The Phillies fight back and Tyler Phillips gets his first MLB win with the home team Originally appeared in NBC Sports Philadelphia
They never stay in the loss column for long, do they?
The Phillies battled back to even the series against the Athletics with an 11-5 victory Saturday at Citizens Bank Park, tying a season-high of 29 games over .500.
In the biggest story of the day, Tyler Phillips did just enough to earn his first major league win. From growing up a Phillies fan in southern New Jersey to stepping onto the mound to represent his childhood team, it was a fairytale day for the 26-year-old right-hander.
“Everything and more,” Phillips said after the game about whether the moment lived up to his dreams. “I told the guys beforehand that there was a kid inside of me screaming, punching the air and saying, ‘Man, we’re a Phillie, this is the greatest thing that ever happened.'”
Phillips pitched six innings, allowing four hits and four runs and striking out five. Emotions were running high as he walked off the mound and looked out at the crowd of more than 44,000 who had come to their feet to watch.
“It was almost impossible,” Phillips said. “I know what a standing ovation means in Philadelphia and I didn’t expect that for myself. I mean, I threw the ball well, but as far as the outcome it wasn’t perfect, like I wanted. Having that many people supporting me means something. My passion for this city, I was fighting back tears, I was so emotional.”
The fifth spot in the rotation has been a revolving door this season. Spencer Turnbull held the job until Taijuan Walker returned from an injury that didn’t last long. Walker had the hot spot on his hand, which affected his most efficient pitch (splitter), putting Turnbull back on the mound. Then Turnbull gets hurt in Detroit and out comes Michael Mercado, who had a good first outing against the Cubs. A shaky second outing against the Braves opened the door for Phillips to handle most of that game and earn the next start six days later.
“He was very impressive, he really was,” Thomson said of Phillips. “He threw strikes, he was very efficient, I thought he was good to go out in the seventh.”
When asked if he would start again?
“Yeah.”
Phillips did enough to get the job done on a day when the bats came to play.
Nick Castellanos hit a 423-foot cutter into the center-field ivy wall for a two-run homer. He had four RBIs on the day.
Johan Rojas hit a solo homer in the fourth inning that landed just over the left-field wall. It was his third of the season, the last dating back to May 10 against the Marlins.
Trea Turner is continuing his offensive hot streak since returning from the disabled list with a hamstring strain on June 17. His two-run homer was the Phillies shortstop’s seventh of the month, in 11 games. He had just three prior. Turner has at least one hit in 19 of the 23 games he’s played since returning.
Bryce Harper added a solo shot in the bottom of the seventh inning for his 21st of the season. Even more impressive is that the homer against the A’s marks the 30th and final team he needed a home run against in MLB. He’s the 19th active player to accomplish this feat. Harper finished the day with three RBIs.
The four-homer day puts the Phillies in fifth place in the league (117). Only two NL teams have more: the Dodgers (129) and Mets (119).
ON DECK…
There’s one more game between the Phillies and the All-Star break. After Saturday’s win, Thomson announced that Orion Kerkering will be the starter on Sunday and Michael Mercado is expected to handle the bulk of the innings. They’ll play in place of Zack Wheeler, who missed a start in the rotation due to lower back spasms.
The club has tied an MLB record with eight All-Stars, five of them pitchers (Cristopher Sánchez, Wheeler, Ranger Suárez, Jeff Hoffman, Matt Strahm, Harper, Turner and Alec Bohm).
Sanchez was named Saturday morning, replacing Chris Sale. Suarez (lower back soreness) and Wheeler will not participate in the Mid Summer Classic.
Bohm will be the seventh Phillie in franchise history to participate in the Home Run Derby.
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