Williams’ pinch blast gives Phils close win
Monday night’s game against the Reds looked like the kind where you just wished it would’ve rained buckets after the fifth inning. The Phillies were clutching a 5-4 lead after the game was official, as starter Ben Lively had trouble keeping Cincinnati off the bases, and it was easy to see the Reds tying the game up sooner than later.
While they did just that, as Lively’s 100th pitch came back to him and ricocheted for an infield single, the Phils had the last laugh. Not only did the bullpen pitch well after Lively’s exit, but Nick Williams came up huge in a pinch spot, hitting what would be the winning home run in the eighth inning. The Phils won 6-5 to improve to 4-5.
It was Williams’ first homer of the season, while Scott Kingery hit the first of his career in the third inning. Rhys Hoskins added his second this season with a first-inning blast.
As for the bullpen, Adam Morgan gutted through 0.2 innings of work, while Yacksel Rios came up huge in the seventh. Luis Garcia pitched a relatively clean eighth, and Hector Neris secured his first save of the season.
And Lively was a fifth starter. He surrendered five runs and should’ve been able to get through six, but some tough hits and questionable command ultimately sealed his fate. He struck out seven and walked two in 5.2 frames. He’s also the first starter to reach 100 pitches this season. Hurrah!
