Johan Rojas, who has not been in the starting lineup since the Padres series, got a rare opportunity to play against a right-handed starting pitcher. The Phillies are scheduled to face three righty starters in a row after facing three in Cleveland and manager Rob Thomson needed to play him in at least one of the three games. He picked Monday because Dean Kremer’s career righty/lefty splits were the least pronounced of the three probable Orioles starters.
Rojas was one of the best hitters in the lineup in the Phillies’ 3-2 loss to the Orioles. He went 2-for-4 with two singles and two stolen bases and while he made the final out with the tying and go-ahead runs on base, he should have had three hits, including his first-career extra-base hit.
In the third inning, Rojas hit a ball to the left-center field gap. Aaron Hicks, who has revived his career with the Orioles, made what appeared to be a diving catch in center for the second out. A replay showed that Hicks, who left the game with a right hamstring cramp after the play, dropped the ball.
Teams have around 10 seconds, give or take based on umpire discretion, to challenge a replay. If you win, you retain your challenge. If you don’t, you lose it. The Phillies were waiting on a replay angle to come in from the video room that showed Hicks dropping the ball.
Except that never happened, Thomson said after the game. It’s why the Phillies did not challenge the play. The costly delay in the replay might have cost the Phillies a much-needed run as the next batter Kyle Schwarber proceeded to walk. Trea Turner flew out to end the inning.
“We couldn’t tell because everything was behind us,” Thomson said. “We went to the replay room and the angle that we needed didn’t come in until after the 10 second time limit was up. So I had to waive it off. Then, two or three seconds later, they got it. They found it. It came in. Not much you can do about it.”
Thomson claims this happens “every once in a while.”
Maybe there’s two things that could have happened here which could have led to a different result. Instead of waiving it off, Thomson could have kept his hand up and hoped that crew chief Lance Barksdale would give him a few extra seconds. There was a delay since Hicks was injured and we’ve seen umpires show some leniency in this area.
Thomson could have also taken the risk and challenged despite not having a definitive angle. It’s a challenge that would have been justified considering the offense’s struggles. It would have given the top of the Phillies order a chance to drive in the speedy Rojas with just a base hit. Even though Schwarber and Turner have had their struggles, it’s a risk you take.
It wasn’t the only controversial decision from the Phillies coaching staff in the game, albeit this one is a lot less egregious. Nick Castellanos hit a game-tying single with two outs in the eighth. Schwarber scored from second and third base coach Dusty Wathan waived Bryce Harper from first. James McCann snuck in the tag and just got Harper to end the inning. Harper would have been the go-ahead run. He was enraged after the play.
Thomson, a former third base coach, liked the aggressive send by Wathan.
“That was a good opportunity to run,” Harper said. “Thought I had a great jump at first base. … If I slide head first or if I get my foot in there, I’m probably safe. Just a good baseball play.”
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