WASHINGTON -- The return of Alec Bohm and Nick Castellanos ignited the Phillies offense in an 11-9 win over the Nationals on Sunday in the series finale at Nationals Park.
Bohm, who had been out since July 19 with a left rib fracture, blasted a three-run shot in a five-run second inning as the Phillies raced out to a 6-0 lead. The third baseman also singled, reached base on an error and scored twice, and was thrilled to have impactful swings in his first game back.
"Yeah, especially not being here for a while,” Bohm said. “It feels really good to contribute and help the team win a game. Happy to be back, happy to be healthy."
Castellanos was back in the lineup following a scheduled day off Saturday and responded with a mammoth Statcast-projected 428-foot solo homer in the sixth inning, deep into the left field stands, his 16th of the season. The right fielder also doubled and scored a run, snapping an 0-for-16 skid.
"When guys are lofting balls to center field and the opposite-field gap I feel like they are right on it,” manager Rob Thomson said. “That's what he was doing two days ago. It was a good showing for him. I like where he is at right now."
The Phillies had missed their talented third baseman. He was batting .309 with 17 extra base hits -- including eight homers -- and 33 RBI in his last 62 games before the injury.
“It’s huge because he was swinging the bat pretty good when he left,” Thomson said. “I know he got off to a slow start this year, but he constantly got better as the season went on, and his defense has been really, really good.
“He just lengthens our lineup out a little bit more. We don’t have JT [Realmuto] in there today, but with him and JT behind [Bryce] Harper, I think it’s pretty good protection.”
Trea Turner went 2-for-4 with three runs scored, with a walk and a hit by pitch. The former Nationals shortstop tallied 15 hits on the road trip and is one hit shy of 1,500 for his career, hitting .366 (15-for-41) his last 10 games with seven runs scored. Bryce Harper added a pair of run-scoring line drives.
"I feel like we've talked about that a lot this year where I have two, three good games and then have a tough 20, 25 at-bat stretch,” Turner said. “I made a good adjustment after the first game here. I felt way more consistent. I felt like I could hit a lot of different pitches and different locations and the at-bats got pretty good the last three days. So, kind of stick with that and keep finding first base and let those guys behind me drive me in."
The return of Aaron Nola was less fruitful.
The right-hander struggled in his first start since May 14, allowing six hits in a six-run third inning. Nola threw 53 pitches, 35 for strikes, lasting 2 1/3 innings, surrendering seven hits, walking one and striking out four.
"Body felt good,” Nola said. “Rib and ankle felt good, arm felt really good. I just had trouble stopping it today, either a swing and miss or [hitting] a ball to one of our guys. I didn't get to the spot [that] I really needed to, and they capitalized on it."
Tanner Banks (5-2) threw 1 2/3 scoreless innings for the win in relief. The ninth inning got a bit hairy, after reliever Max Lazar gave up a three-run homer to Paul DeJong, allowing the Nats to pull within two runs. That forced Jhoan Duran to enter for the save, just two days after he was carted off following a comebacker that hit his right foot.
However, Duran showed no signs of being slowed. He punched out pinch-hitting James Wood on a 101.8 mph fastball -- who represented the tying run -- for his 21st save of the season.