8/24 Game Recap: Phillies beat Reds 7-5

I feel like the moniker of “They never make it easy” may be getting a little old. Tonight marks the 3rd straight game that the Phillies have had to scrounge out a win against a last-place Reds team. Believe me, a win is a win and i don’t like to complain when this team is doing well. But I have a few bones to pick with this squad and some worries moving forward. The Phillies haven’t been able to come across good quality starts from any of their starting pitchers as of late, and that has hurt the bullpen mightily. At one point or another, the bullpen is going to bleed out because of how much it is being used earlier and earlier in ballgames. To that same point, the hitters will not be able to keep up with the constant late game comebacks allowed by Phillies pitching. What I’m saying is that at some point we are going to need to regain the starting pitching we saw earlier this season or these scrappy games will catch up to the Phils sooner rather than later.

Manager Rob Thomson announced earlier this week that the team would be calling up Christopher Sanchez to start today’s game instead of Aaron Nola to allow for an extra day of rest heading into a crucial stretch of games. Sanchez impressed for his standards, going 6 innings of 3-run ball with just 6 hits. The Phillies wouldn’t help him out too much early as they left the bases juiced in the first without scoring a run. Heading into the second inning, Sanchez would allow a solo shot from Stuart Fairchild putting the Reds up 1-0. After a pair of singles from Rhys Hoskins and Matt Vierling, the Phillies would take the lead at 2-1 in the 2nd. JT Realmuto would lead off the biggest inning of the night for the Phils with a solo shot to right, making it a 3-1 ballgame. The Reds would then walk two straight runners in and Alec Bohm would finish it off with a single of his own giving the Phils a commanding 6-1 lead. Kyle Farmer would go deep in the next inning, cutting into the Phillies lead at 6-2. But the Reds would neglect to make anything more of the inning going down 1-2-3. A Jonathan India double would make it a 6-3 game as Phillies fans would begin to get antsy. Luckily Sanchez would settle down and it go quiet for the next few innings. Until Nick Nelson entered the game in the 7th inning, allowing a sac fly to score Jose Barrero making it 6-4. After walking Nick Senzel, Nelson would be lifted after just 0.2 innings of work. However, a Rhys Hoskins single would bring home Matt Vierling, giving the Phils some insurance with a 7-4 lead. A JT Realmuto double to deep right field would seem to be the icing on the cake for the Phils, but Aristides Aquino had other plans launching an absolute missile to the plate to throw out Hoskins ending the inning. This is when it would get fun, as it always seems to. Connor Brogdon would come in the game for Andrew Bellatti who relieved a faltering Nick Nelson. Brogdon looked shaky but was able to get two outs before giving up a double to Alejo Lopez cutting the Phillies lead to 2 at 7-5. Finally, after a scary bottom of the 9th where David Robertson would put runners on 1st and 2nd with one away, Kyle Farmer would ground into a double play ending the game on a dramatic note.

It was yet another turbulent win for the Phillies down in South Philadelphia tonight. But as usual, they prevailed, my hope is that they can continue to win even with their bullpen being stretched as thin it is. With the return of Bryce Harper being seemingly imanent the Phillies will have reinforcements soon enough. Lets just hope they can hold off this fiesty Reds team for one more game tommorw night back at CBP. But for now good morning, good afternoon, and good night and of course Go Phils!