The Phillies showcased their batting prowess once more as they edged out the Marlins in a nail-biting 11-10 victory on Saturday, marking their third consecutive win and clinching the series. With an explosive offense that seems to be hitting its stride, Philly fans have every reason to be optimistic.
Leading the charge, Bryson Stott and Trea Turner were monumental at the plate. They racked up a combined total of seven hits, five RBIs, and four runs, revealing just how vital they are to the top of the Phillies’ lineup.
But let’s not forget about Alec Bohm and Johan Rojas, who turned up the heat from the bottom of the order, contributing five hits and crossing the plate five times themselves. Talk about depth in the lineup!
The game took a sharp turn in the bottom of the third. Johan Rojas kicked things off with a double to left field. Trea Turner then used his precision and speed to bring Rojas home, setting the tone for the innings to come.
Just when you thought the inning might quiet down, Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber complemented Turner's hit with back-to-back walks, setting up Nick Castellanos for a sacrificial fly that brought Turner home again. This was followed by a one-two punch from Max Kepler, whose double sent Harper and Schwarber racing home, putting the Phillies up 4-0.
Moving forward, the bottom of the fourth was an inning of opportunities grabbed with finesse. Bohm got on base with a single and Rojas followed suit with a well-placed bunt.
A nervous Cal Quantrill fielded that bunt but couldn’t secure an out. Then, Stott made the Marlins pay for those mistakes, crushing a double to right that sent both Bohm and Rojas home.
With Turner following him up, knocking another double, the Phillies found themselves comfortably ahead 7-1.
The momentum kept swinging the Phillies' way in the fifth inning, as Bohm and Rojas both notched up more hits. Stott joined the party with another RBI, cementing a 9-1 lead that seemed daunting for Miami to overcome.
While Taijuan Walker's outing was brief, he gave the Phillies just enough to stay in control for most of the game. Despite logging only four innings and 56 pitches, Walker conceded just one run on a single hit, which kept the Marlins at bay initially. His pitching velocity was slightly off the mark, with noticeable dips in speed, perhaps indicating an aspect to watch in future games.
Yet, in true baseball fashion, the game wasn't done just yet. The Marlins tried to flip the script in the top of the ninth, roaring back as Jordan Romano hit a rough patch.
A six-run eruption, capped by a Liam Hicks two-run homer, brought the score uncomfortably close at 11-10. But the Phillies had José Alvarado ready for redemption.
Alvarado stepped in and silenced the Marlins with Xavier Edwards' sharp line-out to right field, wrapping up the save.
The Phillies are proving they're a team that can deliver from the top of the lineup all the way to the bottom. It’s been an electrifying start against their division rivals, and if this is the level of play they sustain, we’re in for an exciting run.
