Trea Turner's emotional return to Washington took a dramatic turn Thursday night as his former Nationals teammates edged his Phillies 3-2 in a taut divisional showdown. The Nationals' bullpen, so often maligned this season, delivered when it mattered most—holding Philadelphia scoreless over the final three innings after Brad Lord's gritty six-inning start. Paul DeJong's towering solo homer in the third proved the decisive blow, while Jose Tena's clutch two-run single in the fifth gave Washington breathing room. Turner, playing his first game back in D.C. since departing in 2021, went 3-for-5 with a run scored, but his former club had the final word.

The Phillies' offense sputtered after chasing Lord in the seventh, managing just one hit over the final three frames against Washington's patchwork bullpen. Jesus Luzardo kept his team in striking distance with seven strikeouts over six innings, but Philadelphia's 1-for-9 performance with runners in scoring position left them rueing missed opportunities. For the Nationals, the victory marked just their third in their last 12 meetings with Philadelphia—a small but meaningful step for a young team learning to win close games. The loss dropped the Phillies 1.5 games back in the wild card race, while Washington's rookies gained valuable late-summer confidence.