Featuring TWO bunts!
Where was I? I forgot the point that I was making. Oh, that’s right: Edmundo Sosa is a really good baseball player. So’s Zack Wheeler. I’m sure you, dear TGP reader, have no need of further convincing on those points. In the unlikely event that you do, the Colorado Rockies can provide further details upon request.
Zack Wheeler’s command looked a bit spotty early in the weeknight contest; he induced plenty of whiffs, but missed badly with some breaking balls, and ultimately plunked Hunter Goodman in the second to give the Rockies their first baserunner. A double play erased that mistake. In the next inning, old friend Mickey Moniak singled for the Rockies’ first hit, but Wheeler again induced a grounder and ended the inning.
The Phillies did a bit of damage against Colorado starter Kyle Freeland with 2 outs in the 3rd, as Johan Rojas singled to center and Trea Turner singled to right to cue up Bryce Harper with runners in scoring position. But he made relatively weak contact, and Rockies shortstop Ezequiel Tovar needed only a little hop to grab the ball, end the inning, and ensure that the Phillies’ curse of being unable to score on starting pitchers remained in full effect.
But not for long. Alec Bohm got the 4th started off with a single. Kyle Schwarber slapped the ball without anything resembling his full power (it’s rare that any Schwarber hit can be accurately referred to as soft), but it had enough to reach left field. Moniak had to scramble to the ball, giving Bohm time to round third and head for home, with an awkward, hurried relay throw landing off target. Nick Castellanos advanced Schwarber to third with a productive groundout. J.T. Realmuto hit a little dribbler that turned into an easy out at first. Less easy was the subsequent attempt to throw Schwarber out at home; he slid safely and made the score 2-0.
It looked for all the world like they’d continue to exorcise the curse in the 5th, as Edmundo Sosa singled, then advanced to second on an erroneous pickoff throw. Then, the rarest of things: a bunt, proving the old maneuver isn’t extinct quite yet. Cherish the sight of it: few grace our eyes these days, and even fewer work so perfectly. The bunt came from Rojas and left the Rockies defense a bit discombobulated as nobody covered first, resulting in runners on the corners with no outs (and then runners on 2nd and 3rd once Rojas successfully stole). Turner then bounced one up the third base line, where Ryan McMahon nearly got tangled up with Sosa returning to the base. His subsequent throw to first was off-kilter, and the Phillies had the bases loaded with no outs. But Freeland, fighting through frustration, struck out Bryce Harper and Bohm. Up to the plate, seeking to avoid the NOBLETIGER (No Outs, Bases Loaded, Ending in Team Incapable of Getting Easy Runs), came Schwarber. He whiffed thrice, and the curse seemed perhaps restored.
If Phillies fans felt a little queasy after watching all of those baserunners go to waste, the 7th inning at-bat from Goodman, who swatted one to left field to reduce the lead to 1, must’ve brought on proper nausea. But Wheeler’s ace pitching, more of a relief than any antacid, ensured the inning, and his night, ended with lead intact.
The trends continued for the Phillies in the second: another base hit from Sosa, with an advancement to second via another miscue from the Coloradoes (a passed ball, in this case). Then another bunt from Rojas, again successful in advancing the runner (although the Rockies got the out at first this time). But the trend of stranding runners did not continue into the 7th, as Turner singled to score Sosa. Harper took a sweeper to the deepest part of the warning track; it wasn’t enough to become a homer, but it was enough to prompt the replacement of Freeland.
The Phillies made a replacement of their own to open the 8th, bringing in Matt Strahm. He walked two, but fought his way out of the jam, ending the inning by making Ezequiel Tovar swing and miss.
The bottom 8th saw Castellanos single and Realmuto double, followed by Max Kepler being granted the intentional pass to load the bases and bring up the red-hot Sosa. You could chalk up the subsequent 2-run-scoring double to Sosa feeling disrespected by the move, though perhaps it would be more parsimonious to chalk it up to Sosa just being pretty darn good. Either way, the Phillies had a 5-1 lead.
José Alvarado came in to wrap things up in the 9th. He allowed a double to Goodman and hurled a wild pitch to advance him to third. But he would allow no more than that, making Michael Toglia swing and miss for the final out.
The Phillies are 4-1. They’ll look to complete the sweep tomorrow at 1:05.