The Phillies Hit For The Cycle Of Homeruns
Monday night’s game at Citizen’s Bank Park illustrated that the Baltimore Orioles are not in the same league as the Philadelphia Phillies (64-48), both literally and figuratively. The Phillies reside in first place in the NL East while the Orioles occupy the basement of the AL East and the final score reflected that fact. Philadelphia bludgeoned the Orioles 13-3.
That Escalated Quickly
The score was tied at three entering the bottom of the sixth inning. In a span of three pitchers and thirty-four pitches, Philadelphia exploded for an 11-3 lead with all eight runs coming with two outs. Baltimore’s starter, Cade Povich (2-6), began the inning and exited with a runner on first and two outs. Corbin Martin came in and put the lighter fluid on the coals, allowing 6 runs on 5 hits without recording an out. Yaramil Hiraldo then came in and threw the match on the coals. While Hiraldo gave the Orioles 1.1 innings of relief, he did give up a 390 ft. grand slam homerun to Kyle Schwarber.
The Phillies Hit Six Homers
The Phillies teed off on Baltimore pitching. Bryce Harper hit a solo homerun off Povich in the first inning, Schwarber hit a two-run blast in the second, Harrison Bader hit a three-run blast off Martin in the sixth and Schwarber hit his grand slam off Hiraldo in the same inning; cycle complete. To cap off the night, Edmundo Sosa and Weston Wilson each hit solo shots off Elvin Rodriguez in the eighth. Twelev of the Phillies’ thirteen runs came via the longball.
For the record, Povich was tagged with the loss having allowed 4 runs on 4 hits with a walk and 7 strikeouts over 5.2 innings.
Baltimore Had Some Early Pop
The Orioles three runs came on a prodigious two-run homerun to left field by Tyler O’Neill in the second inning and a Jordan Westburg solo homerun to left in the third.
Unfortunately Baltimore managed just one more hit on the night, a Coby Mayo single in the third following Westburg’s homerun, for the remainder of the game. Eighteen consecutive Orioles batter were retired until Adley Rutschman worked a one out walk in the ninth.
These final two months of the 2025 season could be long ones.
2025 Record: 51-62
Next Game: Tues. 8/5 @ 6:45 pm vs. Phillies in Philadelphia