Luis Arraez makes presence known in win over Nationals

Baseball sometimes has a funny way of following specific storylines to a tee.

On Tuesday night, the baseball gods seemed to be having fun. Fans watching the game had their eyes on two things: Luis Arraez and the Phillies' rearranged defense. 

Specifically, Bryce Harper played in right field for the first time since 2022. He got a roar from the crowd as he raised his arms and bowed to them as he used to do.

Wouldn't you know, the first pitch of the game was a fly ball Harper had to chase down. The first four balls in play all found Bryce Harper. 

Then, the debuting Luis Arraez made himself known.

Luis Arraez

Phillies Manager Don Mattingly slotted Arraez as the cleanup hitter, and he did just that: clean up the bases. His first plate appearance as a Phillie came with Trea Turner and Bryce Harper on second and first. Arraez did what he does best and blooped a single into center field, scoring Turner. 

He came to the plate again in the third inning in the exact same situation. Trea Turner and Bryce Harper had gotten on ahead of him. Once again, he came through.

MORE: Members of the Phillies react to Luis Arraez trade

This time he hit a ball just past the glove of the Nationals' first baseman for a double, again scoring Turner. He would come around to score on a Brandon Marsh double, giving the Phillies an early 4-0 lead. 

The Phillies added on in the seventh inning. Rookie Justin Crawford led off with a single and stole second. Trea Turner followed with his third single of the night, scoring Crawford. That gave the Phillies a five-run lead.

Five runs gave Jesús Luzardo plenty of runway to secure the win for the Phillies. For the first time since September 11, 2025, Luzardo pitched eight innings. In his best outing of 2026, Luzardo scattered just four hits and two walks, striking out seven. 

Caleb Kilian, who was also acquired in the Luis Arraez trade, got the call for the ninth inning. Derek Hill replaced Bryce Harper in right field as a defensive substitution. Kilian struck out two in his Phillies debut, touching 99.1 MPH with his fastball.

The Phillies move to eight games over .500 (61-53). For the first time since July 5th, they again have a positive run differential (+4).