After a day off on Wednesday, the Phillies took on the Marlins at Citizens Bank Park on Thursday. Offensively, the Phils were off to a slow start, but after a Rhys Hoskins home run in the sixth inning and a big ninth inning, they ended the night with a 5-2 walkoff victory. Here’s my breakdown of the game:
What I Liked:
Rhys Hoskins. Hoskins continued his nationwide assault on America’s baseballs by hitting a solo home run in the 6th inning, his 22nd on the season. His homer was a rare bright spot for the Phillies in this game before the ninth inning,
Carlos Santana. Santana had a solid night, going 2-4 including a dribbler in the ninth inning that gave the Phillies men on first and second with one out. He was on third base when Maikel Franco hit the home run that ended the game. Speaking of Franco…
Maikel Franco. Franco had a tough night before the ninth inning, going 0 for his first 3 at-bats with a strikeout. But when it mattered, Maik stepped it up, hitting a three-run homer to send the Phillies home with a victory. When he first hit the ball, I thought he hit a lazy pop out to left field, but the ball had just enough behind it to land in the bleachers. Also, he had an incredibly cocky bat flip:
Nick Pivetta. Pivetta has had his ups and downs this season (mostly downs recently), but he kept the Phillies in this game by allowing only two earned runs in six innings. Hopefully we see more performances like this one from Pivetta moving forward. Also, the Phillies bullpen held the Marlins to one hit over three innings. I always appreciate a tidy game from the bullpen.
What I Didn’t:
Asdrubal Cabrera. Cabrera has not produced much during his short time with the Phillies. He walked in the ninth inning to load the bases and scored a run on the walkoff, but I would like to see more offensive production from The AssMan moving forward. (BTW, I wish my nickname was The AssMan. Some guys have all the luck)
The Phillies offense other than the ninth inning, really. The Phillies bats came out of this game flat. Hoskins’ solo shot was the only offense other than some scattered hits for the first eight innings. Luckily, they redeemed themselves in the ninth.
What I Like the Most:
ttyl
ReJoyce 