The Washington Nationals beat the Phillies 4-1 on Monday after a 1 hour and 32 minute weather delay, and Alan Rangel took the ball in a game that quickly turned into a test of command and patience. Brandon Marsh supplied the Phillies’ only run with a solo homer in the seventh, but by then the Nationals had already built enough room to stay in control.
That matters now because Rangel was called up ahead of the game and looked very much like a pitcher trying to claim a longer look. He allowed one earned run over five innings, gave up five hits, struck out four and walked none, a line that was good enough to carry weight in a low-scoring game where the Phillies struck out 12 times. Three of his four strikeouts came on his changeup, including a high-and-inside pitch that got James Wood in the fourth, a small sign of why the pitch played so well.
The Nationals made their damage count early. James Wood opened the first with a leadoff double and scored on Dylan Crews’ single, then Luis Garcia Jr. added a home run off Rangel in the second. Foster Griffin then held the Phillies to one run on the other side, helping turn a delayed afternoon into a straightforward result once the weather cleared.
The Phillies had chances to make the game messier. Rafael Marchán opened the third with a single, Derek Hill doubled to start the fifth, and Washington committed two throwing errors, but Philadelphia never pushed those openings into a bigger inning. Hill did not advance past third, and the missed chances left the club chasing from behind until Marsh finally broke through in the seventh. Even that shot only trimmed the margin to 4-1.
Don Mattingly said the matchup came down to mix and command, and Rangel answered with the kind of outing the club can use. Alan Rangel said through team interpreter Diego D’Aniello that he was thankful for the opportunity and planned to keep pitching the way he had been pitching. With Andrew Painter having been optioned to triple-A Lehigh Valley, Mattingly said the Phillies expect to use Rangel in the fifth starter spot, and Monday gave them a first look at how that might play.
