Philadelphia Phillies Notch Opening Day Win Despite Historic Flaw at the Plate

The Philadelphia Phillies eked out an extra-inning victory over the Washington Nationals, overcoming MacKenzie Gore's dominant performance and a record number of strikeouts.

Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Philadelphia Phillies left fielder Brandon Marsh (16) singles in the sixth inning against the Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. (7) at Kauffman Stadium. | Peter Aiken-Imagn Images

The Philadelphia Phillies opened the 2025 season with a 1-0 record, but they had to overcome a glaring offensive flaw in order to do so.

Washington Nationals ace MacKenzie Gore tossed 6.0 scoreless innings in Thursday's Opening Day showdown with the Phillies, limiting them to just one hit. By the time the southpaw got the hook, Philadelphia was down 1-0, having struck out 13 times.

Home runs by Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber brought the Phillies' offense to life in the seventh, and a four-run 10th inning helped them close out the win. Along the way, though, Philadelphia struck out 19 times, more than they have in any single game since Aug. 24, 2013.

According to Codify Baseball, the Phillies are the first team in MLB history to strike out 19 times in an Opening Day win.

The Philadelphia Phillies are the first team in MLB history to strike out 19 times in an Opening Day win.

— Codify (@CodifyBaseball) March 28, 2025

Every player in Philadelphia's lineup struck out at least once, with six of them striking out multiple times. Two Phillies recorded golden sombreros – catcher J.T. Realmuto and center fielder Brandon Marsh – with four strikeouts apiece.

The Phillies will try to put that performance behind them, all while riding the momentum of a win, in game two against the Nationals on Saturday. First pitch is scheduled for 4:05 p.m. ET.

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