Painter wins MLB debut with 8 Ks as Phillies beat Nationals

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Andrew Painter struck out eight in 5 1/3 innings in a fantastic major-league debut, and Kyle Schwarber and Adolis García homered to lead the Philadelphia Phillies to a 3-2 win over the Washington Nationals on Tuesday night.

Jhoan Duran struck out two in a scoreless ninth for his second save. Brandon Marsh made a nice running grab of James Wood's deep drive to left field to end the game with the tying run on second base.

The 22-year-old Painter lived up to the hype as the most promising Phillies pitching prospect to make his debut since Cole Hamels 20 years ago.

The 6-foot-7 right-hander gave up four hits, one run, and walked one while throwing 84 pitches.

At 22 years and 355 days old, Painter is the youngest Phillies pitcher to have at least eight strikeouts in a game since Aaron Nola had nine on May 14, 2016, against the Cincinnati Reds. Nola was 22 years and 345 days old.

Painter (1-0) mixed curves, sweepers and sliders with a fastball that nearly touched 100 mph and flashed every bit of greatness that has been predicted of him since he was the 13th overall pick in the 2021 amateur draft and signed for a $3.9-million bonus.

His Phillies' debut was delayed following Tommy John surgery in 2023 that forced him to miss two full minor-league seasons and pitch 118 innings last season, mostly at Triple-A Leigh Valley.

Painter opened the game with a strikeout of Wood and struck out the side in the fifth. Painter tipped his cap to the cheering crowd as he left the mound in the sixth after allowing a one-out single to C.J. Abrams.

Schwarber hit his second homer of the season in the second and García hit his first homer — both off reliever Zack Littell (0-1) — with the Phillies in the fourth for a 2-0 lead.

The Phillies had seven hits in a needed win after dropping two straight games to Texas and losing the series opener to Washington on Monday. The Phillies hadn't held a lead in any of their three losses and Turner, Bryce Harper and Schwarber entered batting a combined .120 (6 for 50).

Up next

Nationals RHP Cade Cavalli (0-0, 4.91) starts on Wednesday in the series finale opposite Phillies LHP Cristopher Sánchez (1-0, 0.00).

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