Phillies Pitch their First Sweep of 2024
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The Philadelphia Phillies swept the first, and home portion, of two meetings this year with the Colorado Rockies to improve their record to 11-8 on the young season.
The number two, three, and four starters for the Phillies did everything in their power to make the series easy. It turned out to be anything but easy for two out of three games. Let’s take a (intentional) walk through the details of the series.
Game One
The series opened up Monday night at Citizens Bank Park with an extra inning pitching duel that was only half expected.
Aaron Nola has been a top-of-the-rotation starter for a couple of years and for seven and a third innings he had his breaking ball diving like it was looking for treasure. He threw 99 pitches (69 strikes) while allowing one run on four hits, nine strikeouts, and one walk. The lone run came on a Michael Toglia home run in the 5th inning.
Nola’s unexpected partner in this two-seam tango was Cal Quantrill, not-so-happy owner of seven earned runs on twelve hits allowed through his previous ten innings before the game. He held the Phillies offense to four hits and one earned run through six innings, his lone blemish an RBI single by Bryce Harper in the 3rd.
The Philadelphia bullpen nearly squandered Nola’s performance when Jeff Hoffman allowed a two-out double to Elias Diaz in the 9th inning. Pinch-runner, and pitcher, Kyle Freeland advanced to third on a wild pitch and that’s where it got weird. Freeland tried to score on another Hoffman wild pitch. The throw from JT to Hoffman covering home brought him into the path of Freeland and actually fell on top of him. After review, it was ruled that Hoffman did not intentionally block the plate and the out call stood. Seranthony Dominguez came in for Hoffman in the 10th inning and left automatic runner Nolan Jones stranded on second.
Bryson Stott started off the 10th inning on second base for the home team. After a Whit Merrifield sacrifice bunt and an Alec Bohm ground out, it looked as if the Phillies would miss another opportunity. Substitute Cristian Pache stepped to the plate for the first time and immediately singled to right to give his team the 2-1 win.
Game One to the Phillies.
Game Two
Game two of the series was all about Ranger Suarez.
JT Realmuto staked the Phillies to a 2-0 lead with a first-inning home run and that was all that Ranger needed.
Suarez spun a complete game 7 hit shutout, throwing 79 strikes out of 112 pitches with an impressive 8/1 K/BB ratio for the game.
Bryce Harper added three RBIs on a 6th-inning double that scored Trea Turner and an 8th-inning home run scoring Johan Rojas.
Ranger did the rest as the Phillies took game two 5-0. Game Two to the Phillies.
Game Three
With Philadelphia looking to finish off the sweep, Cristopher Sanchez got the ball opposed by right-hander Ryan Feltner for the Rockies.
Neither pitcher had the first inning you would like.
Following a leadoff single by Ezequiel Tovar, an Alec Bohm error left runners on first and third with nobody out. Brenton Doyle then stole the second to put two men in scoring position. A big strikeout of Ryan McMahon provided hope that Sanchez may be able to get out of the inning with no damage. An Elias Diaz ground out to Trea Turner then plated Tovar and the Rockies were up one nothing. Sanchez then struck out Elehuris Montero to escape with just one run allowed and it was the Phillies turn to hit.
We didn’t have to ask twice on this night. Kyle Schwarber led off with his 250th home run off the face of the second deck in right field. Trea Turner then deposited the next pitch deep into the left-field stands and the rout was on (until the 8th). Following a Bryce Harper strikeout, it was time to make Michael Toglia work in right field. JT Realmuto singled to him. JT then raced all the way home from first when Alec Bohm lined a double off the base of the wall in right. Brandon Marsh then pulled a ball through the hole that Toglia didn’t even bother to make a throw home on. That quickly the Phillies had a 4-1 lead and spirits were high.
They would add another run in the fifth before Cristopher Sanchez eventually departed after the 6th inning up 5-1. His night finished having allowed five hits alongside ten strikeouts and one walk.
Kyle Schwarber’s second homer, in the 6th inning, this time a 2-run shot, put the Phillies up 7-1 and nobody would blame you if tuned to the Sixers.
Rob Thompson brought on Gregory Soto to get some work in the 8th inning and suddenly it became a game. Single, single, single, sac fly, walk, walk were the results of the only six batters Soto faced. His line read 1/3 of an inning, 3 hits 5 earned runs, and two walks. Almost out of nowhere, Colorado was bringing the tying run to the plate. Jeff Hoffman managed to induce a fielder-choice ground ball before allowing a walk and a single. 7-1 was now 7-6 and fans were dreading the finish. Brenton Doyle stung a slider to leftfield right at Brandon Marsh and the Phillies had survived the 8th.
Jose Alvarado came on for the save in the 9th. He surrendered a 2 out single before ultimately forcing a weak popout to second base for the win and the Phillies’ first sweep of the year.
Game three to the Phillies.
The Phillies now have an off day Thursday before starting a three-game series with the 3-15 Chicago White Sox Friday. If the Phillies somehow kept Luis Robert Jr. in Philadelphia after that series, this writer would personally smile a little wider.
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