Daylen Lile's pinch 3-run homer lifts the Nationals to a 6-3 victory over the Phillies

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Washington Nationals pitcher Jackson Kent throws during the third inning of a baseball game against the Philadelphia Phillies, Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Philadelphia Phillies center fielder Derek Hill leaps up to make a catch on a fly ball by Washington Nationals' Dylan Crews for an out during the first inning of a baseball game, Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass) — Washington Nationals pitcher Jackson Kent throws during the third inning of a baseball game against the Philadelphia Phillies, Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

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9:28 PM on Tuesday, September 15

By PATRICK STEVENS

WASHINGTON (AP) — Pinch-hitter Daylen Lile hit a tiebreaking three-run homer in the seventh inning, and the Washington Nationals defeated the Philadelphia Phillies 6-3 on Tuesday night.

Andrés Chaparro also homered for Washington, which won its fourth in a row for the first time since June 13-16.

Kyle Schwarber hit his majors-leading 45th homer for Philadelphia, which has dropped four of five but continues to hold an NL wild-card spot.

With the game tied at 3-all, Phillies starter Cristopher Sánchez (17-6) surrendered consecutive singles to open the seventh before Nasim Nuñez bunted both runners over. Philadelphia interim manager Don Mattingly summoned Jonathan Bowlan, and Lile hammered his first pitch to center for his first career pinch homer.

Sánchez allowed five runs and struck out five. He is 1-2 with a 6.87 ERA in three September starts, and his season ERA has risen from 2.52 to 2.93 since the start of the month.

Richard Lovelady (3-4) got the last out of the seventh and two in the eighth for Washington. Erik Tolman pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for his third save.

Schwarber lined Washington starter Jackson Kent’s slider into the Nationals’ bullpen in right to lead off the fifth inning. It is Schwarber’s fourth 45-homer season in five years with the Phillies, tying him with Ryan Howard (2006-09) for the most in franchise history.

Chaparro responded with a solo homer in the fifth off Sánchez.

The Phillies scored in the first inning on Alec Bohm’s RBI single. Yohandy Morales doubled in Washington’s first run in the first, then scored two batters later on Jorbit Vivas’ single.

Luis Arraez’s opposite-field double to left brought in Trea Turner to tie it in the third.

Kent allowed three runs and struck out four in five innings.

Up next

Phillies RHP Zack Wheeler (12-5, 3.14 ERA) starts as the two-game series concludes Wednesday, while LHP Jared Simpson (1-0, 6.75) will open a bullpen game after the Nationals pushed RHP Cade Cavalli's next start to Friday.

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