The Philadelphia Phillies were on the verge of another loss before rallying for two runs in the bottom of the ninth inning on Tuesday for an improbable 4-3 win over the Baltimore Orioles
Now, instead of trying to avoid being swept, the host Phillies take the field on Wednesday looking for a series victory over one of the best teams in baseball
With two outs in the ninth and the Phillies down by a run, Bryson Stott doubled in Bryce Harper to tie the game, and Alec Bohm singled in Stott two batters later
“I was trying to put the barrel on it,” Bohm said during a postgame interview on NBC Sports Philadelphia. “I found a hole. …
“We’ve got to find a way to win games. They take the lead late, and we’re not quitting.”
Phillies manager Rob Thomson believes Bohm is perfect for those key moments late in games
“He’s got a slow heartbeat,” Thomson said. “He seems to come through in those spots.”
Another Philadelphia player with a knack for big plays is Johan Rojas.
Since a recent callup from Double-A Reading, the 22-year-old has continued to impress the organization both on offense and on defense in center field. His single in the third inning on Tuesday scored Bohm and got the Phillies on the board after the Orioles posted the game’s first two runs
“He had maybe some of the best at-bats we had all night,” Thomson said of Rojas, who is batting .333 (6-for-18) through seven games. “He’s really performed well.”
Someone else the Phillies hope will perform well is Wednesday’s starting pitcher, left-hander Ranger Suarez (2-5, 4.07 ERA)
In his latest start, Suarez allowed eight hits and four runs in five innings against the Cleveland Guardians on Friday, taking a 6-5 loss. He struck out five and walked two.
In his lone career start against the Orioles, Suarez took a loss on Sept. 20, 2021, after giving up two runs on seven hits over six innings
The Orioles will give the ball to second-year right-hander Kyle Bradish in the series finale. If nothing else, Baltimore hope Bradish can give them a shot in the later innings, as the Orioles are 19-10 in one-run games, the third-best mark in the majors
Of course, Baltimore squandered a one-run lead in the ninth on Tuesday.
“If we continue to play one-run games, we’re gonna lose some,” Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said. “You can’t be perfect every night out of the bullpen.
Bradish (6-5, 3.05 ERA) has never faced the Phillies. He was very effective in his most recent start, on Friday in Tampa Bay, though he took the loss in the Orioles‘ 3-0 setback. He gave up six hits and two runs in six innings, with one strikeout and five walks
The Orioles placed center fielder Aaron Hicks on the injured list on Tuesday due to a strained left hamstring. Hicks sustained the injury in the third inning on Monday after diving for a line drive from Rojas
The club added Ryan McKenna from Triple-A Norfolk to take Hicks’ spot on the roster. Before entering as a defensive replacement in the ninth inning on Tuesday, McKenna’s last action in the majors came on July 3.
“I don’t think there’s any sort of confidence that was lost,” McKenna said. “It was all just trying to get the work in, situational, understanding what’s going on. There’s a lot of good players here, but I know I’m a big-leaguer. Just staying ready and being prepared for an opportunity.”
Baltimore shortstop Gunnar Henderson left the Tuesday contest due to lower back pain, and his status for Wednesday was unclear.
“Getting him checked out,” Hyde said. “We expect him to be fine.”
–Field Level Media
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