Aug 21, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Philadelphia Phillies relief pitcher Carlos Estevez (53) reacts after a victory over the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
Weston Wilson burst onto the scene a year ago with a home run in his first major league at bat.
He had another big moment last week when he became just the ninth player in Phillies history to hit for the cycle.
He didn’t have anything monumental happen on Wednesday, but what he did do could lead to something monumental – as in a shift in roster philosophy for the postseason for the Phillies.
Wilson, who started because the Atlanta Braves were throwing a lefty, Max Fried, had two hits, including a leadoff double in the eighth inning – off a right-handed reliever – and scored on a sacrifice fly by pinch hitter Brandon Marsh, and then the Phillies held on for dear life in a hair-raising bottom of the ninth, to defeat the Braves 3-2.
“That’s how you win a playoff game,” manager Rob Thomson told reporters in his office after the game. He was partly joking, but he managed it like he would a playoff game.
Aaron Nola gave him 5 1/3 innings. Then he played matchups with his bullpen and a combination of Jeff Hoffman, Matt Strahm, Orion Kerkering and Carlos Estevez kept Atlanta off the scoreboard to earn a much-needed win.
With the victory, the Phillies (74-52), extended their lead to seven games over the Braves for the N.L. East crown with 36 games to play in the regular season.
With the Dodgers winning and the Brewers losing on Wednesday, the Phillies are one game behind the Dodgers for the best-record in the N.L. and one game ahead of Milwaukee for the No. 2 seed.
This three-team race is likely going to go down to the wire. The Phillies went 5-1 against the Dodgers in the regular season, so they hold a tiebreaker on L.A. The Phillies swept the Brewers (3-0) in Philadelphia. The Phillies travel to Milwaukee for three games in the next-to-last week of the season. One win by the Phillies gives them the tiebreaker over the Brewers as well.
But there’s a lot of baseball to be played before that, and while the Phillies are jockeying for position, they will also be identifying who will play what role in the postseason, and right now Wilson is earning his keep.
With deadline acquisition Austin Hays expected to rejoin the Phillies in Kansas City, it’ll be interesting to see how Thomson manages his outfield.
When Hays was acquired from Baltimore, both Thomson and president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said they viewed Hays as an everyday player.
With Wilson showing that he’s more than a one-trick pony, he might be pushing for more time.
The two guys who have struggled the most offensively – Bryson Stott and Brandon Marsh – could see less and less time because of Wilson’s emergence.
Wilson doubled off the right field wall off righty Joe Jimenez to lead off the eighth. Stott pinch hit for Edmundo Sosa and moved Wilson to third on a flyout to deep center. Marsh, pinch hitting for Johan Rojas, scored him on a fly ball to left.
Thomoson wasn’t just talking about his bullpen when he was referring to this feeling like a playoff game. All three Phillies runs were produced by productive outs.
Kyle Schwarber drove in the first Phillies run with a ground out and Trea Turner plated the second run, also on a sacrifice fly.
It may not have been pretty, but it showed the Phillies have it in them to bear down and do what needs to be done in timely at bats to move runners and get them home.
Nola wasn’t at his best, but he was good enough. He only allowed two runs – on a home run by Orlando Arcia – but he pitched himself out of trouble in a couple of innings, and had a dominant fifth inning, striking out the side.
Hoffman got a key double play, ground out to get out of a jam in the sixth. Strahm and Kerkering were lights out in the seventh and eighth. Estevez was a bit shaky in the ninth, but after putting the tying run on base courtesy of a walk and the winning run on base via a one-out single, Estevez bore down and got Michael Harris II to ground out to third and former Phillie Whit Merrifield to hot a ball that nearly handcuffed Bryce Harper at first, but Harper stayed with it and made the final out of the game by stepping on the bag, allowing the Phillies to breath a sigh of relief.
“Every win is important right now,” Nola told reporters after the game. “I feel like no lead is a big enough lead right now, especially with (Atlanta). They’re always good. They always play us really good and it’s always a challenge …
“We got to take care of business tomorrow and try to win a series.”
ON DECK
The Phillies will try to take the series from the Braves by throwing LHP Cristopher Sanchez (9-8, 3.46). Atlanta will counter with RHP Spencer Schwellenbach (4-6, 4.04).
