Phillies Took Series in Sacramento Behind Clutch Hits and Gritty Offense

The Phillies didn’t get the sweep, but the bats kept them in every game.

They battled with two important elements that were missing early on in the season — grit and clutch hitting. They were 9-34 with runners in scoring position for the series, an improvement over where they were in April.

Trea Turner opened the series with a leadoff homer and had several. Kyle Schwarber hit clutch hits all series, including an impressive home run, and kept the pressure on with heads-up baserunning all weekend. Bryce Harper stayed locked in, reaching base seven times and driving in key runs, including a clutch RBI single in extras on Saturday.

Alec Bohm added three hits in Game 2. Brandon Marsh had a go-ahead sac fly. Max Kepler faced one of the nastiest closers in the game and delivered a clutch, game-tying home run in the top of the 9th.

Even in Sunday’s loss, the offense kept pushing. Turner stayed hot with two hits, including a solo homer that brought the Phillies within a run in the eighth. Bohm added two more hits and scored a run, continuing his strong series. Marsh chipped in with a pair of hits and crossed the plate as well. The Phillies erased an early 3-0 deficit to tie the game by the fifth inning. They didn’t cash in late, and they were only 1-5 with runners in scoring position, but the lineup kept pressing.

The Phils didn’t mash, they didn’t dominate offensively, but they didn’t quit, they fought and showed what they’re made of. Clutch hits that seemed so hard to find early in the season kept the win streak going. The promising sign is that the lineup isn’t leaning on just one guy, everyone’s doing their part, and they’re not just hoping for home runs; they’re manufacturing runs.

There were no blowouts, but the Phillies battled in every game. Would a 10th win have been incredible? Clearly, but the streak was going to end at some point, so it’s better to end it to close out an extremely successful road trip with a day off, looking forward to a much-improved Atlanta Braves team coming into Citizens Bank Park for an important series.

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Steve Hamilton

Steve may have been born in California, but don’t let that fool you. After dating a local woman and clashing with her and her family over sports for decades, he has an affinity for Philly sports. Balancing love for Philly and Bay Area sports teams may seem impossible, we can all agree that the Cowboys are the true evil.

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