Washington vs Philadelphia   Results, Match Player Stats & Records

Philadelphia could have a lot of moving parts for the remainder of the season with Tuesday being the initial indication of how interim manager Don Mattingly will handle his offensive and defensive lineup. The team traded for San Francisco Giants second baseman Luis Arraez on Monday -- a move that will reportedly create a ripple effect on the field.

Arraez is expected to play second base, while Bryson Stott will shift to third base, Alec Bohm will move across the diamond to first base, and Bryce Harper will return to his former position of right field.

"I think any chance that (gives us) an opportunity to win (is a chance worth taking)," Harper said. "I'd do anything for this organization, and they know that."

Harper hit a two-run homer in Monday's series-opening 6-3 win, but it was Derek Hill -- a trade acquisition from earlier this season -- who stole the show. The journeyman outfielder hit a go-ahead grand slam in the seventh inning, propelling Philadelphia to its third straight win after a stretch of eight losses in nine games.

"Thank God for Derek Hill," Mattingly said, adding that "it was a good win for us."

The Phillies will look to the left-handed Luzardo (9-5, 3.57 ERA) to continue the momentum while also bouncing back from Wednesday's game against the Miami Marlins. Luzardo yielded six runs in 6 1/3 innings in that one, but he expressed optimism afterwards that the team's rough stretch wasn't going to last forever.

"We're in a bad rut right now. I think we have an incredible team, that's why this is so frustrating," Luzardo said. "But we can turn it around. We need to play with our hair on fire a little bit like we were before."

Luzardo is 2-4 with a 4.53 ERA in his career against the Nationals.

He'll be opposed Tuesday by right-hander Zack Littell (7-8, 4.94), who allowed one run or fewer in four of his five starts in July. He blanked the Toronto Blue Jays over 4 2/3 innings Wednesday, as he continued to rely on his splitter.

"Sometimes it's a conscious effort to just believe that it's going to be the right pitch," Littell said. "So, the last few (games), I've definitely tried to just reach for it more. Traditionally it's been my best pitch for three years now. So, standing on that pitch and recognizing that it's going to produce the results we want, I think that's kind of what it comes down to."

Littell has made eight appearances (one start) against Philadelphia, going 1-1 with a 5.17 ERA in the process. The Phillies are hitting .297 in two games against Littell in 2026.

Washington has lost six straight games while totaling 16 runs in those contests. Abimelec Ortiz and Daylen Lile homered in Monday's contest, accounting for all of the Nationals' runs.

"We need to do our best every night to go out there and win," said Nationals manager Blake Butera. "What that looks like, near term and long term, that's to be determined. But our focus right now is just playing our best baseball."

--Field Level Media