Rhetorical question: Is there anyone the Phillies would rather have up with the game on the line than Bryce Harper, Bryson Stott and Alec Bohm — preferably in that order?
The Phillies’ offense had sputtered once again on Tuesday, scoring two runs across their first 8 1/3 innings. After being dominated for 24 outs by Kyle Gibson, his 4.76 ERA, Shintaro Fujinami and his 8.82 ERA, any comeback would have to come against Yennier Canó — by far the toughest of that trio against whom to muster any sort of rally that, for the past week, has felt unattainable.
The Orioles had their guy. But the Phillies had theirs, too.
It seems like these rallies always start with Harper. This one was no different. With the latest Trea Turner-induced boos still echoing around Citizens Bank Park after a leadoff groundout, Harper lined an opposite field single to left.
Nick Castellanos continued his own slump with a strikeout. Two outs. More boos.
No matter. Bryson Stott — without whom it’s awfully difficult to imagine where the 2023 Phillies might be — lined a 2022-NLDS-esque double into the right field corner on a first-pitch sinker.
Dusty Wathan waved Bryce Harper home. He might as well have saved the energy, curled up in the third-base coaching box and napped. Harper wasn’t stopping for anything.
It tied a game that Bohm should’ve never had a chance to win. J.T. Realmuto hit a lazy chopper to short that should’ve sent it to extras, but Jorge Mateo had trouble with the exchange, giving the speedy Realmuto just enough time to leg out an infield single.
Given who was on deck, it all but did the Orioles in. For all the frustrations over Alec Bohm’s 2023 season — lack of power, consistency, whatever — he’s been the team’s best hitter with runners in scoring position, entering the day at .340 in such situations.
Make that .347.
Maybe it’s the spark the Phillies have sorely need in a dreadful week at the dish. It certainly didn’t come against Gibson, who scattered two runs across six innings the day after receiving his National League championship ring.
The first of those two runs came on an RBI single from Johan Rojas — hitting .333 through his first 11 days in the Majors — in the third. The second came courtesy of a no-doubter by Harper, who’s beginning to heat up in the month of July.
The Orioles retook the lead in much the same fashion. Matt Strahm, on in relief after 5 2/3 innings from Taijuan Walker, finished off the sixth and fired a scoreless seventh. Curiously, though — with Seranthony DomÃnguez off the injured list and Gregory Soto also available — Strahm came back out in the eighth for his third inning of work.
It backfired.
The way the Phillies’ offense had been going — or, specifically, very much not going — it seemed like that was it. Harper, Stott and Bohm had other plans. They often do. The Phillies are 54-47.
Ticket IQ Next Game
- Wednesday, July 26 vs. Baltimore Orioles at Citizens Bank Park
- 6:05 p.m. ET
- TV: NBC Sports Philadelphia
- Radio: SportsRadio 94 WIP
- Spanish Radio: WTTM 1680
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