Phillies Achieve Weird Offensive Feat in Win Over Nationals

Sep 16, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Philadelphia Phillies second baseman Bryson Stott (5) puts on his batting gloves in the dugout prior to the Phillies' game against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Phillies Achieve Weird Offensive Feat in Win Over Nationals

Originally posted on Philadelphia Phillies on SI
By Nick Ziegler | Last updated Sep 17, 2026 3:30 PM ET

Add us as a preferred source on Google

With just 10 games left in the regular season for the Philadelphia Phillies, they were able to accomplish an impressive feat against the Washington Nationals.

In a game that the Phillies really needed to win, they were able to shut out the Nationals by a score of 3-0 on Wednesday. Philadelphia needed a big start from Zack Wheeler, and that is exactly what the right-hander was able to provide for them.

Wheeler went seven scoreless innings to help set the tone for the team, and he looked fantastic in the win. Furthermore, one of the main reasons for the struggles of late for the Phillies has been the inconsistencies of their offense.

This is a lineup that looks good on paper and has a lot of talent. However, with some key players underperforming of late, the unit has struggled. On Wednesday, the team collectively seemed to have a different approach at the plate, and it resulted in a strange feat.

Phillies Achieve Weird Offensive Feat

Impressively, Phillies become the first MLB team in 71 years to walk 13 times in a nine-inning game but score only three runs. What a feat. (They won.)
— Matt Gelb (@MattGelb) September 17, 2026

While it was great to see the patience and attention to detail at the plate for Philadelphia in a game they needed to win, walking 13 times in the game and scoring just three runs is without a doubt a strange feat.

Impressively, every player on the team was able to draw at least one walk aside from Brandon Marsh. This was clearly a plan for an offense that was struggling a bit, but it didn’t help result in more runs being scored.

In the middle of the order, both Luis Arraez and Alec Bohm were each able to reach base three times on the free pass. Furthermore, Bryson Stott, who has been struggling, also walked twice.

Unfortunately, while the team was able to draw a ton of walks, they only recorded five hits in the game. With just one extra-base hit coming from Arraez, driving in runs was a struggle.

Even though the run production might not have increased despite all of the free passes, this is a mindset at the plate that Philadelphia should continue to have. Hits will certainly come, and in the playoffs, working pitchers deep into counts is a recipe for success.

Overall, while it might have been a weird game for the Phillies, they were able to earn the win. As they get set for their weekend series against the New York Mets, it will be interesting to see if they keep this up.

This article first appeared on Philadelphia Phillies on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: