# Nationals–Phillies rivalry

The Nationals–Phillies rivalry is a Major League Baseball rivalry between the Washington Nationals and the Philadelphia Phillies of the National League East division. The series was previously known as the Expos–Phillies rivalry when Nationals franchise was previously known as the Montreal Expos. The franchise relocated to Washington, D.C., in 2005. The two teams clashed frequently for control of the division during much of the 1980s and 1990s. The first postseason matchup between the two teams occurred during the 1981 National League Division Series, resulting in the Expos winning the series 3–2. The rivalry regrew in intensity following the Expos' relocation and rebranding given the proximity of Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia.

## History
### 1970s

The Phillies were one of the original franchises in the National League, having formed in 1883. The league added two new franchises in 1969, one of which franchises was the Montreal Expos. Both teams struggled during the earlier half of the 1970s, with the Phillies failing to post a winning record between 1969 and 1974. The Expos fared much worse, failing to post a winning record in their first nine seasons. The two began to competitively clash during the 1979 season as the Expos managed two consecutive series sweeps of the Phillies, taking control of the division headed into June. The Phillies slowly fell out of contention for the division lead as the sweep by the Expos culminated in a six-game losing streak for Philadelphia, ultimately placing them third in the NL East by the end of the month. Things continued to spiral out of control for the Phillies as they lost five critical series matchups against the Dodgers, Cardinals, and Cubs, bringing them down to fourth in the division. The Expos experienced further success headed into September, with a 10-game win streak, and they held the division lead until a four-game skid allowed the Pittsburgh Pirates to win the division.

### 1980s

The following season saw the two teams battle throughout the duration of the season, all the way down to the final week before the end of the regular season. The Expos hosted the Phillies for the final three games of the season at Olympic Stadium with both teams tied for first. The Phillies took a close ten-inning victory in the first game of the series, clinching the division.
The 1981 season started with the Phillies running away with the division lead headed into June, four wins ahead of Montreal. The season then ground to a halt on June 12 due to a players' strike. Following the strike, Major League Baseball split the season into two halves. The Phillies won the first half and the Expos the second. The two teams then met in the divisional round resulting from the split-season format. The Expos won the first two games only to see the Phillies take games three and four. Game 5 saw Montreal prevail as Steve Rogers yielded six hits in a 3–0 Expos shutout victory.

### 1990s

Despite a rough start to the decade for both teams, the two found themselves embroiled in a heated race for the division title during the 1993 season. Montreal struggled through much of May, including two four-game sweeps at the hands of the San Francisco Giants and St Louis Cardinals. The Phillies, meanwhile, took an eight-game lead. Following the all-star break in July, Philadelphia stumbled, being swept by both the San Diego Padres and Houston Astros. The two teams met for their final matchup of the season with the Phillies leading by six games after the Expos endured a two-game series loss to the Houston Astros. During the first game in Montreal, Expos hearing-disabled rookie Curtis Pride doubled home two runners and scored on the following play during his first major league at-bat. After the game, Pride claimed he couldn't hear the ovation but he felt the vibration of the 45,757 Expos fans in attendance at Olympic Stadium. Despite the turnaround to the season, the Expos finished the season 94–68, three games behind the Phillies, and missed the posteason.
The following season, Montreal appeared to be on track to secure its first postseason berth since 1981, but the 1994–95 Major League Baseball strike ended any chances of a postseason run. The Expos then narrowly missed a divisional playoff berth in 1996. The Phillies also struggled near the end of the decade, failing to make the postseason from 1995 to 2001.

### 2000s

Both teams continued to struggle entering the new millennium, and budgetary issues began to severely affect the Expos' roster as several key stars were traded or lost to free agency. Philadelphia experienced a winning season in 2001, but missed a divisional berth by three games. 2002 and 2003 saw both teams struggle to appear in the postseason despite both managing several winning seasons but usually falling short as the Atlanta Braves often controlled much of the NL East.

#### Expos leave Montreal

Montreal's situation quickly devolved further in 2000. Budgetary issues heavily affected any free agency or postseason aspirations for the Expos after former owner Claude Brochu sold the team to American Businessman Jeffrey Loria in December 1999. Loria quickly damaged the team's relationship with the city and fans alike after demanding an increase in broadcast revenue and demanding a near-entirely public funded stadium in Downtown Montreal. Loria's management critically damaged the team financially, forcing the league to take control of the franchise and eventually relocate the team to Washington, D.C., for the 2005 season as the Washington Nationals. The Phillies hosted the Nationals on Opening Day on April 4, 2005; two days later, the Nationals beat the Phillies 7–3 for their first regular-season win following their relocation. The Nationals struggled for their first seven seasons in Washington, failing to appear in the postseason. The Phillies rebuilt their roster during the middle of the decade and won the 2008 World Series.

### 2010s

The Phillies attempted to capitalize on the success stemming from their 2008 World Series championship, but fell to the Yankees in the following year's World Series. The team stayed competitive, but fell short after an NLCS upset loss to the San Francisco Giants in 2010 and a divisional round loss to the St Louis Cardinals in 2011. Prior to the start of the 2012 campaign, the Nationals had endured several incidents of Philadelphia fans overtaking their home games during the series. Nationals management created the "Take Back the Park" campaign to heavily market to fans in surrounding areas to restrict the amount of visiting Phillies fans. Nationals management further banned ticket sales in Eastern Pennsylvania. The campaign proved successful as Nationals' home attendance grew substantially as the team qualified for the postseason, clinching the division title after back-to-back defeats of the Phillies in their final series of the season. The Nationals made four appearances in the divisional series between 2012 and 2017, but lost each time. Meanwhile, the Phillies did not post a winning season from 2012 to 2021.

#### Bryce Harper joins the Phillies

During the 2018 offseason, Nationals star right fielder (and 2015 National League MVP) Bryce Harper became a free agent. Harper had initially sought to renew his contract with Washington, but cited that he was displeased with the offers he received. After numerous reports had linked Harper to a $45 million annual contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers, he ultimately signed a 13-year, $330 million contract with the Phillies, then the second-largest contract in major league history. During his first press conference, Harper misspoke during his introductory speech, stating, "We want to bring a title back to D.C." Despite losing Harper, the Nationals won the 2019 World Series.

### 2020s

Despite the championship in 2019, the Nationals' roster was decimated by injuries and poor signings the following year. Longtime pitcher (and 2019 World Series MVP) Stephen Strasburg opted out of the remaining four years left on his contract, becoming a free agent. The Nationals re-signed him to a seven-year, $245 million contract, setting a record for any contract signed by a pitcher in league history. Strasburg then repeatedly battled injury from 2020 to 2022. Meanwhile, the Phillies reached the 2022 World Series but fell to the Houston Astros.

## Season-by-season results

Nationals vs. Phillies Season-by-Season Results :
1960s (Expos, 11–7)
SeasonSeason seriesat Montreal Exposat Philadelphia PhilliesOverall seriesNotes
1969
Expos
11‍–‍7
Phillies, 6‍–‍3
Expos, 8‍–‍1
Expos 11‍–‍7 :
1970s (Phillies, 90–88)
SeasonSeason seriesat Montreal Exposat Philadelphia PhilliesOverall seriesNotes
1970
Expos
11‍–‍7
Expos, 6‍–‍3
Expos, 5‍–‍4
Expos 22‍–‍14
1971
Phillies
12‍–‍6
Phillies, 6‍–‍3
Phillies, 6‍–‍3
Expos 28‍–‍26
Phillies open Veterans Stadium
1972
Expos
10‍–‍6
Expos, 7‍–‍2
Phillies, 4‍–‍3
Expos 38‍–‍32
1973
Expos
13‍–‍5
Expos, 6‍–‍3
Expos, 7‍–‍2
Expos 51‍–‍37
1974
Expos
11‍–‍7
Expos, 6‍–‍3
Expos, 5‍–‍4
Expos 62‍–‍44
1975
Phillies
11‍–‍7
Phillies, 6‍–‍3
Phillies, 5‍–‍4
Expos 69‍–‍55
1976
Phillies
15‍–‍3
Phillies, 7‍–‍2
Phillies, 8‍–‍1
Expos 72‍–‍70
1977
Phillies
11‍–‍7
Phillies, 6‍–‍3
Phillies, 5‍–‍4
Phillies 81‍–‍79
Expos open Olympic Stadium
1978
Tie
9‍–‍9
Expos, 5‍–‍3
Phillies, 6‍–‍4
Phillies 90‍–‍88
1979
Expos
11‍–‍7
Expos, 6‍–‍3
Expos, 5‍–‍4
Expos 99‍–‍97 :
1980s (Expos, 90–88–2)
SeasonSeason seriesat Montreal Exposat Philadelphia PhilliesOverall seriesNotes
1980
Tie
9‍–‍9
Phillies, 5‍–‍4
Expos, 5‍–‍4
Expos 108‍–‍106
Phillies win 1980 World Series
1981
Expos
10‍–‍6
Expos, 7‍–‍0
Phillies, 6‍–‍3
Expos 115‍–‍110
Strike-shortened season
1981 NLDS
Montreal Expos
3‍–‍2
Expos, 2‍–‍0
Phillies, 2‍–‍1
Expos 118‍–‍112
First meeting in the postseason. Expos win in five games. Expos proceed to lose NLCS.
1982
Phillies
10‍–‍8
Expos, 5‍–‍4
Phillies, 6‍–‍3
Expos 126‍–‍122
1983
Phillies
10‍–‍8‍–‍1
Expos, 5‍–‍4
Phillies, 6‍–‍3‍–‍1
Expos 134‍–‍132‍–‍1
Phillies lose 1983 World Series
1984
Expos
11‍–‍7
Expos, 5‍–‍4
Expos, 6‍–‍3
Expos 145‍–‍139‍–‍1
1985
Phillies
10‍–‍8
Phillies, 5‍–‍4
Phillies, 5‍–‍4
Expos 153‍–‍149‍–‍1
1986
Phillies
10‍–‍8
Phillies, 6‍–‍3
Expos, 5‍–‍4
Expos 161‍–‍159‍–‍1
1987
Expos
10‍–‍8
Expos, 6‍–‍3
Phillies, 5‍–‍4
Expos 171‍–‍167‍–‍1
1988
Tie
9‍–‍9‍–‍1
Expos, 5‍–‍4
Phillies, 5‍–‍4‍–‍1
Expos 180‍–‍176‍–‍2
1989
Tie
9‍–‍9
Expos, 6‍–‍3
Phillies, 6‍–‍3
Expos 189‍–‍185‍–‍2 :
1990s (Phillies, 73–65)
SeasonSeason seriesat Montreal Exposat Philadelphia PhilliesOverall seriesNotes
1990
Expos
10‍–‍8
Expos, 6‍–‍3
Phillies, 5‍–‍4
Expos 199‍–‍193‍–‍2
1991
Phillies
14‍–‍4
Phillies, 6‍–‍1
Phillies, 8‍–‍3
Phillies 207‍–‍203‍–‍2
1992
Tie
9‍–‍9
Phillies, 6‍–‍3
Expos, 6‍–‍3
Phillies 216‍–‍212‍–‍2
1993
Phillies
7‍–‍6
Expos, 4‍–‍2
Phillies, 5‍–‍2
Phillies 223‍–‍218‍–‍2
Phillies lose 1993 World Series
1994
Expos
5‍–‍4
Phillies, 3‍–‍0
Expos, 5‍–‍1
Phillies 227‍–‍223‍–‍2
Strike-shortened season. Strike cancels postseason. MLB adds Wild Card, allowing for both teams to make the postseason in the same year.
1995
Expos
8‍–‍5
Expos, 4‍–‍2
Expos, 4‍–‍3
Phillies 232‍–‍231‍–‍2
1994 realignment increases meetings from 12 to 13 meetings per year.
1996
Phillies
7‍–‍6
Phillies, 5‍–‍2
Expos, 4‍–‍2
Phillies 239‍–‍237‍–‍2
1997
Tie
6‍–‍6
Tie, 3‍–‍3
Tie, 3‍–‍3
Phillies 245‍–‍243‍–‍2
Introduction of interleague play decreases meetings from 13 to 12.
1998
Phillies
7‍–‍5
Phillies, 4‍–‍2
Tie, 3‍–‍3
Phillies 252‍–‍248‍–‍2
MLB changed to an unbalanced schedule in 1998 due to MLB's expansion and realignment, resulting in 12–13 meetings per year.
1999
Tie
6‍–‍6
Phillies, 4‍–‍2
Expos, 4‍–‍2
Phillies 258‍–‍254‍–‍2 :
2000s (Phillies, 107–73)
SeasonSeason seriesat Montreal Expos/Washington Nationalsat Philadelphia PhilliesOverall seriesNotes
2000
Phillies
7‍–‍5
Phillies, 4‍–‍2
Tie, 3‍–‍3
Phillies 265‍–‍259‍–‍2
2001
Phillies
10‍–‍9
Tie, 5‍–‍5
Phillies, 5‍–‍4
Phillies 275‍–‍268‍–‍2
MLB changed to an unbalanced schedule in 2001, resulting in 19–20 meetings per year
2002
Expos
11‍–‍8
Expos, 6‍–‍3
Tie, 5‍–‍5
Phillies 283‍–‍279‍–‍2
2003
Phillies
11‍–‍8
Expos, 7‍–‍3
Phillies, 8‍–‍1
Phillies 294‍–‍287‍–‍2
Expos play 22 home games at Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan, Puerto Rico
2004
Phillies
12‍–‍7
Phillies, 5‍–‍4
Phillies, 7‍–‍3
Phillies 306‍–‍294‍–‍2
Phillies open Citizens Bank Park Expos play 21 home games at Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan, Puerto Rico
2005
Phillies
11‍–‍8
Phillies, 6‍–‍3
Tie, 5‍–‍5
Phillies 317‍–‍302‍–‍2
Expos relocate to Washington, D.C. and rebrand as the "Washington Nationals", playing at Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium
2006
Nationals
10‍–‍9
Nationals, 6‍–‍4
Phillies, 5‍–‍4
Phillies 326‍–‍312‍–‍2
2007
Phillies
12‍–‍6
Phillies, 6‍–‍3
Phillies, 6‍–‍3
Phillies 338‍–‍318‍–‍2
2008
Phillies
12‍–‍6
Phillies, 6‍–‍3
Phillies, 6‍–‍3
Phillies 350‍–‍324‍–‍2
Nationals open Nationals Park Phillies win 2008 World Series
2009
Phillies
15‍–‍3
Phillies, 7‍–‍2
Phillies, 8‍–‍1
Phillies 365‍–‍327‍–‍2
Phillies lose 2009 World Series :
2010s (Nationals, 107–80)
SeasonSeason seriesat Washington Nationalsat Philadelphia PhilliesOverall seriesNotes
2010
Phillies
12‍–‍6
Phillies, 5‍–‍4
Phillies, 7‍–‍2
Phillies 377‍–‍333‍–‍2
2011
Nationals
10‍–‍8
Nationals, 5‍–‍4
Nationals, 5‍–‍4
Phillies 385‍–‍343‍–‍2
2012
Tie
9‍–‍9
Nationals, 5‍–‍4
Phillies, 5‍–‍4
Phillies 394‍–‍352‍–‍2
2013
Nationals
11‍–‍8
Nationals, 7‍–‍2
Phillies, 6‍–‍4
Phillies 402‍–‍363‍–‍2
Both AL and NL having balanced teams leads to a balanced schedule of 19 games per season.
2014
Phillies
10‍–‍9
Nationals, 6‍–‍4
Phillies, 6‍–‍3
Phillies 412‍–‍372‍–‍2
2015
Nationals
12‍–‍7
Nationals, 6‍–‍4
Nationals, 6‍–‍3
Phillies 419‍–‍384‍–‍2
2016
Nationals
14‍–‍5
Nationals, 6‍–‍4
Nationals, 8‍–‍1
Phillies 424‍–‍398‍–‍2
2017
Nationals
11‍–‍8
Nationals, 7‍–‍3
Phillies, 5‍–‍4
Phillies 432‍–‍409‍–‍2
2018
Nationals
11‍–‍8
Nationals, 5‍–‍4
Nationals, 6‍–‍4
Phillies 440‍–‍420‍–‍2
2019
Nationals
14‍–‍5
Nationals, 9‍–‍1
Nationals, 5‍–‍4
Phillies 445‍–‍434‍–‍2
Nationals win 2019 World Series :
2020s (Phillies, 52–22)
SeasonSeason seriesat Washington Nationalsat Philadelphia PhilliesOverall seriesNotes
2020
Phillies
7‍–‍3
Tie, 3‍–‍3
Phillies, 4‍–‍0
Phillies 452‍–‍437‍–‍2
Season shortened to 60 games (with 10 meetings) due to COVID-19 pandemic.
2021
Phillies
13‍–‍6
Phillies, 9‍–‍1
Nationals, 5‍–‍4
Phillies 465‍–‍443‍–‍2
2022
Phillies
16‍–‍3
Phillies, 7‍–‍2
Phillies, 9‍–‍1
Phillies 481‍–‍446‍–‍2
Phillies lose 2022 World Series
2023
Phillies
7‍–‍6
Tie, 3‍–‍3
Phillies, 4‍–‍3
Phillies 488‍–‍452‍–‍2
Schedule structure modified this season to allow every team to play one series against every interleague team. Shortening meetings from 19 to 13 games
2024
Phillies
9‍–‍4
Tie, 3‍–‍3
Phillies, 6‍–‍1
Phillies 497‍–‍456‍–‍2
2025
Upcoming, March 27‍–‍30, August 14‍–‍17
Upcoming, April 29‍–‍May 1, August 22‍–‍24 :
Summary of Results
SeasonSeason seriesat Washington Nationalsat Philadelphia PhilliesNotes
Montreal Expos vs Philadelphia Phillies
Phillies
304‍–‍291‍–‍2
Expos, 149‍–‍144
Phillies, 160‍–‍142‍–‍2
Washington Nationals vs Philadelphia Phillies
Phillies
191‍–‍162
Tie, 89‍–‍89
Phillies, 102‍–‍73
Overall Regular season games
Phillies
495‍–‍453‍–‍2
Nationals, 238‍–‍233
Phillies, 262‍–‍215‍–‍2
Postseason games
Nationals
3‍–‍2
Nationals, 2‍–‍0
Phillies, 2‍–‍1
Postseason series
Nationals
1‍–‍0
Nationals, 1‍–‍0
Phillies, 1‍–‍0
NLDS: 1981
Overall Regular season and postseason
Phillies
497‍–‍456‍–‍2
Nationals, 240‍–‍233
Phillies, 264‍–‍216‍–‍2 :