Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
PHILADELPHIA – It had happened 55 times in the last decade. The Atlanta Braves had built a lead of four runs or more against the Philadelphia Phillies.
In all 55 occasions, the Braves went on to win the game.
It happened for the 56th time on Thursday. Only this time the ending was different.
Brandon Marsh hit a three-run homer to end a 15-inning scoreless drought for the Phillies that spanned parts of three games, then, an inning later, Nick Castellanos crushed a two-run homer to put the Phillies ahead.
Rob Thomson turned to the varsity members of the bullpen, which includes rookie Orion Kerkering, and he, along with Matt Strahm and Jeff Hoffman pitched 3 1/3 shutout innings to lock down a huge 5-4 win over the Braves, extending their lead in the N.L. East over Atlanta to six games.
But Marsh’s homer was the matchstick finally catching fire after a lot of missed chances – including some of his own.
He struck out in the second inning with a runner on base and then did the same in the fourth inning. Atlanta starter Charlie Morton had his number.
So, when he stepped to the dish with the Phillies down four and two men on base in the sixth, he was doing something he never does.
“I sat soft,” Marsh said. “He was getting 0-1 on me with that breaking ball, so I was just trying to not get down in the count again to him where he has his plus-plus stuff. So yes, I just took a chance on it, saw it (was pitched) up and out and just let it fly.
“I knew I got barrel, but I thought I hit it too high to be honest,” said Marsh, who had two hits in the game. “But you know, the game … it gave us a bone there.”
It sure did. The ball looked like it was going to be a fly out to the left fielder off the bat, but it just kept carrying and carrying and carrying and…
“It carried a lot farther than I thought it would,” Marsh said. “I knew I hit it decent, but I just thought I hit it too high. Maybe the scoreboard knocked some of the wind down or something … but we’ll take it.”
It breathed life back into the building, and it brought about a familiar feeling in the dugout as well.
Kerkering was sensational in the top of the seventh, with a 1-2-3 inning that included two strikeouts. The quick inning got the Phillies right back to the plate.
Trea Turner walked, Bryce Harper sacrificed him to second and he advanced to third on a groundout by Edmundo Sosa.
This set the table for Castellanos, who crushed a homer on a fastball from reliever Grant Holmes to dead centerfield, putting the Phillies ahead to stay.
“I saw three fastballs in a row from Charlie in my first at bat with guys in scoring position which is pretty uncharacteristic,” Castellanos said. So, (in the seventh), I wasn’t, say, hunting a fastball, but I was ready for it in that situation.”
Hoffman was called on to close the game instead of Carlos Estevez, but only because he was already warming up in the eighth inning and when the part of the order that was due up in the ninth for Atlanta, Thomson just decided to stick with him in that spot rather than sit him down and get another reliever warm.
Hoffman was still laser-focused after the game. He said it didn’t matter that was closing and that it didn’t make a difference who the opponent was.
“It doesn’t mean more because it’s Atlanta,” he said. “It’s just another game. You got to win tonight. That’s it. It doesn’t matter who is on the other side.”
Fair enough, Jeff. Fair enough.
BOHM INJURED
Alec Bohm injured his left hand on a swing in the first inning and had to be removed from the game an inning later.
X-rays were negative, but Thomson said he’s really sore and would be evaluated further tomorrow. Thomson called it “a zinger” in his hand.
ON DECK
LHP Ranger Suarez (11-5, 2.82) makes his second start since coming off the I.L. for the Phillies on Friday and will be opposed by RHP Reynaldo Lopez (7-4, 2.02) for Atlanta. Lopez has been especially tough on the Phillies this season. In two starts against them he has allowed just one run on seven hits and has 16 strikeouts in just 11 innings.
