center-field seats for a three-run homer in the fourth inning. Lowe ended Nola’s day with a two-run shot to center in the sixth.
“I know it was kind of frustrating the first couple of days,” Bell said. “I was talking to (teammate Paul) DeJong about it. I was like ‘Man, I’m 0 for 6,’ or whatever it was with runners in scoring position. He’s like ‘Dude, it’s Game 3. Calm down.’”
Bell had a 27-homer season with the Nationals in 2021, the second-largest total of his career. He added 14 more the following year before he was sent west with Juan Soto in a deal that punctuated Washington’s rebuilding movement.
Sunday’s shot into the seats in center was on a first-pitch fastball with two out in a scoreless game, giving the Nationals a three-run lead for the first time this season.
“I always say that three-run homers are sexy,” Washington manager Dave Martinez said. “It was a big uplift for us.”
Washington starter Mitchell Parker (1-0) put two runners on in each of the first three innings but escaped trouble each time. He pitched 61/3 scoreless innings, allowing seven hits and striking out five.
Kyle Finnegan entered with the bases loaded and none out in the ninth, allowing an RBI grounder before retiring the next two batters for his first save.
Nola (0-1) allowed five runs and six hits in 51/3 innings while striking out eight.
DeJong had three hits for Washington. Rookie Dylan Crews struck out in all three of his plate appearances a day after going 0 for 5 with five strikeouts. He is 0 for 11 this season.
Including MacKenzie Gore’s six shutout innings in Thursday’s opener and Jake Irvin’s two-run, five-inning performance Saturday, Washington starters posted a 1.03 ERA in the opening series.
Washington begins a three-game series at Toronto on Monday night, when right-hander Michael Soroka (0-10, 4.74 ERA in 2024) makes his Nationals debut.
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