There’s No Place Like Home — Phillies Top Rockies 6-1 In Home Opener

After kicking off their 2025 season in Washington, D.C., the Philadelphia Phillies returned to Citizens Bank Park for their home opener, defeating the Colorado Rockies 6-1.

The pitching staff has been preached as the best in all of baseball, and Cristopher Sanchez logged a solid first start of the year. In 5.1 innings, Sanchez finished with seven strikeouts and allowed only four hits, but one of them was a solo home run.

While it took a while, the Phillies’ offense eventually got going. Edmundo Sosa logged two hits, one being a two-run double, while Kyle Schwarber hit his third home run of the year, a two-run shot. Nick Castellanos also homered, as well as Max Kepler, who hit his first as a Phillie and also added a double and a single for three hits.

The Rockies struggled to get multiple runs on the board in the loss, with their sole run coming from a solo home run from the bat of Hunter Goodman. Brenton Doyle was impressive in the loss, totaling three hits and a walk. Germán Márquez was the only good part of the day for Colorado, as he finished with four strikeouts over six innings of work.

While Sanchez had a great day, his first batter of the game didn’t go his way after walking the leadoff hitter, Brenton Doyle. Despite giving up an early walk, Sanchez worked through it thanks to a soft groundout and lineouts to Castellanos and Bryce Harper.

Márquez was on the mound for the Rockies, and in the bottom half of the inning, he sent the Phillies down in order after groundouts by Schwarber and Alec Bohm, and Harper flew out to left, missing a home run by mere inches.

Sanchez’s second inning went smoother, striking out Kris Bryant looking and getting a quick lineout and groundout to get the Phillies’ bats back up. J.T. Realmuto led off the second but went down on four pitches, striking out. Kepler, in his first home game as a Phillie, got the hitting going with a one-out double down the line. However, a Castellanos and pop-out by Bryson Stott ended any chance of runs for Philadelphia.

In the top of the third, Sanchez ran into trouble. After striking out the leadoff hitter, Sean Bouchard, Sanchez walked Jordan Beck, and Doyle blooped a single to right field, putting two runners on with one out. Ezequiel Tovar then grounded out back to Sanchez, advancing the runners to second and third, but Sanchez struck Ryan McMahon out on three pitches to get out of the inning.

The Phillies went down in order in the bottom half of the third, as did the Rockies in their half of the fourth, thanks to back-to-back strikeouts from Sanchez. In the bottom of the fourth, Bohm led off the inning with a single to left using the new torpedo bat that the New York Yankees have made famous earlier this week; however, after Bohm’s single, three straight fly outs ended the Phillies’ inning with no runs once again.

In the fifth, Sanchez kicked off the innings with back-to-back strikeouts, however, Beck and Doyle hit back-to-back singles, putting two runners on with two outs for Tovar. Sanchez was able to get Tovar to fly out to left to end the inning.

Castellanos led off the fifth with a check-swing single, but back-to-back pop outs by Stott and Brandon Marsh gave the Phillies a quick two outs. Up came Sosa, and after battling through the at-bat, ripped a double down the left field line to make it second and third for Schwarber. Márquez was able to work Schwarber and get him to swing at strike three in the dirt to end the inning unscathed.

After five innings of no runs from either team, the Rockies finally ended that run.

Sanchez was back out on the mound for the sixth and got the leader hitter, McMahon, to ground out, but one batter later, catcher Goodman smoked a ball to right-center field for a home run, making it 1-0 Colorado.

After the home run, Sanchez was pulled, and Orion Kerkering took over on the mound. He walked Bryant, putting an early runner on, but was able to get Michael Toglia to fly out and, after a great play from Bohm at third, got Kyle Farmer to ground out to end the inning.

In the bottom half of the sixth, Márquez continued to dominate the Phillies, getting Harper to ground out and Bohm and Realmuto to strike out, keeping it 1-0 Rockies.

Joe Ross was on the mound for Philadelphia in the top of the seventh. He got two quick outs with Nick Martini popping out to Realmuto and Beck getting caught looking, but allowed an infield single to Doyle for his third hit of the day. With Tovar up in a big spot again, he failed to capitalize once again, grounding out to Stott to end the inning.

In the bottom of the seventh, Scott Alexander replaced Márquez. Kepler led off the inning with a single to center, but just one batter later, Castellanos grounded into a double play. With two outs, Stott blooped a ball down the right field line and sped his way to second base for a double. Trea Turner then pinch-hit for Marsh and worked a walk to put two runners on for Sosa.

After a pitching change, the Rockies brought in right-hander Victor Vodnik. On the second pitch of his at-bat, Sosa smoked a double into the right-center field gap, scoring both Stott and Turner to make it 2-1 Phillies.

Philly loves Sosa pic.twitter.com/OMjYzC5vus

— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) March 31, 2025

Now with the lead, Schwarber stepped up to the plate facing a right-handed pitcher, and boy did Schwarber make the Rockies pay. Schwarber destroyed a 1-1 fastball to deep center for a 434-foot two-run homer to make it 4-1 Phillies.

KYLE SCHWARBER
DEAD CENTER#RingTheBell pic.twitter.com/9IWl3j5DBN

— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) March 31, 2025

After the home run, Bohm grounded out to end the inning. In the top of the eighth, Jose Alvarado came on in relief for Ross. Alvarado wasted no time getting after the Rockies, striking out McMahon and Goodman to kick off the inning. However, he then walked Bryant after an eight-pitch at-bat and pitched two quick balls to Toglia, forcing Realmuto to go out to the mound. After a chat, Alvarado locked back in and got Toglia to strike out to end the inning.

Harper led off the bottom of the eighth and cracked a single to right center field, but was thrown out at second base trying to stretch it into a double. Realmuto then grounded out, but Kepler picked him up, smoking a solo home run down the right field line for his first as a Phillie.

‼️ Das ist gut ‼️ pic.twitter.com/642G2Nen3D

— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) March 31, 2025

One batter later, Castellanos decided to join in on the fun, smoking a solo shot of his own to straightaway centerfield to make it 6-1 Phillies.

Our Elite Eight pic.twitter.com/IRx1j4xcXT

— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) March 31, 2025

Stott then struck out as the Phillies went to the ninth up by five runs. In the ninth, Jordan Romano took over, attempting to close out the game. He allowed a lead-off bloop single to Farmer, but was able to battle back for back-to-back strikeouts. With two outs, Romano was able to get Doyle to ground out to short to end the game, giving the Phillies a 6-1 win on opening day.

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