PHILADELPHIA (Interstat) — In a debut two decades in the making, Andrew Painter delivered on his immense promise, striking out eight over 5 1/3 dominant innings to propel the Philadelphia Phillies to a 3-2 victory over the Washington Nationals on Tuesday night at Citizens Bank Park.

A crowd of 40,709 watched the 22-year-old right-hander, the most anticipated Phillies pitching prospect since Cole Hamels in 2006, allow just four hits and one earned run. His performance steadied a Phillies club that had stumbled to a 1-3 start and provided the foundation for a narrow win secured by a dramatic final out.

Painter’s outing was supported by solo home runs from Kyle Schwarber and Adolis García, which built a 2-0 lead, and an unearned run in the fifth that proved decisive. Jhoan Duran struck out two in a scoreless ninth for his second save, but not before navigating tense moments.

The Nationals, who fell to 3-2, chipped away with single runs in the sixth and seventh innings but ultimately stranded the potential tying run in scoring position in the ninth.

Painter set an immediate tone, striking out Nationals leadoff man James Wood swinging. He worked around a pair of singles in the second inning and, after Schwarber’s homer in the third gave him a lead, responded by striking out the side in the top of the fourth. His only blemish came in the sixth when CJ Abrams singled and scored on Daylen Lile’s RBI single, which was followed by a throwing error that allowed Lile to reach second. Painter exited to a standing ovation after getting Curtis Mead to fly out.

Philadelphia’s offense was efficient against Washington starter Zack Littell, who took the loss after yielding three runs on six hits over five innings. Schwarber opened the scoring in the third, launching a fly ball to right-center for his second homer of the young season. García led off the fourth with his first Phillies homer, a towering shot to right field, to make it 2-0.

The pivotal fifth inning provided the winning margin. Justin Crawford and Trea Turner singled, and Schwarber walked to load the bases with one out. Bryce Harper then hit a sharp grounder to first baseman Luis García Jr., who misplayed it for an error, allowing Crawford to score. Alec Bohm grounded into an inning-ending double play, but the Phillies had secured a 3-0 lead.

Washington’s relentless approach continued against the Philadelphia bullpen. After Lile’s RBI single in the sixth, they threatened again in the seventh against reliever Tanner Banks. Nasim Nuñez singled with two outs, and James Wood doubled down the first base line, scoring Nuñez to cut the deficit to 3-2. Luis García Jr. lined out sharply to center to end the threat.

The Nationals put the tying run on base in both the eighth and ninth innings. In the eighth, a two-out walk to Mead went for naught. In the ninth, Duran struck out José Tena and Joey Wiemer before Nuñez reached on an infield single, bringing Wood to the plate as the winning run. Wood, who had doubled earlier, drove a 1-1 pitch deep to left field, but Brandon Marsh tracked it down on the warning track for a spectacular game-ending catch.

The most critical sequence of the game occurred in the bottom of the fifth inning. With the score tied 2-2 following the back-to-back homers, the Phillies manufactured the decisive run without the benefit of a hit. The singles by Crawford and Turner, followed by Schwarber’s walk, set the table. Harper’s hard-hit ball to first was not cleanly handled, resulting in an error that allowed Crawford to cross the plate. While the double play limited further damage, the unearned run stood as the game-winner in the one-run contest.

Lile was a bright spot for Washington, going 3 for 4 with a double, an RBI and a run scored. Phillies relievers Brad Keller and PJ Poulin of Washington each contributed a scoreless inning of work.

The victory evened the Phillies’ record at 2-3, while the Nationals moved to 3-2. The teams conclude their three-game series Wednesday afternoon.

Washington will welcome the Los Angeles Dodgers to Nationals Park for a three-game set starting Friday. The Phillies embark on a six-game road trip beginning Friday in Colorado against the Rockies.