WATCH: Ryan Zimmerman Hits Walk-off Two-Run Homer to Beat Phillies

The Washington Nationals were down to their final strike Wednesday, when Juan Soto battled through his at-bat to rip a double to right. Trailing 7-6 in the ninth, Ryan Zimmerman, the club’s original cornerstone player, got enough of a 96 mph-fastball from Seranthony Dominguez to send the ball over the wall in right-center.

Initially Zimmerman’s hit was ruled a game-tying double, however, after review it was determined to be a walk-off two-run homer. The dramatic rally staved off a disheartening loss in which Stephen Strasburg looked like a shell of himself, giving up five runs in four innings of work on 84 pitches. At one point, Strasburg appeared to be shaking his pitching arm. Wednesday was his first start since July 20 with a cervical nerve impingement.

The Nationals battled back from a 4-1 deficit, scoring three in the third to tie the game at 4-4, as Bryce Harper, Matt Wieters and Soto each drove in a run. The Phillies responded in the next frame, as Roman Quinn hit an RBI single to regain the lead at 5-4. The Nationals would respond in the fourth, as Trea Turner scored on a throwing error from catcher Jorge Alfaro attempting to throw out Harper, who stole second base.

Philadelphia would regain the lead at 7-5 before Andrew Stevenson hit a RBI sacrifice fly to score Wilmer Difo to cut the deficit to 7-6 in the eighth. Then Soto battled through his at-bat as the Nats were down to their last strike in the ninth, setting up Zimmerman’s heroics.

The win pushes them 4.5 games behind the Phillies, sliding Philadelphia to 1.5 games back of the second wild card in the National League. The Nats are six games back of the wild card spot.