The Phillies had a memorable week, sweeping the Giants in a Thursday doubleheader at Citizens Bank Park.
The Phillies secured a 3-2 walk-off victory in Game 1 and a 6-5 walk-off victory in 10 innings in Game 2. This led them to a 3-0 start under interim manager Don Mattingly.
It marked the first time the Phillies had two walk-off wins on the same day since July 24, 1998, against the Marlins. The last team to accomplish the feat was the Pirates on May 28, 2004, against the Cubs.
Fog Returns After Phillies’ Double Victory
“That’s more like us,” Alec Bohm said, after the wins.
The Phillies haven’t been themselves in a long time. It cost former manager Rob Thomson his job on Tuesday, sparking a whirlwind week for a team that opened the season with World Series aspirations.
Fog filled the service level outside the Phillies’ clubhouse after the wins. The Phillies have used a fog machine for years following home wins.
They haven’t needed to reorder any liquid fog this year, but maybe they will in a few weeks. The team are now 8-10 at home.
“Obviously, it’s been a weird time,” Kyle Schwarber said. “We start with what happened, but I think we all have a lot of love and appreciation for Thoms. We know the situation, but there’s obviously a lot of baseball to be played.”
There is time to change and make things better, both for the Phillies’ postseason chances and for individuals on the team.
Bohm’s Crucial Catch and Walk-Off Sacrifice
Bohm hopes to be one of those players. He is batting .151 with one home run, 13 RBIs and a .426 OPS. He made a fantastic, game-saving diving catch in the 10th inning in Game 2 to keep the game tied.
Bohm noticed Luis Arraez looking his way as he hugged the line with runners at the corners. Arraez has the ability to hit the ball wherever he wants it, so Bohm shuffled his feet toward the hole before the pitch.
Arraez hit the ball where he wanted it, but Bohm was there to catch it.
“It makes you feel smart,” Bohm said, chuckling.
Bohm then hit a walk-off sacrifice fly in the bottom of the 10th.
“I feel like I’m on the right track,” he said. “It’s just the results haven’t shown up yet. But, you know, I trust that it’s going to come. Hopefully, you know, this is something that can kind of spark a little turnaround here, for me.”
Schwarber’s Milestone Homer and Team Offence
- Trea Turner and Schwarber started Game 2 with back-to-back homers in the first inning.
- It was the seventh time in franchise history the Phillies hit back-to-back homers in the opening frame.
- It was Schwarber’s second homer of the doubleheader, his third in four games and his 11th of the season.
- He hit his 350th career homer in the first inning in Game 1.
The Phillies entered the San Francisco series ranked 29th in MLB in batting average (.219), 29th in on-base percentage (.294), 27th in slugging percentage (.362) and 28th in runs per game (3.64). Their top three hitters — Turner, Schwarber and Bryce Harper — ranked 11th with a .784 OPS; their top three ranked fifth last season (.813 OPS).
“If you’re going to have a good year and you’re going to end