Adolis García has been working on ‘finding my swing,’ and it started to show results in sweep of Padres
García hit his first home run since May 6, and the Phillies scored six runs for the first time in almost three weeks to complete a season sweep of San Diego.
The Phillies’ cross-county flight from Los Angeles landed in Philadelphia in the wee hours of Monday morning. By the time they unloaded the plane and the buses dropped them off at Citizens Bank Park, it was even later.
They were off for the rest of the day, but Adolis García returned to the ballpark anyway. The right fielder had gone hitless over the six-game road trip, sinking his batting average to .191. But he had a plan.
García took extra batting practice on Monday’s off day, and then was on the field early before each game of the Padres series over the past three days, taking even more swings. And slowly but surely, results have started to follow in the games: a single on Tuesday, a double on Wednesday, and a home run in Thursday’s 6-4 win.
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García’s first homer since May 6 helped the Phillies complete the season sweep of San Diego.
“We’ve been working really hard on finding my swing and getting to that swing that characterizes me as a hitter,” García said through team interpreter Diego D’Aniello. “And that’s what we’ve been working on these past few days.”
García said the extra work has helped him feel more comfortable in the batter’s box following one of the worst months at the plate in his career. After sending a curveball from San Diego starter Lucas Giolito 429 feet, he flipped his bat as he walked out of the box.
“I think he’s gaining confidence,” said interim manager Don Mattingly. “Starting to see more rhythm, better at-bats.”
It wasn’t just García who contributed on Thursday, as the Phillies racked up 10 hits and six runs for the first time since May 15.
Zack Wheeler said he felt “out of whack” in his last start against Los Angeles, but he was back to his normal self on Thursday. He held the Padres without a hit until the sixth inning, when Bryce Johnson sent a bloop to shallow left field, out of reach of shortstop Trea Turner. Wheeler immediately rebounded by inducing a double play.
Since Wheeler has faced the Padres so often in his career, he and catcher J.T. Realmuto altered their typical game plan this time to try and change things up.
“I usually throw a lot of sinkers in to righties, and today we just kind of stayed away, or tried to,” Wheeler said. “A couple of them tailed back in, but it was flying good.”
The Padres whiffed on Wheeler’s fastball 10 times before Manny Machado caught up to one in the seventh inning, sending it into the left field seats for a two-run homer. Wheeler had lost his command somewhat in the inning, walking two, but he battled through it and struck out Miguel Andujar on a splitter to limit the damage.
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Wheeler finished seven innings, allowing two hits and three walks, and struck out eight.
“You always feel confident with Zack out there, that he’s not going to get sped up by any situation,” Mattingly said. “In the seventh, when he ends up getting out of that. He gives up the homer, but he’s got some guys out there and makes pitches and gets out of that. So you always feel confident with him out there.”
Bryson Stott got the Phillies on the board in the fourth with an RBI single, driving in Bryce Harper from second base.
Justin Crawford accounted for two of the Phillies’ runs, using his speed and capitalizing on a few San Diego miscues. After García’s homer in the fifth, Crawford doubled, advanced to third on a groundout, and scored on a pickoff attempt from Yuki Matsui that sailed into right field.
In the seventh, Crawford walked, stole second, and advanced to third on a throwing error by Padres catcher Freddy Fermin. He was then able to score easily on a single from Turner. It sparked a three-run inning for the Phillies.
Turner slid under the tag at home safely after Brandon Marsh hit into a fielder’s choice, and Alec Bohm drove in another run with a single to center.
“I don’t think we can think we’re going to win every game 2-1 or 3-2,” Mattingly said. “I think that’s been probably written a lot and talked about a lot, us being able to score. You feel like this club’s going to score, but you have to keep working.”
Orion Kerkering pitched a scoreless eighth, working around a single and a walk. The Phillies’ three-run outburst in the seventh became crucial when José Alvarado surrendered a two-run home run to Jackson Merrill before recording an out in the ninth.
Alvarado bounced back, retiring the next three Padres with a groundout, flyout, and strikeout to close out the win.
Fifty years ago, the All-Star Game came to Philadelphia as part of the bicentennial celebration. Larry Bowa was among five Phillies who represented the National League. With the Midsummer Classic returning to town next month, Bowa joined Phillies Extra to recall the atmosphere surrounding the 1976 game and being an All-Star at Veterans Stadium, as well as the state of the current Phillies. Watch here.
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