Stone Garrett homers in return to majors as Nationals rout Phillies, 9-1

WASHINGTON (AP) — Stone Garrett homered in his first major league plate appearance in more than a year in a three-hit, three-RBI effort and the Washington Nationals ended a four-game losing streak with a 9-1 win over the Philadelphia Phillies on Friday night.

Luis García Jr., Juan Yepez and Jacob Young each had three hits and Keibert Ruiz drove in three for Washington, which beat Philadelphia for only the third time in 11 meetings this season. It was the most runs the Nationals have scored in a game since scoring nine at Baltimore on Aug. 13.

Washington’s Trevor Williams (6-1) struck out five in five shutout innings and allowed three hits and two walks as he lowered his ERA to 2.03 over 13 starts.

Ranger Suárez (12-8) closed his regular season by allowing six runs in two innings for Philadelphia, which has already clinched the NL East and a playoff bye.

“He wasn’t the only one who was rough tonight,” Philadelphia manager Rob Thomson said. “It wasn’t vintage Phillie baseball, that’s for sure.”

The Phillies fell two games the behind the Los Angeles Dodgers for the top seed in the National League. The Dodgers beat Colorado 11-4 on Friday night.

The 28-year-old Garrett hadn’t played in the majors since breaking his left leg while trying to rob the New York Yankees’ DJ LeMahieu of a home run on Aug. 23, 2023. He was recalled from Triple-A Rochester on Tuesday and didn’t play in three games against Kansas City before serving as the designated hitter against the left-handed Suárez.

With Washington already up 1-0 on Yepez’s RBI single, Garrett ripped a 72 mph curveball 431 feet into the left-field seats that brought in Yepez. Garrett yelled as he approached first base as part of a gleeful trip around the bases.

“It was all released before I touched first base,” Garrett said. “I don’t even know the word to describe it, but rounding the bases, I blacked out. You’re rehabbing, trying to get back to where I was before I got injured, just being able to compete at the level I knew I could compete at. It was pent-up emotions.”

Suárez also gave up Young’s RBI single while throwing 42 pitches in the first inning. Ruiz added a two-run single in the second.

Suárez, who earned his first All-Star appearance this year, is 2-3 with a 5.74 ERA in seven starts since returning from a back injury Aug. 24.

“I’m not concerned about his health, but the stuff was down tonight,” Thomson said. “I think everyone saw that. I think the last two years, the final start of his season wasn’t very good, kind of similar to this. Maybe he needs a little bit of time off, which he’ll get, and then pick it up with adrenaline in the playoffs.”

Garrett made it 7-0 with a run-scoring single off Tyler Gilbert in the fourth. He also doubled off José Ruiz to lead off the seventh.

“I’m so happy for him,” Washington manager Dave Martinez said. “He worked really hard to get back. For him to go out there and do what he did today was amazing.”

Philadelphia’s Austin Hays homered off Tanner Rainey in the eighth.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Nationals: Washington recalled RHP Jackson Rutledge from and optioned LHP DJ Herz to the team’s Florida Complex League affiliate.

UP NEXT

Philadelphia RHP Zack Wheeler (16-7, 2.56 ERA), who is 2-0 with a 2.03 ERA in two starts against Washington this season, faces Nationals LHP MacKenzie Gore (10-12, 4.04) on Saturday.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB

Chicago White Sox's Garrett Crochet pitches against the Detroit Tigers during the second inning of a baseball game Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)

Chicago White Sox's Garrett Crochet pitches against the Detroit Tigers during the second inning of a baseball game Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)

Washington Nationals' Stone Garrett gestures after hitting a double and sliding into second base while avoiding the tag from Philadelphia Phillies second baseman Bryson Stott during the seventh inning of a baseball game, Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Terrance Williams)

Philadelphia Phillies' Austin Hays (9) is tagged out by Washington Nationals catcher Keibert Ruiz while attempting to steal home during the third inning of a baseball game, Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Terrance Williams)

Washington Nationals' Dylan Crews slides into second base after hitting a double against Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Ranger Suárez and avoids the tag from second base Bryson Stott during the first inning of a baseball game, Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Terrance Williams)

Washington Nationals' Nasim Nuñez steals second base and avoids the tag from Philadelphia Phillies second baseman Bryson Stott during the third inning of a baseball game, Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Terrance Williams)

Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Trea Turner throws to first base for an out on a ball hit by Washington Nationals' Jacob Young during the third inning of a baseball game, Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Terrance Williams)

Washington Nationals' Dylan Crews runs to score on a single hit by Juan Yepez off Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Ranger Suárez during the first inning of a baseball game, Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Terrance Williams)

Philadelphia Phillies second baseman Bryson Stott attempts to turn a double play as Washington Nationals' Keibert Ruiz slides into second base on a ball hit by Stone Garrett during the second inning of a baseball game, Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Terrance Williams)

Washington Nationals pitcher Trevor Williams throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Philadelphia Phillies, Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Terrance Williams)

Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Ranger Suárez throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Terrance Williams)

Washington Nationals' Stone Garrett hits a home run against Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Ranger Suárez during the first inning of a baseball game, Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Terrance Williams)

Washington Nationals' Stone Garrett, left, is doused by teammates after defeating the Philadelphia Phillies in a baseball game, Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Terrance Williams)

A Ukrainian drone strike killed one person and wounded three others in the Russian city of Voronezh, local officials said Sunday.

A young woman died overnight in a hospital intensive care unit after debris from a drone fell on a house during the attack on Saturday, regional Gov. Alexander Gusev said on Telegram.

Three other people were wounded and more than 10 apartment buildings, private houses and a high school were damaged, he said, adding that air defenses shot down 17 drones over Voronezh. The city is home to just over 1 million people and lies some 250 kilometers (155 miles) from the Ukrainian border.

The attack came the day after Russia bombarded Ukraine with hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles overnight into Friday, killing at least four people in the capital Kyiv, according to Ukrainian officials.

For only the second time in the nearly four-year war, Russia used a powerful new hypersonic missile that struck western Ukraine in a clear warning to Kyiv and NATO.

The intense barrage and the launch of the nuclear-capable Oreshnik missile followed reports of major progress in talks between Ukraine and its allies on how to defend the country from further aggression by Moscow if a U.S.-led peace deal is struck.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Saturday in his nightly address that Ukrainian negotiators “continue to communicate with the American side.”

Chief negotiator Rustem Umerov was in contact with U.S. partners Saturday, he said.

Separately, Ukraine’s General Staff said Russia targeted Ukraine with 154 drones overnight into Sunday and 125 were shot down.

Follow the AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

This photo provided by the Ukrainian Security Service on Friday, Jan. 9, 2026, shows a fragment believed to be a part of a Russian Oreshnik intermediate range hypersonic ballistic missile that hit the Lviv region. (Ukrainian Security Service via AP)

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, second left, listens to British Defense Secretary John Healey during their meeting in Kyiv, Ukraine, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Danylo Antoniuk)