None of the pregame math figured on an 11-inning slugfest, but that's what Citizens Bank Park got. Both bullpens got dragged deep into the night, and by the time the game reached its final stretch it had turned into exactly the kind of track meet that favors whichever pen has more left in the tank.
It was the Nationals' pen that had more left. Washington broke a scoreless tie in the 11th and then some, plating 6 runs in the frame to turn a tight game into a laugher. CJ Abrams was the engine, going 3-for-5 with 3 RBIs and 2 runs scored, capped by a two-run triple that blew the game open. Brady House also went deep, giving Washington's lineup the kind of extra-innings firepower it hasn't shown much of during this stretch.
For a team that had dropped 7 in a row and sat 5 games under .500 walking in, this was as complete a response as you could script — 10 hits, a bullpen that held the line into extra frames, and a lineup that cashed in when it finally mattered. Clayton Beeter picked up the win in relief; Caleb Kilian wore the loss for a Phillies pen that had been rolling before this one.
Philadelphia still has the better roster on paper and the better record, but injuries to Rafael Marchan, Johan Rojas and Adolis Garcia have thinned the margin for error, and Painter's outing did the Phillies no favors against a lineup with nothing left to lose. Washington won't confuse one big night with a turnaround, but snapping a 7-game skid with a 10-4 win on the road is about as good a way to try.