PHILADELPHIA— Legends were in the house as the Philadelphia Phillies welcomed back former players and executives for alumni weekend.
Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, Mike Schmidt, Steve Carlton, and more packed Citizens Bank Park as Rollins and former general manager Ed Wade were inducted into the Phillies Wall of Fame. A weekend of festivities, the fans showed out with a sell-out crowd on Friday night.
However, while the greats were being honored before the game, the 2025 Phillies had business to conduct. Fresh off the trade deadline, the club now has their sights on winning the National League East. After losing two of three games to the White Sox, the Phillies hosted one of baseball’s best, the Detroit Tigers. Entering play on Friday, the Tigers sat at 64-46, towards the top of the major league standings.
This series will be a great litmus test for the Phillies, and Friday night was the start of that challenge.
Suarez vs Flaherty
After a heater to start the season, Ranger Suarez found himself in some early trouble in his last start in Citizens Bank Park. Suarez allowed six earned runs in his start against the Los Angeles Angels but bounced back greatly against the New York Yankees in the Bronx.
Trying to avenge his last start at the Bank, Suarez retired the first seven Tigers he faced. However, back-to-back singles quickly put pressure on the left-hander at the top of the third. A fielder’s choice worked to get a second out, but Suarez did not miss the next batter, Gleyber Torres. The All-Star second baseman put a ball in the seats, making it 3-0 Detroit.
Suarez settled back down, getting out of the third inning without any more damage. He would enter the seventh inning with just 79 pitches thrown. In any game that Suarez goes deep, you often find his pitch count to be at an elite pace. Suarez finished the game with 7.0 IP, 3 ER, 4 H, 0 BB, 5 K, and 1 HR.
On the other side, Jack Flaherty was dominating for the Tigers. Flaherty had a lot of success with Detroit last season before being dealt to the Los Angeles Dodgers at the deadline. He re-signed with the Tigers in the off-season and hasn’t quite seen that same level of dominance.
Flaherty carried a 6-10 record with a 4.51 earned run average in 21 starts into Friday night. He helped lower that ERA, allowing one earned run across his six innings. He dropped his ERA to 4.36.
Flaherty allowed just two hits all night, one being an Edmundo Sosa double that stayed in the park by just a hair. Due to the fall-like weather at the stadium, you could blame the un-summer-like temperature as the reason the ball did not go out.
Bader debuts, Harper gets tossed
With runners at first and third, in the bottom of the seventh, Harrison Bader stepped to the plate for his Phillies debut. Pinch-hitting for Max Kepler, Bader followed a back-to-back pinch-hit call by Rob Thomson. He would only see four pitches, walking to load up the bases with nobody out. The crowd was loud and clearly behind the newest member of the Phillies.
After his walk, Sosa would step up with a chance to do damage. He hit a ball on the screws but right at third baseman Andy Ibanez. With one out, Bryson Stott hit a sacrifice fly to get the team. on the board, scoring Nick Castellanos.
Next up was Trea Turner, whose opposite-field single allowed Kemp to score the second run of the inning. Then Kyle Schwarber tied it with a single to right field. If Citizens Bank Park had a roof, it would have been blown off.
With runners on and a chance to take the lead, Bryce Harper stepped up. With a full count, Harper tried to check his swing. Third base umpire Vic Carapazza felt Harper swung, and the Phillies’ first baseman did not. Harper’s emotions erupted with the crowd, leading to his ejection. The Phillies did, however, strike for three, tying the game.
Late Inning Theatre
The tie game would not last very long. Orion Kerkering would relieve Suarez, taking over to start the eighth. The first batter Kerkering faced was Wenceel Perez, who deposited a ball into the right field seats. This gave Detroit a 4-3 lead. Kerkering would finish the inning cleanly, moving on to the Phillies’ half of the inning.
In the bottom of the 8th, the Phillies needed a run. Castellanos would start off the rally with his second hit in as many innings. Kemp was the next batter, trying to repeat what he did the first time around. He would do one better, doubling down the line. Castellanos would score, tying the game at 4. Bader was next. Trying to play hero a little bit in his debut, he went down looking after fouling off some strikes.
With a tie game and two outs, Edmundo Sosa tried to give his team the lead. Sosa hit a dribbler back to the mound. However, Tigers’ reliever Brenan Hanifee could not make a clean throw, allowing Sosa to reach base. Detroit then brought in reliever Brant Hurter, a lefty, to face Bryson Stott. Stott rolled over on a ball to shortstop but just narrowly beat out a throw from Javier Baez to reach base. Kemp scored, giving the Phillies a 5-4 lead.
Enter Sandman
With a save opportunity on the line, Johan Duran entered the ballgame. Accompanied by his famous entrance song and light show, Duran walked to the mound in front of a sold-out Philly crowd.
The big splash at the trade deadline proved to be worth the asking price. It took Duran just 4 pitches to shut down the Tiger’s hitters in order. His 98-mile-per-hour splitter looked dominant as he made quick work of his former rival.
Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
