Phils down AL Leading Rays as offense soars

ST. PETERSBURG - The last time the Phillies were this hot on the road Gerald Ford was president and the Big Red Machine was on their way to back-to-back world series. But after tonight’s 8-4 win over the Tampa Bay Rays, the Phils mark a feat not seen in nearly 47 years.

It was all hands on deck from the jump as the two clubs combined for seven runs in the first three innings. Starter Taijuan Walker got out to a rough start allowing four runs on five hits before settling in to throw seven complete innings topped off with a lightning-fast seventh frame.

This wasn’t anything new for Walker who has been on a torrid stretch as of late, going 6-1 with a 2.03 ERA in his last seven starts. A far cry from the months of April and May when the righty recorded some of the worst numbers of his career, with an ERA reaching into the low sevens at times.

Gregory Soto and Jeff Hoffman would follow Walker in relief and keep the Rays silent through the 8th and 9th innings as the offense did the dirty work.

It started with a pair of second-inning singles from Alec Bohm and Darick Hall that tied the game at two apiece. Hall, who recently returned from the IL recorded his first RBI since remittance which brought the game to a standstill at the end of the frame.

JT Realmuto would tie it again in the third at three-three before the bats opened the game up in the top of the 5th. Trea Turner led it all off with a solo homer, followed up by a Bryson Stott single that gave the Fightins the lead. A two-run single from Brandon Marsh and a solo homer from Nick Castellanos finalized the score at 8-4.

Castellanos, who was recently selected as the Phillies only All-Star clobbered his 13th home run of the season to dead center on a 0-0 two-out pitch from Robert Stephenson in the top of the 6th, tied his homer mark from just a year ago only 83 games into the campaign. Castellanos’ refinements since last season have been remarkable in leading the Phils Rightfielder to become one of the team’s most feared bats and a plus option in the outfield in 2023. There is little reason to believe that Nick couldn’t be a candidate for the NL MVP by season’s end, with a 2.2 WAR, .312 BA, and .864 OPS Casty is putting up top offensive numbers at his position and across the National League.

With the evening’s win, the Phillies now sit 11.0 games back of the Atlanta Braves in the NL East and hold a 0.5-game lead over the idle Giants and Brewers for the final National League Wildcard spot.

The Fightins will faceoff with the Rays tomorrow night again from the Trop for a 6:40 PM ET start time on NBCSP and 94.1 WIP.