Brandon Marsh’s homer against the Tigers was his first in two months: ‘It was a good feeling’

DETROIT — Two months later, Brandon Marsh remembered how to trot around the bases.

“Once I sat back down the dugout, I just looked up at the sky and I was like, ‘OK, we can do it again. Thank you, man,’” the Phillies center fielder said Wednesday. “It was a good feeling.”

Marsh bashed a tie-breaking two-run homer to the opposite field in the fourth inning, part of a four-hit, four-RBI show to lift the Phillies to a 6-2 victory over the Tigers and a winning series.

» READ MORE: What if the Phillies’ outfield production doesn’t improve? Here are a few trade options to watch.

And self-deprecating humor aside, he needed it. Badly.

Not only hadn’t Marsh gone deep since April 26 — a homerless drought that lasted 135 plate appearances — but he was stuck in a 7-for-32 funk with one extra-base hit in June.

So, as the Phillies assess whether they need to acquire another outfielder before the July 30 trade deadline, it qualified as a positive development that Marsh got three hits against a righty and one against a lefty; three against fastballs and one against a slider.

“I just felt like I was a little behind the 8-ball a little bit,” Marsh said. “Just missing heaters that I would crush earlier in the year and watching off-speed when I should go [swing] on them. Really in between pitches. Just got back on the heater and was stubborn to it today.”

Indeed, Marsh’s homer came on a 95 mph fastball from Tigers reliever Keider Montero, who was called up from triple A before the game. He jumped on another heater from Montero for a two-run single in the fifth inning to give the Phillies a 5-1 lead.

But Marsh’s favorite at-bat of the day came in the eighth inning. After getting burned twice on fastballs, Montero threw a full-count slider on the inner part of the plate. Marsh turned on it and singled to right field.

» READ MORE: Brandon and Erin Marsh have always been there for each other, from Olympic trials to Red Octobers to their greatest loss

“I haven’t been really hitting the breaker that well from righties,” Marsh said. “I was pulling the trigger a lot more, not watching them and not trusting myself. I did what my brain told me to do. And my eyes.”

Marsh rarely starts against lefties, and it’s difficult to contend that he should. Entering the game, he was batting .143/.225/.167 with 22 strikeouts in 49 plate appearances against lefties.

But Marsh started the matinee finale in Detroit even though the Tigers used a lefty opener. And he singled in the second inning against Tyler Holton, his third hit in his last three games against a lefty reliever.

“We’ve been grinding, really trying to make it a point to be as successful against lefties as I am [against] righties,” Marsh said. “Really just trying to see the ball deep and just let the swing go.”

The Phillies hoped Marsh would be an everyday player when they traded for him at the 2022 deadline for touted catcher Logan O’Hoppe. Manager Rob Thomson claims he still believes Marsh will hit lefties. Until he does, though, the bulk of his opportunities are coming against lefty relievers.

“When we’ve got the lead, I don’t want to get his defense out, so he’s going to have to take down a left-hander,” Thomson said this week. “It’s baby steps. Eventually, I think he’s going to be not a platoon. I think he’s going to get the bulk of left-handed pitching.”

» READ MORE: Phillies opponents are trying neutralize their lineup with left-handed pitching. It’s not working.

Taijuan Walker made the trip to Detroit, and although the injured righty wasn’t ready to test his inflamed right index finger by ramping up his throwing, he did begin a program designed to increase his velocity.

Walker has steadily lost zip on his fastball over the last few years. He’s averaging 91.3 mph, down from 92.8 mph last season, 93.7 mph in 2022, and 94.5 mph in 2021.

As the blister on Walker’s finger heals, he’s doing “some weighted-ball stuff,” according to Thomson, to try to spur more velocity.

“We’ve got him on kind of a velocity program while we can,” Thomson said. “Hopefully that helps. But he feels good, so that’s good.”

The Phillies remain encouraged by center fielder Johan Rojas’ play since getting demoted to triple A two weeks ago. Rojas notched another sacrifice bunt Tuesday night in Durham, N.C. … Utilityman Kody Clemens (back spasms) notched three hits, including a homer, Tuesday night in triple A. Thomson said the Phillies could “probably bring him up at any time,” but they prefer to give him more playing time in left field. The Phillies could option Clemens to triple A when he comes off the injured list. … Zack Wheeler (9-4, 2.73 ERA) is scheduled to start Thursday night against Miami Marlins lefty Trevor Rogers (1-8, 4.90).

» READ MORE: Busting out of his slump shows ‘maturity’ of Phillies’ Alec Bohm, who is on his way to his first All-Star Game