The Philadelphia Phillies have received everything they could handle from the upstart Washington Nationals in their four-game series this week.In Game 1, the Nationals came away victorious 4-1, spoiling a great outing from Alan Rangel, who is replacing Andrew Painter in the starting rotation. It looked as if they were going to win Game 2 as well, before some late-game heroics from the Phillies.Down 8-6 in the ninth inning, down to their final strike with two outs, Trea Turner hit a single to start an improbable rally. Brandon Marsh followed with a two-run home run, and the floodgates opened. Philadelphia would go on to win 14-9.Game 3 was more of the same. The Phillies were once again down to their final strike with two outs in the top of the ninth inning. Kyle Schwarber, who was pinch-hitting for Edmundo Sosa after not starting the second straight game, was able to draw a walk.Phillies make history with consecutive improbable comebacksJun 24, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Philadelphia Phillies right fielder Derek Hill (49) reacts after hitting a two run home run against the Washington Nationals during the ninth inning at Nationals Park. | Rafael Suanes-Imagn ImagesThat set the stage for Derek Hill, who was facing Richard Lovelady, and a repeat of the night before occurred. For the second straight game, Philadelphia hit a two-run home run to save the game in the top of the ninth inning.Turner’s single and Schwarber’s walk set the Phillies up for some insane MLB history. As shared by OptaSTATS on X, they are the first team in the Modern Era to be down to their final strike with zero runners on and two strikes in the ninth inning two games in a row and come away victorious both times.It is a testament to just how mentally tough this team is. They are going to fight right to the bitter end and can never be counted out of a game.The @Phillies are the only MLB team in the modern era to be down to their last strike with nobody on base in the 9th inning 2 games in a row but win both. pic.twitter.com/VvyHwxa65k— OptaSTATS (@OptaSTATS) June 25, 2026This is also an indictment of the state of the Nationals’ bullpen. They have the highest-scoring offense in the MLB and received strong outings from opener Carson Palmquist and Miles Mikolas as the bulk inning guy behind him, but it wasn’t enough to get a victory.This will be looked at as a defining moment of the 2026 season for both franchises. Washington will look back at this as a major missed opportunity. If they had closed out those games, they would be looking at a four-game sweep, having jumped Philadelphia in the standings.For Philadelphia, they solidified their standing as one of the better teams in the National League and staved off a young team looking to make a statement. The Nationals are way ahead of schedule and are not a team to overlook because of how explosive their offense can be.Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow