South Philadelphia had beautiful weather Monday night, as the Philadelphia Phillies welcomed the Boston Red Sox in for the first of three games at Citizens Bank Park. From the first pitch, things felt a little…different, so why not end the game on a walk-off – the likes of which has only been seen one other time in over 100 years!
The two starting pitchers seemingly pitched opposite of their expectations, and yet each left the game with the score tied at 2.If you told Carlos Narváez before the start of the game – “tonight, you’ll do something no one has done since Johnny Bench” – I bet he would’ve been ecstatic. Instead, he’s likely heartbroken.
Zack Wheeler didn’t have his best stuff, but still struck out 10 to reach some great milestones. Walker Buehler might have had the best stuff he’s had all season. Philadelphia only have five base runners outside of the fourth inning (where they scored their two runs), so naturally they won by letting the automatic runner score on a play where the batter didn’t even swing.
Don’t worry, I’ll explain it all. Let’s dive into the notes and quotes from Monday night.
Phillies wacky walk-off
Philadelphia earned their third walk-off win of the season. This time, Edmundo Sosa didn’t even have to swing. No, it wasn’t a walk-off walk or hit-by-pitch. Try something more rare. How about a walk-off catcher’s interference! You’re probably thinking – “I wonder when the last time that happened was.” Well, it was already teased and a catching legend was involved.
August 1, 1971 is seemingly the only other time in recorded (or at least available) major league history where a game ended with a walk-off catcher’s interference. Reds Hall of Fame catcher, Johnny Bench, leapt out to snag a pitch from Joe Gibbon, because the runner on third was trying to steal home in the bottom of the 11th inning. In the process, Bench interfered with Willie Crawford‘s swing, earning him first base by the way of catcher’s interference. Because the bases were loaded, that meant the game was over.
Just having a similar ending is the only Phillies connection to that game, either. Pete Rose, who would eventually play for Philadelphia, was batting lead-off and playing right field for Cincinnati that game. Playing first base for Los Angeles that day, and the batter who recorded the second out of that half inning, was Hall of Famer and former Phillies great, Dick Allen. Small world!
You’ll notice I mentioned it was the first in major league history since that day. Why? Because, as they reminded us on ‘X’ immediately after the game ended, this organization is more familiar with this type of win than you may realize. The Reading Fightin’ Phils won a game on catcher’s interference back on September 4, 2024. And who was interfered with for that walk-off? Why, only the man who was on second base for last night’s – Otto Kemp. Baseball!
Zack Wheeler did great things, even if he wasn’t
Zack Wheeler didn’t have his best stuff for the second start in a row. That comes on the heels of what was the best two-start stretch of his career. Red Sox hitters battled the Phillies ace early, running his pitch count up to 58 through three innings and 75 through four. But Wheeler battled back – with some help from his new third baseman.
The third frame started with a double and a hit-by-pitch. With maybe the Red Sox best hitter, Alex Bregman, at the plate with a 3-1 count Wheels didn’t give up. Bregman turned over a perfectly placed curveball, pulling it down the third base line to Otto Kemp. Filling in for the injured Alec Bohm, Kemp ranged into foul territory to snag the hopper, ran through third for out No. 1, and fired a missile across the diamond to Bryce Harper for out No. 2. Big threat, extinguished. Double play, turned.
Wheeler would allow another run before it was all said and done, but would record all three outs in his sixth and final inning via the strikeout. That brought his total to 10 – the fifth time he’s recorded double-digit Ks in a game this year. Check out these notes:
- This was the 30th double-digit strikeout game of Wheeler’s career, 22 of which have come since joining the Phillies
- It was his 5th such game this season, all coming with no walks. Per Elias, Wheeler is the first pitcher in Phillies history to have five games with 10+ Ks and zero walks in a single season
- Monday was his third straight start at home with 10+ Ks and no walks. Per Elias, the only other pitcher since 1893 to match that stretch in a season was Gerritt Cole back in 2021
- Wheeler now has 14 such starts in his career – 12 since signing with Philadelphia
So you can’t call me a homer, I have one more. Zack surrendered a lead-off home run in Monday’s win – the first time he’s done so since June 16, 2024 at Baltimore. Wheeler said that last night was “a little rough for (him),” and that he was “a little out of sync” after the team’s victory. His manager, Rob Thomson, had a slightly different take on the starter’s performance:
“I thought he was good. They put some pretty good at-bats on him early and got his pitch count up. I think it was what, 75 (pitches) after four (innings). But he battled. Velocity was good. I thought his control and command were good. Slider was really good. He grinded.”
Other Phillies Notes & Quotes
All-Star reliever, Aroldis Chapman, pitched a scoreless eighth inning. He surrendered one hit and struck out one Phillies hitter. The electric left-hander has been dominant this season, pitching to a 1.15 ERA – his first season under a 2.00 in a decade, and a number that would mark the best of his career. Despite the scoreless outing, two rare things happened while he was in the game:
- Edmundo Sosa pinch hit in the eighth inning, recording a single. It was his first hit when pinch hitting in over a year, with the last coming on July 7, 2024. That was Sosa’s only pinch hit last season. It was also just Sosa’s second hit when not starting in a game this season.
- Trea Turner had a nine pitch plate appearance against Chapman. This was the first 9+ PA against Chapman this season, and the first since September 2 of 2024.
Walker Buehler was very effective Monday, something that hasn’t been common for the two time World Series champion. The right-hander was more efficient than any other start this season – averaging under 13 pitches an inning. Buehler tossed his second-consecutive quality start for only the second time this season. I asked Thomson about what made the veteran so effective last night:
“(He) threw strikes. That’s kind of been his bugaboo this year, but, you know, he was up around 70% strike percentage. Got ahead of hitters and went right after them.”
If there was a question as to whether Bryce Harper was fully healthy and back to being Bryce – he answered it again Monday night, going 2-for-4 with two doubles. Over his last eight games, Harper has 13 extra-base hits. He’s the first Phillies player since at least 1901 to do so, and first hitter to accomplish the feat in the majors in a single season since José Ramirez in 2017.
(Feature Photo by John Jones/Icon Sportswire)
