Back-To-Back Walkoffs as Phillies Sweep Giants with 6-5 Victory in Game 2

The Phillies entered their Thursday night affair against the San Francisco Giants with major momentum. The Phils walked off Game 1 of their doubleheader earlier in the day on a Justin Crawford single, winning the series. They came into the nightcap looking to sweep San Fran and continue the momentum they had built throughout the series. While momentum has been something the team has struggled to maintain so far this season, this team has a new image with a new skipper at the helm in Don Mattingly.

Through three games under Mattingly, the Phillies have begun playing more like the team that was expected, winning their first series since April 3-5 against the Colorado Rockies on Thursday. The nightcap, they got their first sweep of the season. Alec Bohm‘s walk-off sac fly in the 10th inning was the second walk-off for the Phillies of the day. Thursday’s two walk-off wins were the first time the Phillies had accomplished such a feat since July 24th, 1998. It was the first in the Majors since May 28th, 2004, by the Pittsburgh Pirates.

“It was a good day for us … lot of good things, took a lot of guys,” said interim manager Don Mattingly postgame.

It was a good day indeed. The night started with bullpen arm Tim Mayza making his first career start, due to the doubleheader forcing the team to need a bullpen game at some point in the next set of games. Mattingly decided Game 2 of the doubleheader was that game. It worked out in the beginning as Mayza pitched two scoreless innings. While the bullpen as a whole did not have its best performance, several members kept the Giants at bay and the offense in the game. Including Chase Shugart, who pitched a scoreless inning in the 10th, and when the Phillies walked it off in the bottom half of the inning, giving Shugart the win. He became the first MLB pitcher since 2013, and first Phillie since 2002, to earn two wins on the same day.

It was not just the pitching staff that showed good performances; it was also the offense. The night started off hot as Trea Turner and Kyle Schwarber led off the bottom half of the first inning with back-to-back home runs, making it 2-0 Phillies. Both had very good nights, with Turner collecting 2 hits on the day, and Schwarber going 4-4, including the game-tying double in the 9th. Down to his last strike with 2 outs, Schwarber roped a ball down the right field line to score Brandon Marsh and make the ballgame 5-5. Bohm called the game in the bottom of the 10th with a sacrifice fly to score Adolis Garcia to walk it off and break out the brooms.

The offense had production from top to bottom, racking up 9 hits on the day, and tacked on 6 walks to show solid plate discipline as well. What has been the clear biggest issue with this Phillies team so far this season has become the clearest strength in the early showing of the Mattingly era. Scoring 9 runs in 2 games on Thursday, and 16 in the Giants series as a whole.

The Phillies continue to make strides to get back into a top spot in the league, and look to keep the momentum they’ve gained with a 4-game set in Miami beginning on Friday, before heading home to face the Athletics and Rockies. 3 series that provide a clear opportunity to get back to where the team belongs, and now the team holds momentum that shows they can take advantage of the opportunities.

Christopher DeMaio

Christopher is a Delaware County Native and a graduate of Devon Preparatory School, class of 2025. He is currently attending University and is in his second semester. Chris, growing up playing since the age of 4, fell in love with his hometown Phillies and continues that love with listening to sports radio, reading articles, writing for Philly Sports Reports’ Phillies team, and, of course, watching the Phils.

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