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Phillies Bounce Back to Take Series Opener from Padres

The Philadelphia Phillies tacked six runs on one of the best pitchers in the game.

Author:
Alex Carr
Jun 24, 2022 10:00 AM EDT

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Philadelphia Phillies

The Philadelphia Phillies sought a much-needed bounce back after suffering a disappointing two-game sweep at the hands of the Texas Rangers.

A bounce back is certainly what they found.

Things began grimly for the Phillies, as San Diego's Eric Hosmer launched a long solo shot off of Ranger Suárez to lead off the bottom of the second inning.

Remarkably, from that point forward, it was a pitching-dominated game. Padres' ace Joe Musgrove, one of the best pitchers in the sport in 2022, kept the Phillies silent for four straight frames.

Luckily, the Phillies managed to break through in the top of the fifth inning, as a single off the bat of Didi Gregorius, wild pitch by Musgrove, and single via Odúbel Herrera combined to tie things up at one.

That seemed to be when something clicked for the Phillies.

They came out in the top of the sixth with renewed confidence, as Bryson Stott launched a double to right field. That brought Kyle Schwarber to the plate, and one can probably guess what happened next:

That was only the beginning of what would evolve into a five-run sixth inning for the Phillies, as back-to-back singles from Bryce Harper and Nick Castellanos led to a much-needed J.T. Realmuto bomb:

It was Realmuto's first home run since May 26, nearly a full month ago.

After that Hosmer solo shot in the second inning, Suárez shifted into another gear. He was exceptionally efficient on Thursday night, allowing just four hard hits across 7.1 innings worth of work, his longest outing of the season.

Unfortunately, he would have a second run tacked to his overall line, after a controversial call from third base umpire, Edwin Moscoso, led to a double for San Diego's Austin Nola in the eighth.

Seranthony Domínguez relieved Suárez and was, of course, dominant. He allowed the lone run to cross via a fielder's choice, and kept the game at 6-2, where it would remain for its duration.

Brad Hand pitched a spotless ninth, and the Phillies snapped their three-game skid. One can only hope this is the kind of game that sparks something in both Nick Castellanos and J.T. Realmuto. Both played key parts in Thursday's win, and will need to be in top form for a tough series and remaining stretch ahead.