The Don Mattingly era in Philadelphia has officially begun. With Rob Thomson relieved of his duties earlier in the week and Mattingly stepping in, a new chapter for the Phillies is underway. Mattingly got his first opportunity to manage the club as the Phillies welcomed the San Francisco Giants to Citizens Bank Park for a series that began Tuesday, was interrupted by a rainout Wednesday, and concluded with a doubleheader Thursday.
With that, let’s take a look back at the three-game set against the Giants and the start of the Mattingly era in Philadelphia.
After losing 11 of their last 12 games, Tuesday night’s performance was a welcome sight for Phillies fans and, presumably, a bit of relief for the new manager. In a decisive 7–0 victory over the Giants, Jesús Luzardo delivered his best outing of the season.
Despite entering the game with a 6.91 ERA, Luzardo pitched seven strong innings, allowing just two hits while striking out eight and issuing no walks. In the process, he became the first Phillies starter to complete seven innings this season.
For an offense that has struggled for much of the season, there were encouraging signs of life. The Phillies collected 11 hits and went 5-for-11 with runners in scoring position. While no balls left the ballpark, Trea Turner led the way with four hits, while Bryce Harper and Alec Bohm each added two apiece.
Entering the game, the team carried a .219 batting average, ranking 29th in the majors, an indication of just how difficult the start to the season has been.
“It feels great for us to win, not necessarily for me,” Mattingly said. “It’s about our club and this was a good win for our team. Hopefully, this is the start of us playing better baseball. I like the game tonight. We were clean, we didn’t kick the ball around, we were aggressive on the bases, we had good at-bats, (Luzardo) was aggressive in the zone. A lot of good things happened tonight.”
On Thursday, in the first game of the doubleheader, Cristopher Sánchez led the way, pitching 6.2 innings while allowing four hits and two earned runs, striking out seven. Both runs came in the first inning, and for a moment it looked like it might be a long afternoon for Phillies fans.
However, Kyle Schwarber quickly changed the mood, delivering a second-deck blast in the bottom of the first, his 350th career home run, to provide some life to the Phillies dugout. Sánchez then settled in and did not allow another run the rest of the way.
The bullpen followed with a solid effort, keeping the Giants in check as the score remained 2–1 heading into the ninth inning, with the Phillies unable to add on after Schwarber’s early homer. But the team responded at the exact moment it needed to.
After reaching on an infield single, Adolis García came around to score on Bryson Stott’s triple, tying the game at 2–2. With Stott standing on third, rookie sensation Justin Crawford delivered an infield single, a ground ball to shortstop that he beat out by a step, bringing Stott home and giving Philadelphia a dramatic 3–2 victory. The rookie now has two career walk-off hits, giving Mattingly a 2–0 record to begin his tenure.
In the second game on Thursday, it was the Phillies’ turn to jump out to a 2–0 lead, courtesy of back-to-back home runs by Turner and Schwarber, an impressive display at the plate to start the game.
San Francisco tied the game at two apiece in the top of the fifth, but Philadelphia answered right back with two runs of its own in the bottom half, with Turner and Schwarber again serving as the catalysts. Turner reached base with a single up the middle and was later advanced to third on a Schwarber double. After a Harper walk loaded the bases, García delivered a single to left field, driving home Turner and Schwarber to give Philadelphia a 4–2 lead.
However, the Giants refused to go quietly, scoring two runs in the top of the sixth to knot the game at 4–4.
Both teams scored a run apiece in the ninth, sending the game into extra innings.
The Phillies held the Giants scoreless in the top of the 10th.
Per league rules, García began the inning on second base for Philadelphia in the bottom of the inning and moved to third on a Stott sacrifice bunt. With García 90 feet away, Bohm stepped to the plate needing a big moment. Entering the game hitting just .157 on the season with one home run, he delivered a game-winning RBI sacrifice fly to center field, giving the Phillies a 6–5 victory.
The Phillies are now 3–0 in the Mattingly era. A strong start for the new manager and perhaps an early indication that the club is beginning to find its footing.
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