Little League Classic: Nationals hold on to beat Phillies 4-3 in Williamsport

Major League Baseball’s coolest new tradition returned Sunday.

The Washington Nationals beat the Philadelphia Phillies 4-3 in the latest edition of the Little League Classic at Bowman Field in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. The iconic Little League field was packed with players and parents from teams competing in the Little League Baseball World Series this month, creating one of the best and most unique atmospheres in all of sports.

The night kicked off with the ceremonial first pitch, which featured one player from all 20 teams in a chain starting out in center field. In true Little League World Series fashion, there was plenty of hill sliding, games in the outfield and even an ice cream launcher.

There were a lot of special, custom bats used throughout the night, too. Phillies second baseman Bryson Stott pulled one out that looked like a classic No. 2 pencil during his first plate appearance.

The Nationals flew ahead early in the first inning and held onto their lead the rest of the way. Keibert Ruiz hit a two-RBI double to kick things off, and Dominic Smith hit a two RBI single to score Ruiz and Joey Meneses. That gave Washington a 4-0 lead right off the bat.

The Phillies rallied in the ninth inning, though it was too late. Brandon Marsh hit an RBI single to score Stott and get Philly on the board, and then Jake Cave hit a two-run home run to right field to bring the Phillies within a run. That push, however, came with two outs, and the Nationals held on to take the one-run win. Trevor Williams had four strikeouts and allowed two hits in his six innings on the mound for Washington, while Zack Wheeler allowed four runs and seven hits in seven innings for Philadelphia.

The win for Washington came just one day after the team was blown out by the Phillies 12-3 at Nationals Park. The Nationals, who sit 24 games back in the NL East, have won seven of their past nine games. The Phillies have lost five of their past seven. They trail the Atlanta Braves by 13.5 games in the NL East, though they hold the top NL wild-card spot.

Major League Baseball introduced the Little League Classic in 2017, and it has been a hit ever since. The league announced that the Detroit Tigers and New York Yankees will play in the game next summer, which will mark both teams’ first time in the event.

The Little League Baseball World Series started Thursday in Pennsylvania. The United States and International championship games are set for Saturday. The winners of those games will then square off Sunday in the championship. The team from Massapequa, New York, won the Little League Softball World Series earlier this month.