Final Score: Phillies 5, Cardinals 3 (10 innings)
The Phillies (5-5) have counted on Alec Bohm to deliver big hits with runners in scoring position for years.
After the Phillies bullpen blew a save in the bottom of the ninth, Bohm had a chance to give the Phillies the lead back. All he had to do was get a hit against tough righty Ryan Helsley.
Bohm, with Bryce Harper intentionally walked in front of him, went after a first-pitch slider and drove it down the left field line to drive in pinch runner Cristian Pache and give the Phillies the lead in the top of the tenth. Bryson Stott added another with a sacrifice fly, giving Gregory Soto enough breathing room to close things out rather comfortably in the bottom of the 10th.
Bohm, who batted fourth with J.T. Realmuto getting the day off, has six RBIs in 10 games.
Monday’s game marked the first time this season that the Phillies’ “closer by committee” plan didn’t work.
José Alvarado pitched the eighth inning with three of the next four batters due up being left-handed. Jeff Hoffman had the ninth inning with Nolan Arenado, Ivan Herrera and Alec Burleson due up. Hoffman fell behind 3-0 to Arenado, then came back to earn the strikeout. He walked Herrera, surrendered a double to Burleson and allowed a run to score on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Jordan Walker.
He was a pitch away from securing the win when the next batter Masyn Winn caught hold of a slider in the middle of the plate and drove in a run on a base hit to left field. It was Hoffman’s second blown save of 2024.
Bohm’s timely hit and Soto’s scoreless 10th inning salvaged a series-opening win.
Johan Rojas had his first great game at the plate.
He came into the Cardinals series 1-for-22. His only hit was an infield single. He has been chasing less but has looked uncomfortable at the plate.
The Phillies on Monday were rewarded for their patience. He recorded his first extra-base knock since hitting a triple in Game 4 of the 2023 NLCS and drove in the first run of the game on an opposite-field single. He even made his first highlight reel play of the season in center field, a diving grab to rob Nolan Gorman of a hit in the first inning. He finished the game 3-for-4 and raised his batting average to .154. Baby steps.
Rojas’ night made up for a few rough performances at the plate from some of the bigger bats. Kyle Schwarber made three outs on three pitches and went 0-for-5. Harper grounded into two double plays and wasn’t running well down the line. Stott and Nick Castellanos also did not record hits. Trea Turner did go 3-for-5 with an RBI.
Starter Spencer Turnbull continued his hot start to the season. He kept the Cardinals scoreless through six innings and extended his scoreless innings streak to begin the year to 11.
Turnbull will get at least a few more looks in the rotation. Manager Rob Thomson told reporters in St. Louis that Taijuan Walker will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Thursday. He would like to see Walker reach 100 pitches, meaning Walker will likely make about a month’s worth of minor league rehab starts before returning to the Phillies.
That means Turnbull will get at least a few more chances to build on his first impression. Perhaps he could pitch well enough to at least make the Phillies think about keeping him in the rotation.
Notes
- Seranthony Dominguez allowed a strange home run to Herrera in the seventh. The ball bounced off left fielder Brandon Marsh’s glove and over the wall. The ball would not have gone out of the ballpark if it did not deflect off of Marsh’s glove. Shades of Jason Michaels.
- Marsh made up for it with a ninth inning home run against Giovanny Gallegos. The home run turned out to be huge as the Cardinals tied the game in the bottom of the ninth.
Ticket IQ Next Game
- Tuesday, April 9 vs. St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium
- 7:45 p.m. EST
- NBC Sports App
- 94 WIP
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Bawb Eff
April 9, 2024 at 6:26 am
Turnbull was awesome again, and he should have come out for the 7th inning. He was done in by the “Best bullpen in the league!” LOLzzz!
I wonder how long Thomson is going to let Castellanos Anthony Rendon it up for the Phillies? What is he down to now, like .110? He doesn’t even look like he’s trying or even cares out there. Maybe the Phils shoulda kept Harper in right, Hoskins at first, and traded Casty for a bag of Herr’s.
Let’s hope they can get on the right side of .500 tonight. Go Phils!
PhillyPhan99
April 9, 2024 at 11:25 am
I’d love it if they kept Harper in right, but he’s getting older and already had Tommy John, so the move to first wasn’t to replace Hoskins but to try and keep Harper on the field longer. They still should have traded Castellanos for someone like Mike Trout.