Harper and Hill homers in the 9th help rally Phillies to a 10-5 victory over the Nationals

WASHINGTON (AP) — Bryce Harper hit a go-ahead two-run homer in the ninth inning, Derek Hill followed with a three-run shot as the Philadelphia Phillies rallied from an early five-run deficit and beat the Washington Nationals 10-5 on Thursday night.

The Phillies came from behind for a third straight game, winning the series by scoring 15 runs in the ninth inning against the majors' worst bullpen after dropping opener of the four-game series 4-1.

Harper homered off Gus Varland (1-2), scoring pinch-runner Garrett Stubbs after Kyle Schwarber singled to start the inning. It was Harper's ninth career go-ahead homer in the ninth inning or later, and his 103rd homer at Nationals Park — where he played his first seven seasons.

Hill added his sixth home run, one night after winning the game with a pinch-hit shot.

The Phillies, who became the first team in history to win two straight games after being down to their last strike with the bases empty, trailed 5-0 after the Nationals scored four runs in the first off ace Cristopher Sánchez.

Curtis Mead homered for the third time in the series and 14th overall — a one-out solo shot off Sánchez to highlight the four-run first. Jacob Young's two-out RBI single made it 5-0 in the third.

Sánchez allowed five runs on seven hits in five innings. Orion Kerkering (5-0) struck out two in a scoreless eighth for the win.

Philadelphia didn't get to Nationals starter Cade Cavilli until the sixth, when Harper reached on an infield hit and Brandon Marsh followed with his third home run of the series and 12th overall to cut it to 5-2.

Justin Crawford and Trea Turner had back-to-back one-out singles off Mitchell Parker in the seventh and Schwarber and Harper walked to force in a run. Clayton Beeter replaced Parker and walked Marsh for another run before Alec Bohm's RBI groundout tied it at 5.

Cavalli allowed two runs on five hits and a walk in six innings, striking out seven. Parker got one out and was charged with three runs. Varland (1-2) gave up five runs on six hits in two innings.

Nationals LHP Andrew Alvarez (1-0, 3.34 ERA) starts Friday in Baltimore opposite LHP Trevor Rogers (4-7, 5.30).

Phillies RHP Zack Wheeler (7-1, 2.11) starts Friday in New York. The Mets have not announced a starter.

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Philadelphia Phillies' Brandon Marsh, right, celebrates his two-run home run with Bryce Harper (3) during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Thursday, June 25, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Philadelphia Phillies' Derek Hill, right, celebrates his two-run home run with J.T. Realmuto, left, during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Thursday, June 25, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Cristopher Sanchez throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Thursday, June 25, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Washington Nationals pitcher Cade Cavalli throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Philadelphia Phillies, Thursday, June 25, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Philadelphia Phillies' Bryce Harper hits a two-run home run during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Thursday, June 25, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Russian air defenses intercepted 660 Ukrainian drones in a major nighttime attack on 12 Russian regions as well as the Russia-held Crimean peninsula, the Black Sea and the Azov Sea, Russia’s Defense Ministry said Friday.

It appeared to be one of the biggest drone attacks on Russia and the illegally annexed Crimea since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine more than four years ago. The previous biggest Ukrainian attack over the past year was 556 drones on May 17.

In an effort to turn the tables on Russia’s grinding war of attrition, Ukrainian long-range drones have for months been battering targets, including oil production and energy facilities, behind the front line and deep inside Russia. The campaign has choked Russian fuel supplies and military deliveries, stalling Russia's efforts on the battlefield, Western officials and analysts say, and heaped pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Initial damage reports from Russia after the overnight attack provided scant information. Russia’s Defense Ministry usually doesn't say what was targeted in Ukraine’s drone attacks, nor does it detail any damage.

The major attack came hours after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on X that he had ordered “a 40-day influence operation,” believed to mean an escalation of attacks, aimed at “compelling (Russia) to end the war” after U.S. peace efforts over the past year yielded no breakthrough.

The successful strikes, including hitting targets in Moscow and St. Petersburg, have buoyed Ukraine.

Zelenskyy said he got further promises of foreign support when he attended a recent summit of G7 leaders, including from U.S. President Donald Trump, and that the promised aid will help Ukraine step up its effort to force Putin to the negotiating table.

A NATO summit next month could be another key moment in beefing up Ukraine's military.

In the Tula region just south of Moscow, a private house was damaged by the attack and a woman was wounded, Tula Gov. Dmitry Milyaev said in an online statement as reports of damage caused by the attack began to emerge.

He also said a power line was damaged and an unspecified industrial facility in the city of Novomoskovsk.

Russian independent online outlet Astra reported that a chemical plant and a hydroelectric plant in Novomoskovsk were attacked and caught fire. The Associated Press couldn’t independently verify the report, and there was no official confirmation.

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin also reported that 47 Ukrainian drones were downed as they flew toward the Russian capital. He did not report any casualties or damage.

Two people were killed and seven others injured in Russian attacks on the northeastern Kharkiv region over the previous 24 hours, regional head Oleh Syniehubov said Friday.

Russian forces struck the city of Kharkiv and 16 other settlements across the region using guided aerial bombs and drones of various types, Syniehubov said.

Ukraine’s Defense Forces overnight stopped 174 of 189 Russian drones, the Ukrainian air force said. However, four of seven Iskander-M ballistic missiles that were fired got through air defenses and struck various locations, it said.

Ukrainian officials reported damage to energy facilities, homes and other civilian infrastructure in the capital, Kyiv, the southern Odesa region and Sumy in the northeast.

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

In this photo, provided by the Ukrainian Emergency Service, firefighters extinguish a fire in a residential building following a Russian drone attack in Sumy region, Ukraine, Friday, June 26, 2026. (Ukrainian Emergency Service via AP)

In this photo, provided by the Ukrainian Emergency Service, firefighters extinguish a fire in a residential building following a Russian drone attack in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, Friday, June 26, 2026. (Ukrainian Emergency Service via AP)

A woman holds her cat after it being found during search and rescue works in the damaged residential building following Russia's missile attack in Kharkiv, Ukraine, Saturday, June 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Andrii Marienko)