WASHINGTON -- The Phillies should have won on Wednesday afternoon at Nationals Park, and they knew it.

It killed them that they lost, 9-8, on a walk-off walk in the ninth inning to split the two-game set.

“It never feels good leaving a city knowing that you could’ve had one more,” first baseman Rhys Hoskins said.

“I stunk,” ace Aaron Nola said.

“I'm pitching like crap,” reliever David Robertson said.

The Phillies fell to 4-1, but their response to the loss in the visitors’ clubhouse spoke volumes about how things have changed in Philadelphia. Sure, they wanted to win last season. But competitive baseball almost seemed like a bonus as its rebuild came to a close. These Phillies expect to win. They believe they not only are a postseason contender, but they are a team that could play deep into October. So the fact they almost swept the Nationals in an emotional series that featured Bryce Harper’s return to D.C., despite Nola suffering one of the worst starts of his career, hurt.

Nola allowed six runs while tying a career-low three innings pitched. He allowed three consecutive extra-base hits in the first inning to put the Phillies in a 3-2 hole: a solo home run to Anthony Rendon, a double to Juan Soto and a two-run homer to Ryan Zimmerman.

Nola then allowed a three-run home run on an 0-2 fastball to Soto in the third.

Nola will be fine.

The Phillies’ high-powered offense scored two runs in the fourth inning and four more in the eighth, including a bases-clearing double by Andrew McCutchen, to take an 8-6 lead. But in the bottom of the eighth with two out and Yan Gomes on second base, Adam Eaton hit a slow roller up the first-base line. Seranthony Dominguez fielded the ball. He hesitated a moment before he threw to first base, but Hoskins simply missed the throw.

It rolled behind him to allow Gomes to score to tie the game.

“Clanked it,” Hoskins said.

He offered no excuse.

“Have to catch it,” Hoskins said. “I missed it.”

The Phillies still had a chance to win the game. Except Robertson, who was one of the team’s key offseason acquisitions, allowed a leadoff single to Rendon before walking the next three batters to score the game-winning run.

Robertson has allowed five hits, four runs and five walks in two innings in his first three appearances with the Phillies.

“I've been sucking out there, that's for sure,” Robertson said. “I throw it over the plate, it gets hit. Not throwing strikes, walking guys, putting guys on, giving them every chance to score runs. Tired of doing bad out there.

“It's probably three of the worst outings I've ever put together. Fortunately, we won the last two games, but I'm pretty hard on myself, and if I keep going out there and pitching like crap, I'll have to figure something out.”

Assuming Nola returns to form in his next start and the track records of Robertson and others in the bullpen return to form, the Phillies should continue to win games and be a force in the National League East.

Their offense is not going anywhere.

“I saw our bullpen as a strength coming into Spring Training and I saw our bullpen as a strength when we left Spring Training, and I see our bullpen as a strength now,” manager Gabe Kapler said. “I just don’t think we’ve had our best games yet as a ‘pen.

“One thing that stands out to me today is that we had three players not have their best games in Aaron, Rhys and David, and they’re all three guys that I would push all my chips in right now that are going to help us win a ton of baseball games and be at the central point of those wins. They didn’t have their best days today. I acknowledge that. We move on.”

Up next

Following an off-day on Thursday, the Phillies return to action at 7:05 p.m. ET on Friday against the Twins at Citizens Bank Park. Right-hander Nick Pivetta (0-0, 7.71 ERA) will face Minnesota righty Jake Odorizzi (0-0, 1.50 ERA).