October in April: Bryson Stott’s walk-off hit reminds us of a better time
Final Score: Phillies 3, Reds 2
The ninth inning of Saturday’s game was April baseball at its best. With Citizens Bank Park sold out and the crowd agitated and ready to rally after a frustrating first eight innings, there was a sense that the Phillies had a chance at a comeback.
The Cincinnati Reds were trying to get the last six outs using closer Alexis Diaz. Like his brother Edwin, Alexis has the stuff, but he doesn’t possess the same command and poise like his star older brother does. You knew there was a chance when he walked to the mound to begin the ninth inning.
Nick Castellanos saw seven pitches in the first at-bat of the inning and walked for the seventh time this year. A wild pitch and a hit from Alec Bohm set up first and third with nobody out and the Phillies down by a pair of runs. Brandon Marsh was brought on to pinch hit for Josh Harrison.
There’s a ton of debate around the new rules and how the pitch timer can break the tension that builds up in the later innings of a game. Saturday’s ninth inning was an example of how the new rules can heighten the drama.
With the righty Diaz facing the third base side as he gets set, Castellanos began moving closer and closer to home plate to get Diaz rattled and make him use one of his two disengagements in the at-bat. If he represented the winning or tying run, Castellanos joked, he would have thought about taking home. The crowd noticed and played along.
“If they’re going to give me all that room, why not?” Castellanos said after the game.
“That’s the kind of thing with playing here,” he said. “The crowd is always in it, one way or another. They’re always cheering really loud or booing really loud. But I do know that when we start getting momentum, it’s very difficult for the other team to get anything going their way. I think they can definitely feel it.”
Marsh singled to the right side to get the first run on the board. Diaz was lifted for Ian Gibaut and Edmundo Sosa tied the game on a sacrifice fly to center field.
Bryson Stott finished up the inevitable with a base hit to right field, scoring Marsh, who stole second earlier in the at-bat. For the first time since last September, the Phillies dugout emptied in celebration of a walk off.
The Phillies will celebrate their run to the World Series one last time on Sunday. The center field grass will say “National League Champions.” The players, coaches and staff will get their rings and then it’s time to move on and focus on getting there again.
October is a long way away and hardly a guarantee given the unique challenges the Phillies have already faced this year, but at least for one day, there was a nice callback.
“Everyone was standing and it was loud and it kind of felt like October again,” Stott said after the game. “Just the way that they showed up and how they kind of got into the game and it doesn’t help the pitcher at all.”
…
Bailey Falter allowed one run through five innings with the lone run coming off of a solo shot from Spencer Steer in the first. He retired 12 consecutive batters to end the outing.
Falter was good, but Lodolo was better. If there’s one thing the Reds have going for them, it’s their top three in Hunter Greene, Lodolo and Graham Ashcraft. Lodolo threw seven scoreless against the Phillies last season and it was a repeat of that performance today. His backdoor slider is lethal; just ask Josh Harrison, who swung and missed on a pitch that hit him:
It initially appeared the Phillies tied the game in the third. With two in scoring position following a passed ball, Kyle Schwarber hit a grounder to third base. The third baseman Steer ran to the bag to tag out the runner Cristian Pache, who was initially called safe. He was clearly out, but a lengthy replay review followed to see if the lead runner Stott crossed the plate before the tag was applied.
Stott said he saw the bat around the plate and took a half stutter step. That’s why he was unable to score.
“Just run through the base and forget about the bat. I think I’m there. Some of the guys weren’t really sure either or. I just gotta not take that stutter step and get there on that,” Stott said.
Shibe Vintage Sports Notes
- Stott’s walk-off single extended his hit streak to eight games.
- Lodolo set a new career high in strikeouts in a game with 12.
- Castellanos recorded his fourth outfield assist of the season in the seventh on a fly out against Jake Fraley. Stott and Trea Turner deked the runner TJ Friedl and Castellanos had an easy 9-3 double play:
Ticket IQ Next Game
- Sunday, April 9 vs. Cincinnati Reds at Citizens Bank Park
- 1:05 p.m. ET
- TV: NBC Sports Philadelphia+
- Radio: Sportsradio 94 WIP
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