Major League Baseball’s coolest new Sunday afternoon tradition is back.
The Washington Nationals defeated the Philadelphia Phillies 4-3 in the latest edition of the Little League Classic on Sunday at Bowman Field in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. The famous Little League field was packed with players and parents from teams competing in the Little League Baseball World Series this month in one of the best and most exclusive atmospheres in all of sports.
The night began with the ceremonial first pitch, which featured one player from all 20 teams in a series that started in center court. And in true Little League World Series fashion, there was plenty of sliding down the hill, games on the court, and even an ice cream launcher.
There were plenty of custom and custom bats used throughout the night as well. Phillies second baseman Bryson Stott pulled a pencil that looked like a classic #2 pencil during his first appearance at the plate.
The Nationals flew ahead early in the first half, and held on to their lead the rest of the way. Keibert Ruiz hit an RBI double to get things started, then Dominic Smith hit two RBIs to score Ruiz and Joey Meneses. This gave Washington a 4-0 lead right off the bat.
The Phillies finally rallied in the ninth inning, although it was still too late. Brandon Marsh hit an RBI single to score Stott to put them on the board, then Jake Cave hit a two-run home run to right field to bring the Phillies up to just one run. However, this batch came with two holdouts on the board. The Nationals held on and got the win. Trevor Williams threw four hits and allowed two hits in his six innings pitched on the mound for Washington, while Zach Wheeler allowed four runs and seven hits in his seven innings pitched for Philadelphia.
Washington’s win came just one day after they were defeated 12-3 at Nationals Park. The Nationals, who have gone 24 games into last place in the NL East, have won seven of their last nine games. The Phillies have now lost five of their last seven. They trail the Atlanta Braves by 13 games in the NL East, although they lead the NL wild card race.
Major League Baseball first introduced the Little League Classic in 2017, and it’s been a hit ever since. The league announced that the Detroit Tigers and New York Yankees will play next summer as well. This will be the first time that the two teams will compete in the event.
The Minor League Baseball World Series kicked off Thursday in Pennsylvania. The American and international championship matches are scheduled to take place on Saturday. The winners of those games will face off on Sunday in the tournament. The team from Massapequa, New York, won the Little League Softball World Series earlier this month.