Unsung Heroes in Bullpen Lead Phillies to Win Over Marlins to Secure Series Victory
Bill Streicher/Imagn Images
Throughout the course of this season, the Phillies’ bullpen has remained a point of contention. In many cases, the ‘pen’s inadequacies have been excused by strong starting pitching and the occasional offensive outburst.
Tonight, in particular, the Phillies came into the game with a depleted back end of the bullpen thanks to tight victories the last two days. Ideally, the Phillies needed a deep outing from Zack Wheeler and some early and often offense, yet neither of those things came to fruition. Instead, the bullpen was the unsung hero of the evening, leading the Phillies to a gutsy victory to secure a series sweep against a division rival.
By no means was the bullpen perfect, but they kept the Phillies in the game, despite having to work around some defensive miscues.
Nonetheless, Zack Wheeler got things started for the Phillies, lasting five innings and allowing two runs on two hits, striking out seven and walking four. It was a bit of an odd night for the Phils’ co-ace, as he allowed a mammoth 109.4-mph, 422-foot home run to Griffin Conine, diminishing the early lead established by Alec Bohm’s first-inning RBI single.
After this long ball, though, Wheeler did not allow another hit until the fifth inning. At this point, his command started to slip, and his pitch count rose drastically. Wheeler primarily got swings and misses by elevating his four-seamer and using his sinker inside on righties, marking a positive shift in his game after seeing some velocity dips in recent starts. Interim manager Don Mattingly was likely hoping for more than five innings from Wheeler, but given his last few starts, tonight’s quality outing was undoubtedly a step in the right direction as Wheeler looks to return to his groove.
After two walks to begin the fifth, Xavier Edwards gave the Marlins the lead with an RBI single, but Wheeler escaped the inning after Edwards was thrown out attempting to advance to second base.
To start the sixth, Alex McFarlane was the first man up from the bullpen, and after allowing a walk and a single, a Marlins run crossed the plate after what should have been a 5-4-3 double play turned into a fielder’s choice and an E-4, as Luis Arraez spiked his throw to first base and Otto Lopez scored easily from third, extending the Marlins’ lead.
Luckily, it was time for the Phillies’ offense to step up, and they did just that. Alec Bohm scored Trea Turner with an RBI double, then Bryson Stott’s two-run single gifted the Phillies their first lead since the first inning. Justin Crawford provided some insurance with an RBI single of his own, and all of a sudden, the Phillies boasted a 5-3 lead.
In the eighth inning, a single and an error by reliever Orion Kerkering gave the Marlins a run back, but in the home half of the eighth, Kyle Schwarber poked a two-out, RBI single to left field, giving the Phillies some wiggle room ahead of the ninth.
Brooks Raley was called upon to attempt his first save as a Phillie, and—continuing the trend of relievers showing up when needed most—he put the Marlins down in order to close out the victory. Fittingly, the final out featured a dazzling sliding backhand by Bryson Stott, capping off an impressive night on both sides of the ball for the Phillies’ third baseman.
Overall, the bullpen allowed three hits and a walk over four innings, and even though two runs crossed the plate, neither were earned. That makes this performance that much more impressive, as on a night where adversity was anticipated with a short-staffed bullpen, additional challenges surfaced, yet the Phils’ relievers managed to pull through.
What was just as impressive was the persistence of the Phillies’ offense, as insurance runs were consistently added, and some small ball was relied upon from the entirety of the lineup.
Simply put, complacency was not an option. From the jump, it was going to take a full-team effort to earn a win today, and everyone pulled their weight.
Now, the Phillies have won five in a row, and tonight’s victory defines a lot more than a single win in the standings. It was the epitome of what a playoff-caliber team does, still managing to get the job done even with two errors, an unavailable star closer, and a combined zero hits from stars like Trea Turner and Bryce Harper.
Not every team will battle like the Phillies did tonight, but the best ones find a way to win anyway. Tonight, the Phillies were one of those teams. Hopefully, when October rolls around, they’ll bring that same style of play, one that can carry a team when the stakes are at their highest.
Colin Daly
Colin is an editor and the lead Phillies writer for Philly Sports Reports. He has been covering sports since 2020 and has been with PSR since the summer of 2021. As a lifelong Philly fan, he has a strong passion for the core four and does not miss a game. Colin is a co-host of the Bell Ringers podcast.
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