The Philadelphia Phillies are expected to be big players at the 2022 MLB trade deadline and, whether or not youd believe it,
Baltimore Orioles Jersey they have quite a bit to offer in terms of prospect talent.There are a multitude of spots at which the Phillies can choose to upgrade: their rotation is down an arm in Zach Eflin, and the bullpen could always use some extra a surance. That said, one spot theyll likely prioritize prior to the August 2 MLB trade deadline is center field, where theyve struggled to find production all season.Earlier this season, Matt Vierling had emerged as a strong contender for the position, but he's since stepped into more of a utility role, slotting in all around the diamond. Their secondary option,Odubel Herrera, has been vastly unproductive this season, and his roster spot may very well be in jeopardy as the Phillies look to add substantially this trade season.One prominent name for the Phillies outfield void is Cubs utility man, Ian Happ, who is putting together a career year at 27 years-old.A former teammate of Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber, Happ is slashing .282/.367/.445 with nine home runs in 2022. The switch-hitter has cut down significantly on strikeouts this season, and is taking more walks than ever before. His extra year of club control makes him
Colby Rasmus Jersey a particularly tantalizing option for a team like the Phillies, who have struggled for years to find a long-term solution in center.Happs bat should play well within the confines of Citizens Bank Park, and rather shockingly, the former first round draft pick isnt as bad defensively in center field as one would expect. He boasts five defensive runs saved in the outfield in 2022, though only one of those has come in very few innings in center field.So, what might it cost the Phillies to acquire someone like Happ?Philadelphia has made it clear that all of Mick
J.J. Hardy Jersey Abel, Andrew Painter, and Griff McGarry are all but untouchable as trade talks continue to brew. Yet, they have not publicly made the same exemption for their other top prospect, Logan OHoppe. Scroll to ContinueWhat makes the market so interesting from OHoppes perspective is that many teams that the Phillies would look to deal with either already have a top catching prospect, or have their catching situation solved at the major league level.One team this does not apply for? Happ's Chicago Cubs, who are conversely set to ship off one of the best catchers in baseball in Willson Contreras prior to
Kevin Gausman Jersey the deadline. Their only major league ready solution to replace Contreras is Miguel Amaya, who projects more as a backup in the long run.Conversations between the two teams would surely begin with the aforementioned OHoppe, who has put together a strong season at and behind the plate. The Cubs are looking for someone to supplant Contreras role as a leader, as well as someone to trust their future pitching talent with for years to come.The Phillies could also include a major league ready catcher like Donny Sands, who is having an outstanding season at Triple-A. He could serve as a solid bridge from Contreras, who is all but a sure thing to be dealt.The Cubs could also choose to take a look at some of the Phillies young pitching outside of the realm of top prospects like the aforementioned Painter
Brooks Robinson Jersey , Abel, and McGarry. Ben Brown may be too rich of a price to pair with OHoppe from the Phillies perspective, but they surely wouldnt rule out the idea if it got the deal done.Rumor has it that there are a litany of other teams interested in Ian Happ's services, so demand may drive his price tag higher, but the Phillies are in great need of both an extra bat, and a center field glove. He's a sure fit, and the Phillies have the prospects to make a deal happen.There will be a flurry of moves prior to next week's trade deadline, but a trade for Ian Happ should be close to the top of the Phillies' proverbial wish list.More From SI's Inside The Phillies:
After a couple of weeks of ominous injury updates in regards to the starting rotation, the
Trevor Story Jersey worm has turned for the Dodgers. Clayton Kershaw is set to return from his hip and back injury this Sunday against the San Francisco Giants. Journeyman lefty Andrew Heaney has been throwing in Triple-A and is nearing a return to the big league club as well
Adam Ottavino Jersey .Heaney to sed a bullpen se sion this week in preparation for his Thursday start for the OKC Dodgers and from what it sounds like, he'll need to log a couple more starts in the minors before he rejoins the Dodgers.Dodgers manager Dave Roberts outlined the Heaney-plan prior to LA's game on
Sam Hilliard Jersey Tuesday at Guaranteed Rate Field against the Chicago White Sox.Andrew, I think he threw a pen Tuesday in OKC. His next turn, I think is Thursday or Friday. Its going to be four innings; four and 60 (pitches). After that, hell do another one at five innings, and well see where were at after that third one.Scroll to ContinueBased on Roberts
Wade Davis Jersey ' comments, Heaney won't be back with the Dodgers this week or next so he can make those rehab starts.But boy, the Dodgers could use a fresh arm.The bullpen has piled up innings as of late and the quality just hasn't been there. In the month of
Tony Wolters Jersey June, the Dodgers bullpen has been inconsistent at best. Before the Chicago series started, the bullpen had a ERA well north of 4.00. and Mitch White have performed well as starters, but it's a long season and getting Heaney back will absolutely help push the Dodgers through the dog days of summer.
TORONTO Its a rare opportunity to see two dynamic, young stars go toe-to-toe in a single game. On Saturday, it was Alek Manoah who took the ball for the Blue Jays. Torontos first-round pick in 2019 and an early AL Cy Young candidate in 2022, Manoah has established a reputation for excellence during his short time in the city. "He's been great at all times," Blue Jays manager Charlie Montoyo said of Manoah.The big man, who sizes up at 6-foot-
Joaquin Benoit Jersey 6, 285 pounds, came flying out of the gates during his rookie season last year and has picked up where he left off this year with a 1.71 ERA through his first seven starts.Manoah looked flawle s as soon as he took the hill in the Blue Jays' 3-1 win, cruising through the Reds lineup and facing the minimum through three. But while the Jays starter put on a show, the man on the Cincinnati side22-year-old Hunter Greenebrought just as much excitement. The second overall pick by the Reds in 2017, Greene is still finding his footing at the major-league level, but there have been incredible flashes of talent. In his last start, the right-hander was phenomenal, to sing 7.1 innings of no-hit ball. There are few things quite as exciting as Greenes fastballwhich touched 101.4 mph Saturdaybut the slider is his best weapon. That was made very clear in the second at-bat of
Raudy Read Jersey the game, when he got the free-swinging Bo Bichette to chase three sliders nowhere near the zone.At a minus-5 run value per Baseball Savant, Greenes slider is top-15 in all of baseball. So, after Bichette went down on all sliders last time, he was ready to hack in his second
Shawn Kelley Jersey at-bat.When Greene delivered the breaking pitch, Bichette cracked it into left field for a no-doubt solo shot, his fifth of the season and 50th of his career.Scroll to ContinueThat run equalized the game after Etobicoke, Ont., native Joey Votto had driven in a run off Manoah in the top half of the fourth. In the sixth inning, now with the Rogers Centre roof open and Greene out of the game, Bichette got another chance to do some damage. Raimel Tapia bounced off third base, and with two outs, Bichetewho has said plenty of times he doesnt feel pre sureproved why the slider-heavy approach only works for so long.In a shot almost identical to his first home run, Bichette lashed a two-run bomb 415 feet to left-center field to give Toronto a lead it wouldn't relinquish.Manoah took it from there. The right-hander was viciously efficient on Saturday, neatly wrapping up eight innings of one-run
Erick Fedde Jersey ball on just 83 pitches."I think the biggest thing was being able to attack with the heater, being able to mix in some offspeeds there, get some weak contact, and just being able to get that offense out there and let them get in a groove," Manoah said.For a moment, it looked like Manoah might go for the complete game, but Montoyo opted for his closer Jordan Romano in the ninth, who struck out the side for his AL-best 14th save. "I've got the best closer in baseball," Montoyo said, emphasizing Romano's sturdine s as the reason why he felt no regret about pulling Manoah after the eighth.Manoah zoomed through this one, only throwing 20 balls total and neutralizing nearly every Reds scoring opportunity that popped up. So when Montoyo told Manoah he wasn't going back out for the ninth, the pitcher was very animated, but ultimately eased up."I think Montoyo understands how competitive I am; I think he's
Blank Jersey told you guys that," Manoah said. "I think he knows that. And me, as a competitor, I'm just doing my job. It's not every day you get to go do something like that, but we've got the best closer in baseball."He's doing his job and protecting me. We'll keep moving forward."If there was any doubt of Manoah's desire to win, this situation speaks for itself. He's a man on a mi sion, driven to carry his club however he can.Normally, in the AL, three runs of support doesn't cut it, but with Manoah on the mound lately, that'll do. That'll do just fine.
ARLINGTON, Texas-- The Cleveland Indians could not muster any offensive momentum on
Lenny Dykstra Jersey Sunday in the 123-degree heat against the Texas Rangers. After the Indians scored a combined 25 runs over the last two days, Texas starting pitcher Yovani Gallardo was able to wind back the clock and put together his best outing of the year to stifle the Tribe bats in the Rangers' 5-0 shutout win. Here are three takeaways as the Tribe gets ready to head back home to face the Pirates in a 3-game set.1. Gallardo's start of the year and Cleveland's mi sed opportunities Gallardo gave up a season-low three hits in six scorele s
Tim Tebow Jersey innings. It was the first time Gallardo has pitched six or more scorele s innings since August of 2015. He had just one strikeout and four walks, but as manager Terry Francona said postgame, he did a good job of pitching to contact and keeping the ball off the barrel of the Tribe's bats. Overall against Rangers' pitching, the Tribe was also held to 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position. And even in the eighth inning with bases loaded, the Indians were unable to drive in a run.2. Odor plates the first three Texas runsScroll to Continue Gallardo was backed up nicely by Rougned Odor,
Javier Báez Jersey who went 3-for-3 at the plate with a home run and three RBI. He got the Rangers on the board in the third with an RBI single, and later recorded a sacrifice fly in the fifth, putting up the only two runs on Indians starter Mike Clevinger. Sunshine went 6 2
Matt Harvey Jersey /3 innings, striking out seven, giving four hits, those two earned runs and four walks. After Clevinger exited, Odor homered in the eighth inning on an 0-1 slider from Oliver Perez, tacking on an insurance run.3. Rua's home run seals the deal Amherst Steele alum Ryan Rua plated the final pair of Rangers runs
Tug McGraw Jersey on Sunday with a two-run shot to center field. Rua came off the bench as a defensive substitution in the top of the eighth inning, and in his only at-bat of the game made Neil Ramirez pay for an 0-1 slider that didn't break enough and wound up in the middle of the zone: For the season, Rua is batting .195 with six homers and 12 RBI.
It's easy to see why Mark Appel is still toiling away in the minor leagues at 31 years old. The senior of all of his Triple-A teammates but
Ken Griffey Jersey two, some might have thought it would be time for Appel to hang up his spikes, and before 2022, he thought so too."I was wrestling with the fact that I made it through last year healthy. I didn't pitch great, I had a lot of fun, I stayed healthy, so there was enough to keep me like 'maybe I got another year in me,' Appel said. "But I said to myself, 'man if this year goes like it did last year, I'm probably gonna be done after 2022.'"Even if Appel doesn't make it back to the Majors in 2022, the Philadelphia Phillies will still be grateful for his presence. Despite pitching only 10.1 innings, Appel provided a length to the bullpen that was not there before his promotion.In those innings, the Houston, TX
Tim Beckham Jersey native allowed just two runs and pitching dominant long relief. It was the culmination of a dream that had been burning through profe sional baseball for almost a decade, an ambition nearly snuffed out several years ago. After the 2017 season, just two years after coming to Philadelphia from Houston in a trade headlined by Ken Giles and Vince Velasquez, Appel was out of profe sional baseball.Labeled " " at age-26, it is easy to understand how the pre sure upon his shoulders could be overwhelming. So Appel went back to his normal life, serving in his local church, fishing in Oregon, kayaking in North Carolina and experiencing what he had never gotten the chance to with baseball in the way.Coming back to the sport in 2021, Appel was a changed man, more experienced, having weathered the hardships of minor league baseball for so long and now more balanced with the world outside of baseball.It was a mentality apparent when Appel shared some of the le sons he had learned via Twitter in September 2021.His maturity shines through when he talks about his trip the Majors. For many players, getting demoted after pitching so succe sfully would be hard to stomach. But Appel's mindset is healthy. He cherishes the ability that he's still around and able to play at such a high level."If my focus is just on getting back to Philly I'm going to mi s out on things that are going on right here. I know for me to get back to Philly I just have to be present with where I'm at," he said. "Not worry about the things I can't control."Appel came into 2022
Denard Span Jersey as clay to be molded. Ready to pitch and meaningfully fulfill what he thought to be the back-end of his career, his transition to a bullpen piece went rather smoothly."Icame into spring training being like 'Hey, beggars can't be choosers.' I just want to have a jersey on my back." He continued, "Whether that's starting, relieving, whatever. Whatever the Phillies think is gonna help them out the most."Scroll to ContinueIn 37.1 innings at Triple-A Lehigh Valley, Appel has pitched to a 2.17 ERA, limiting walks and maximizing strikeouts. It's a distinct improvement from 2021 when he had a 6.06 ERA in 71.1 innings acro s Double-A and Triple-A."I think being a reliever, it's a little le s scheduled, it's a little le s routine based. I think that chaos helped me a little bit."The change has suited Appel, who is now able to rely more heavily
Sam Tuivailala Jersey on his two plus-pitches, his sinker and slider. Their tunneling action plays off each other to form a deadly two-pitch combo."I don't need to save anything today, I can just unload the tank, I don't need to get through six, I need to get through one or two," Appel said about his new outlook out of the
Justin Dunn Jersey bullpen."I'm enjoying it a lot."With everything that Appel has gone through, it still would be understandable if he called it quits after 2022. He achieved one goal in making the Majors, now it is time to see if he can stay there."I'm sure I'll have my chance again in the future," Appel said about cracking the Phillies active roster, "Being in the big leagues is awesome."But the IronPigs need him now too. Appel is one of the more experienced players on that roster, a mentor to some of the younger guys. If he was focused on the playoff push the Phillies were making, few would begrudge him that, but ever consistent, he brought up the IronPigs current standings. "We got a playoff push down here too."More From SI's Inside The Phillies:
NEW YORK When your team and in the same week, every other storyline plays second fiddle.The Yankees pulled off both of those incredible feats in a span of three games, building momentum during this hot stretch as the second full month of the season comes to a close.On Saturday, however, even a no-hitter and a spectacular triple play were an afterthought thanks to this record-setting accomplishment from New York's pitching staff.With seven scorele s frames from Gerrit Cole, in the Yankees' shutout victory over the White Sox, New York's starting pitchers extended a streak of throwing seven-plus scorele
Carlton Fisk Jersey s innings to four games in a row.It's just the second time in Yankees franchise history that's been done. You'd have to go all the way back to the Herbert Hoover administration in 1932 to find a stretch of four games where Yankees starters didn't allow a run over seven or more."They've been terrific," Yankees
Alex Colome Jersey manager Aaron Boone said. "Obviously this run they're on right now is really impre sive, but I think it goes back further, really for the better part of the month they've been really solid and strong and tone setters for the whole team. It was no different with Gerrit today."Before Cole toed the rubber on Saturday, Corey Kluber, Domingo Germn and Jordan Montgomery each spun gems of their own. Kluber, of course, , the first no-no from a Yankees pitcher this century.It's not just the starters either. Although it's a small sample size, since the relievers haven't been called upon as much of late, the bullpen has taken care of busine s as well. In New York's last four gamespart of a five-game winning streakthe Yankees have allowed a grant total of run."It's a lot of fun to play behind guys when they're throwing the ball the way that they have been the last few days," outfielder Brett Gardner said after the win. "Obviously, three
Ozzie Guillen Jersey shutouts in the last four games is pretty impre sive. Makes our job back there behind them really easy."Allowing just one run in a four-game span is also historic for those in pinstripes. New York has produced that many zeros for four games only two other times in franchise history. That includes the aforementioned stretch in 1932, along with a quick run of dominance in April of 2002.Scroll to ContinueAsked after his latest masterpiece what he thinks of the rotation's recent surge, Cole said he wasn't surprised."I'm more just excited and proud of Corey being able to put in the work that he's worked so hard to do, Domingo overcoming the challenges that he has and Jameson Taillon being able to get some solid footing here early, it's been really fun to watch. Jordan's picked up where he's left off," he said.When the television broadcasts cut to shots of the dugout during Yankees
Jace Fry Jersey games, the starters are almost always sitting together. When those same hurlers stop by the Zoom room on the eve of their starts, the praise and adoration for others in this rotation has been limitle s.Taillon will have his chance to make this streak even more historic on Sunday when he gets the ball for New York. The right-hander has struggled more than anyone else in this staff thus far, working back from his second Tommy John surgery, but the flashes of greatne s have been there all year.Scorele s streak aside, a win on Sunday afternoon would cap off a three-game sweep of the White Sox, arguably the best team in the American League to this point in the season.With the way New York's starters have been feeding off one another this year, their confidence is rapidly on the rise. This historic run will come to an end eventually, but that doesn't mean this staff can't continue to collectively dominate opposing lineups, giving this team a chance to win every single day."They have a really good camaraderie with one another, they have really good relationships with one another where they're constantly talking pitching and game plans and the opposing teams and they get along well," Boone said.
Bobby Jenks Jersey "They challenge each other, they hold one another accountable. It's been a lot of fun, honestly, to witne s that, to see these guys come together in that starting pitching room."MORE:
In his first five starts with the Toronto Blue Jays, Jos Berros flashed his best and worst.Two starts with just one total run allowed were followed by 12 ER in his next three outings. Despite registering six strikeouts and walking none in his most recent start, the Chicago White Sox chased Berros after just three innings.Chicagos early-game aggre sion surprised Berros, but he planned to adjust and his manager was confident he could."He's going to find a way to make an adjustment. I can tell you that much," Charlie Montoyo said after Berros' last start. "He
C.C. Sabathia Jersey 'll be able to do that."On Sunday, Detroit's Akil Baddoo jumped Berros' first pitch of the game, pulling an outside fastball bouncing into left field for an early hit. But this weekend, the offensive aggre sion didnt cascade. Toronto's starter erased the
J.A. Happ Jersey baserunner with a double play and sped through the first four innings with just 47 pitches.He finished with seven innings pitched and no earned runs, crediting a simplification of his windup and the execution of pitches. Instead of raising his hands above his head before driving to the plate, Berros brought the glove just up to his belt.Scroll to Continue"I didn't do a big change," Berros said. "just simplifying my movement, my windup. But at the same time, I trusted in that proce s and that change."Even Berros unearned run against came on an executed pitch a buried changeup that Detroit shortstop Harold Castro climbed down to shoot into right field. On the next pitch, Berros ended his sixth inning with a placed running fastball to induce a casual grounder.Berros completed seven frames his most as a Blue
Gleyber Torres Jersey Jay leaning on his fastballs while mixing four pitches to freeze Detroit batters. While he generated just 12 Tiger whiffs, the righty earned 24 called strikes, including 18 on heaters."I was pounding the zone aggre sively and consistently," Berros said, "so that's why
Jorge Posada Jersey we got a lot of called strikes. Also, they were overthinking what I was going to throw."Like Manoah Saturday, Berros effort received just enough help from the Blue Jays offense. In the fourth, Kevin Smith turned on the inside pitch from Matt Boyd, leaning back to gain full extension on his arms. He looked up at the deep fly as it left his bat, watching his first career homer fall into the Blue Jays bullpen.Toronto continued to struggle cashing runs Sunday, going 0-for-tenwith runners in scoring position and scoring on two solo shots. But with an outing like Berros', significant offense isn't required for a win.He walked off the mound after the seventh, greeted by hugs, high fives, and outstretched fists in the Toronto dugout. Even a 25-minute rain delay short on rain couldn't derail Berros' Sunday masterpiece."He was the Berros we expected when we made the trade," Montoyo said. "He was on the whole time
DJ LeMahieu Jersey , from the first pitch.
Last night, Tito and the coaching staff decided to give Jose Ramirez the night off. And by night off, I mean he took a break from playing in the field and was the Guardians' DH.With Ramirez not playing third base, Ernie Clement stepped in and did a tremendous job
Jeremy Jeffress Jersey holding down the position with his defense!Clement's ability to play just about any position on the field is something that should not be overlooked. It's so rare for any player to play 162 games whether that be because of injury, or sometimes just needing the day off during the long season. That is where Clement can step up and help the team with his defense and versatility.So far this season, Clement has
Christian Yelich Jersey played 12 games at second base, seven games in left field, and 11 games at third base. While playing so many different areas on the field, Clement still ranks in the 78th percentile in outs above average.Third base is clearly where Clement feels most comfortable and he showed this last night.Watch him make a nice pick and throw out Elvis Andrus. This is certainly not an easy play and Clement makes it look like a routine ground ball. When playing third base this season, Clement has six putouts, 17 a sists, and most importantly no errors
Ryan Braun Jersey . This is impre sive for someone who does not get consistent playing time at the position.Ernie knows what he brings to the team. After the game, he said, "I got to do little things to help the team win when you are not playing every day." These little things include putting down
Brent Suter Jersey a perfect bunt in the eighth inning to help extend their lead over the A's.Depth is one of the most important parts of any team no matter what the sport is. Each year, the two teams that end up playing in the World Series usually have the deepest rosters. Clement being on the team helps deepen the roster and takes the stre s off the coaching staff to play guys like Jose every day because
Lorenzo Cain Jersey they know they won't be giving anything up defensively having Clement fill in.Scroll to Continue-----You May Also Like:-----Be sure to stay locked into Cleveland Baseball Insider all the time!Follow Cleveland Baseball Insider on Twitter:
For the first time in 2019, the Indians will wake up Wednesday atop the AL Central, as they moved to 7-3 on the season with a solid 8-2 win over the Detroit Tigers Tuesday afternoon. Corey Kluber earned his first win of the 2019 season, and the offense, which had a tough time producing in their first week and a half, suddenly has found itself, scoring 18
Atlanta Braves Jersey runs over the last three games. The team also beat up Tigers starter Jordan Zimmerman yet again, as now in six career starts against the Indians, Zimmerman is a lifetime 0-5. The Tribe has two more against the Tigers, both afternoon affairs on Wednesday and Thursday. For now, here's a
Darren O Day Jersey couple takeaways from the team's seventh win of the year. 1. Chicks Love the Long Ball The Indians had just four homers entering Tuesday's affair in Detroit, and against the Tigers pitching staff they hit four blasts, getting a quick start with Leonys Martin hitting a solo shot to leadoff the game against his former team. Jake Bauers hit a solo shot, Roberto Perez hit his first homer, and the big blow of the day came in the second inning as Brad Miller crushed a two-run blast to make it 3-1. You get a sense that this team will have to find creative ways to score runs on a lot of days, but on this day the homers were good enough for the offense to build a lead and run away with the win. 2. Corey's DayScroll to Continue Corey Kluber has much better command of his breaking pitches and even fastball, and was able to grind out six innings, throwing 96 pitches to earn his first win of the season. On the day he allowed two runs (one earned) on seven hits with a walk and eight
Dansby Swanson Jersey strikeouts. He looked much more in control and while he still gave up a first inning run, he never wavered and came right back out in the second after the Indians went up 3-1 and didn't let the Tigers back into the game. Kluber has had two good starts, one bad, and now that last Wednesday's poor start is behind him, Kluber seems
Scott Kazmir Jersey right back to normal. 3. Great to See the 'O' Starting to Produce Eight runs on eight hits with eight strikeouts. While you'd still like to see that strikeout total go down, you'll take a day like today for this offense anytime. Not only did four players all hit their first homers of the year, the team also got an early double from Tyler Naquin
Fred McGriff Jersey (.308) to set up the two-run blast by Brad Miller. Miller was 2-for-2, and Jordan Luplow got a hit in a pinch-hit opportunity. Then there was Eric Stamets, who hit a single to center, but came all the way around to score when the ball was booted and went all the way to the wall, which in Comerica Park is a long way. Seven runs Saturday, three on Sunday, and now eight on Tuesday. This isn't to say this team isn't going to have some tough days ahead, but the last few days have been much better to watch.
This isn't how the Philadelphia Phillies wanted to start off the second half.After sweeping the Miami Marlins before the All-Star break, the Phillies were swept by the meager Chicago Cubs. They were outscored 25 to 7. They are now just three games above .500 and losing ground
Glenn Hubbard Jersey in the Wild Card race.The game started off as a pitchers duel, as neither team was able to get runner on base for the first two innings. Unfortunately, things started to unravel for Bailey Falter in the third.Yan Gomes crushed a home run to left field to kick off the inning, and a few batters later Christopher Morel doubled home Nelson Velasquez to make it a 2-0 ballgame.Falter loaded the bases but escaped the inning without further damage. The very next inning, however, Gomes hit another long ball, and Velasquez homered two batters later.All in
Kendrys Morales Jersey all, Falter pitched five innings, allowing four runs and striking out five. It wasn't pretty, but it's really all the Phillies can expect out of their sixth starter.Meanwhile, Smyly was dealing for Chicago. He was perfect through the first four innings, before finally allowing a baserunner with two outs in the fifth. Bryson Stott laced a double and came home to score on a single by Alec Bohm.Smyly ran into a little more trouble in the sixth inning, when Garrett Stubbs singled on a pop up that Cubs second baseman David Bote lost in the sun. Stubbs advanced from first to third on a Schwarber ground out, smartly realizing no one was covering the hot corner as he rounded second.Scroll to ContinueHoskins drove him in with a scorched single past shortstop Nico Hoerner, and it was a 4-2 contest.Smyly finished the day with six inning pitched, having allowed just two runs (one earned) while
Chris Bassitt Jersey striking out four. It was his best start of the season.After Falter left the game, Nick Nelson pitched two clean innings, and Philadelphia made it a one-run game in the eighth with a solo shot off the bat of Stubbs. The backup catcher is hitting .281 on the season with an .890 OPS and four home runs in just 64 at-bats.With two outs in the eighth, Hoskins hit his second single of the game, but Darrick Hall struck out
Bruce Maxwell Jersey looking to end the frame. The Phillies went into the ninth inning down by one.Jeurys Familia came in to pitch the ninth, a sign of just how depleted the Phillies bullpen must have been after the past two games. Familia has been having a terrible season, and surely wouldn't be Rob Thomson's first choice to pitch in such a high leverage situation.Thankfully, Familia got the job done, recording three outs without allowing any damage. Nick Castellanos, Stott, and Bohm were due up in the bottom of the ninth with a chance to walk it off.Castellanos popped out, Stott walked, Bohm singled to to center, and Didi Gregorius flew out, bringing Stubbs to the plate with two outs and the winning run on first. Unfortunately, he was unable
Tony Phillips Jersey to come up big this time, striking out to end the game.Simply put, the Phillies have to play better. They'll welcome the Braves to Citizens Bank Park tomorrow night as they hope to turn things around.More From SI's :